The song lyrics were written by the band Van Halen, as they were asked to write a song for the 1979 movie "Over the Edge" starring Matt Dillon. The movie (and the lyrics, although more obliquely) are about bored, rebellious youth with nothing better to do than get into trouble. If you see the movie, these lyrics will make more sense. It's a great movie if you grew up in the 70s/80s you'll definitely remember some of these characters from your own life. Fun fact, after writing the song, Van Halen decided not to let the movie use it.
It's in this wake that I find myself
Losing the will to resume this hell
When every breath is a dying wish
It's harder to follow the point of this
This broken place that I call my home
Is deep in the sorrow that I have sewn
And I can't erase what is in my heart
I wanted to finish before it starts
My own solution insufficient again
No false illusion, this devouring threat
I break the vessel, giving air to its red
And open my fate to the darkened sky
I've been fading away
I've been waiting on a call to reach my veins
Ready or not
No attention to waist
Every sorrow of the soul will reap my name
When I cease to exist
So, now I've come to a final sleep
I pray that forgiveness is mine to keep
I know it's hard to forgive this man
Driving the failure into your hands
My own solution insufficient again
No false illusion, this devouring threat
I break the vessel, giving air to its red
And it's open my fate to the darkened sky
I've been fading away
I've been waiting on a call to reach my veins
Ready or not
No attention to waist
Every sorrow of the soul will reap my name
When I cease to exist
When I cease to exist
I've been fading away
I've been waiting on a call to reach my veins
Ready or not
No attention to waist
Every sorrow of the soul will reap my name
When I cease to exist
I've been fading away
I've been waiting on a call to reach my veins
Ready or not
No attention to waist
Every sorrow of the soul will reap my name
When I cease to exist
When I cease to exist
Losing the will to resume this hell
When every breath is a dying wish
It's harder to follow the point of this
This broken place that I call my home
Is deep in the sorrow that I have sewn
And I can't erase what is in my heart
I wanted to finish before it starts
My own solution insufficient again
No false illusion, this devouring threat
I break the vessel, giving air to its red
And open my fate to the darkened sky
I've been fading away
I've been waiting on a call to reach my veins
Ready or not
No attention to waist
Every sorrow of the soul will reap my name
When I cease to exist
So, now I've come to a final sleep
I pray that forgiveness is mine to keep
I know it's hard to forgive this man
Driving the failure into your hands
My own solution insufficient again
No false illusion, this devouring threat
I break the vessel, giving air to its red
And it's open my fate to the darkened sky
I've been fading away
I've been waiting on a call to reach my veins
Ready or not
No attention to waist
Every sorrow of the soul will reap my name
When I cease to exist
When I cease to exist
I've been fading away
I've been waiting on a call to reach my veins
Ready or not
No attention to waist
Every sorrow of the soul will reap my name
When I cease to exist
I've been fading away
I've been waiting on a call to reach my veins
Ready or not
No attention to waist
Every sorrow of the soul will reap my name
When I cease to exist
When I cease to exist
Lyrics submitted by christianmetal86
Fading Away Lyrics as written by Ryan Clark Don Clark
Lyrics © Capitol CMG Publishing
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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I think this song is really about feeling alone and not being noticed until you're not there anymore. I agree with berserkerray about how "I know it's hard to forgive this man Driving the failure into your hands" means that with all the sins we've committed its hard to be forgiven
ive struggled with this songs true meaning, but ive learned alot here and have come to a conclusion for myself. I think we forget that sometimes everybody even christians struggle with depression. in this case this persons depression is attributed to life in general. being a christian, but becomning stagnant in there faith. waiting and waiting. i believe in this case, and i know people have done this before. instead of listening to what God wants us to really do, we listen to ourselves and justify it, either by saying it was Gods path or by it not being his path at all just fading away. purposely or not purposefully. Ive experienced this pain first hand. I used to go to vhurch all the time in high school, and do msission trips, and youth groups, and I loved it, but there was always that voice in the back of my head telling me there was more than God. So I rebbeled at 18 started doing drugs drinking not working, and i continued this self destructive path for almost2 years before i wound up in jail, homeless, little to no friends left, i tried to "break the vessel my body the tmple or vessel of God, and "open my fate to Gods hands" I knew I had done wrong all that time and tried to blame (my own solution) all my problems on my parents or the church, friends, instead of coming back to God. this is a long hard road, this song really cut right through me. i was at a point where i really wanted to kill myself, but I just wasnt listening to God. take the time to just lieten to God. please. and sometimes you think even if you were saved before, that God couldnt have room on his back for the sins youve been doing for all these years (driving the failure in your hands), but thats whats amazing about God. he is always there, even in your darkest hour.