Fade Away
3 Feet Smaller Lyrics


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The Situation's critical
Pleasure and pain combined
life's passing by in front of my eyes
can't wait to see the light
somehow I'm nervous, it isn't that worse
as everyone said it would be
I'm falling apart
I'm feeling my heart
closer than ever before, creeping on the floor
I'm dying, I'm dying

we all know, we break down slow
we all know, we break down slow

Die Lage hier eskaliert
Ich fühl mich einfach leer
das Leben läuft an mir vorbei, die Augenlider schwer
Irgendwie bin ich nervös und verkrampft ich dreh mich im Kreis herum und die Zeit vergeht zu schnell um zu sehen, was ich jetzt wirklich kann, was ich wirklich kann
nicht gehn, nicht gehn, von hier

we all know, we break down slow
we all know, we break down slow

die Zeit vergeht slow
I fade away slow
die Zeit vergeht
I fade away
die Zeit vergeht
I fade away





we all know, we break down slow
we all know, we break down slow

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of "Fade Away" by 3 Feet Smaller delve into the overwhelming feeling of being lost and hopeless. The singer is describing a state of mind where he is caught between pleasure and pain, but ultimately feels like life is slipping away without him being able to do anything about it. He is both nervous and scared, but also resigned to the fact that something is breaking down inside of him. The chorus repeats "we all know, we break down slow" which indicates that this is a common experience, but also implies that it's still a deeply personal one.


The second verse adds more detail to the sense of desperation. The singer talks about feeling empty and stuck, unable to move on from this state of mind. He's trapped in a cycle of anxiety - unable to progress, but also unable to stay where he is. The German lyrics repeat the same idea, further emphasising the weight of these feelings. The last part of the song repeats "die Zeit vergeht" (time is passing) and "I fade away" suggesting that the singer is fading away with time. The lyrics capture the feeling of helplessness that comes with experiencing depression, anxiety, or any other mental health issue.


Line by Line Meaning

The Situation's critical
The current state of affairs is concerning and needs attention.


Pleasure and pain combined
Life is a mixture of both good and bad experiences.


life's passing by in front of my eyes
Time is moving quickly and life is slipping away.


can't wait to see the light
The artist looks forward to a better future.


somehow I'm nervous, it isn't that worse
The artist is anxious, but the situation is not as bad as anticipated.


as everyone said it would be
The singer has received warnings or advice from others.


I'm falling apart
The singer is losing control or struggling emotionally.


I'm feeling my heart
The artist is overwhelmed with emotion and possibly experiencing physical symptoms like palpitations.


closer than ever before, creeping on the floor
The artist feels vulnerable and exposed.


I'm dying, I'm dying
The artist is using hyperbolic language to express feelings of despair and hopelessness.


we all know, we break down slow
It's common to experience emotional struggles over time.


Die Lage hier eskaliert
The situation is escalating (in German).


Ich fühl mich einfach leer
I feel empty (in German).


das Leben läuft an mir vorbei, die Augenlider schwer
Life is passing the singer by and they feel tired (in German).


Irgendwie bin ich nervös und verkrampft ich dreh mich im Kreis herum und die Zeit vergeht zu schnell um zu sehen, was ich jetzt wirklich kann, was ich wirklich kann
The singer feels anxious and stuck in a cycle of inaction, and time is slipping away too quickly for them to figure out their true potential (in German).


nicht gehn, nicht gehn, von hier
Don't go, don't go from here (in German).


die Zeit vergeht slow
Time passes slowly (in German).


I fade away slow
The singer is gradually losing themselves or giving up (in English).


die Zeit vergeht
Time passes (in German).


I fade away
The artist is slowly losing themselves or giving up (in English).




Contributed by Kennedy F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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