It's next to impossible to know the intended meaning without watching the music video. Shaun is playing a man who is responsible for the death of a young girl from a car accident (most likely drunk driving). She is Mexican and the family agrees to take him out to see the girl's grave every year for Day of the Dead. Whenever he shows up, the relatives grimace, act uncomfortable, and make him feel like he "doesn't belong here". "Ashamed" is repeated a lot because he feels constant guilt and can't "look at himself in the mirror". The only way he can make himself feel better is to forget about it. Like the lyrics "I'm out of trying to defy" and "I suppose I'll let it go" support. Furthermore, that makes him feel like he's "living a lie".
Most importantly, "the gift" is the forgiveness the family gives him. He's afraid of it because he clearly doesn't deserve it because of how much he's taken.
Some have hinted at Shaun's substance abuse in other comments. I think it may be possible he wrote this to help him get through it by putting himself in this hypothetical situation. He potentially considered that his alcohol abuse could lead to something as awful as this. A few have also mentioned his daughter Jayde. Shaun may have thought that his alcoholism could harm her in this way. In the music video, the girl's ghost is seen sitting in the backseat of the car. so I personally believe that the above is his inspiration.
I thought it was a really good song when I first heard it. But when I realized the meaning, I cried uncontrollably for how powerful it was. I had no reason to feel so at the time. In experiences of my own that I wanted to cry, I had so much trouble and couldn't. Although, this hit me like a train since I couldn't imagine having to go through that. It's actually hard to tell who feels worse: the family or the killer. Obviously the family has lost someone special, but they'll feel better in time. Guilt, however, can never be escaped.
It's next to impossible to know the intended meaning without watching the music video. Shaun is playing a man who is responsible for the death of a young girl from a car accident (most likely drunk driving). She is Mexican and the family agrees to take him out to see the girl's grave every year for Day of the Dead. Whenever he shows up, the relatives grimace, act uncomfortable, and make him feel like he "doesn't belong here". "Ashamed" is repeated a lot because he feels constant guilt and can't "look at himself in the mirror". The only way he can make himself feel better is to forget about it. Like the lyrics "I'm out of trying to defy" and "I suppose I'll let it go" support. Furthermore, that makes him feel like he's "living a lie".
Most importantly, "the gift" is the forgiveness the family gives him. He's afraid of it because he clearly doesn't deserve it because of how much he's taken.
Some have hinted at Shaun's substance abuse in other comments. I think it may be possible he wrote this to help him get through it by putting himself in this hypothetical situation. He potentially considered that his alcohol abuse could lead to something as awful as this. A few have also mentioned his daughter Jayde. Shaun may have thought that his alcoholism could harm her in this way. In the music video, the girl's ghost is seen sitting in the backseat of the car. so I personally believe that the above is his inspiration.
I thought it was a really good song when I first heard it. But when I realized the meaning, I cried uncontrollably for how powerful it was. I had no reason to feel so at the time. In experiences of my own that I wanted to cry, I had so much trouble and couldn't. Although, this hit me like a train since I couldn't imagine having to go through that. It's actually hard to tell who feels worse: the family or the killer. Obviously the family has lost someone special, but they'll feel better in time. Guilt, however, can never be escaped.