Shadow of The Day - Song Structure and Background Information

Song Structure and Background Information

The band experimented with several different versions of the keyboard loop, before deciding on the one used in the final version. Lead singer Chester Bennington explained that they used over 60 different beats for this song until they found the suitable one. They also used different types of instruments like banjos at first, just experimenting on different styles until they came up with something that could fit the track.

Like some of their other songs such as "Breaking the Habit" and "Faint", this song uses samples of live string ensemble recordings, played by Mike Shinoda on keyboard live. The samples come in before the second verse starts. Distorted guitar elements are only played after the second chorus. The lead is an 8-bar phrase which is later raised an octave. The song is written in the key of B Major, the first major key the band has ever used. The chorus is based on the very common chord progression I–V–vi–IV (B, F♯, G♯m, E in the key of B major)—this chord progression is used e.g. in U2's "With or Without You" in the key of D Major. On the verses, the chord progression is the less common vi–V–IV–IV (G♯m, F♯/A♯, E, E). The end of the album version of the song, which is an instrumental piece, crossfades into the start of "What I've Done". It is the second-longest track on the album and features only backing vocals from Mike Shinoda which can be more noticed during the refrains at the end of the song. Mike Shinoda sings only the lines "And the shadow of the day will embrace the world in grey and the sun will set for you" with a different voice tone but with the same note of Chester's part.

The song was remastered for iTunes in 2013. It notably contains rearranged strings.

During the Projekt Revolution tour, Chester Bennington was playing the guitar while also singing the lyrics at the end of the song. These occasions are very rare for the band, since Brad Delson is the lead guitarist, and Mike Shinoda usually plays the second guitar part. However, this is not the first song on which Bennington plays guitar, since "Iridescent" was also performed with Bennington playing the guitar.