Born in Montclair, New Jersey, in 1969, Duncan Sheik grew up in South Carolina but spent many of his early years staying with his grandparents in New Jersey. Inspired to play the piano while there, he later switched to electric guitar and performed in bands throughout high school. A fan of musical theater from a young age, he also acted in school plays and attended the occasional Broadway show with his mother. While studying at Brown University, he played in a band with Lisa Loeb but began shopping his own demo tape soon after graduation. After moving to Los Angeles, he appeared with His Boy Elroy on a 1993 album for Epic, and spent several years writing songs before he signed a solo deal with Atlantic.
Atlantic released his debut album, the Rupert Hine-produced Duncan Sheik, in mid-1996, with the single "Barely Breathing" following later in the year. The song reached number 16 on the Hot 100, and after another single, "Reasons for Living," appeared on the soundtrack to the hit TV show ER in late 1996, the debut peaked at number 83 on the Billboard 200. Also produced with Hine, the follow-up, Humming, arrived on Atlantic in 1998 and reached number 163.
Nonesuch issued 2001's self-produced Phantom Moon, a more orchestral collaboration between Sheik and poet/playwright/lyricist Steven Sater, who provided its lyrics. It featured appearances by the London Session Orchestra and guitarist Bill Frisell. Though it failed to reach the Billboard 200, Sheik returned to the chart with his fourth album, 2002's Daylight, which reached number 110. It would be his final release with Atlantic. In 2002, Sheik also composed music for a New York Shakespeare Festival's production of Twelfth Night.
Continuing to split his focus between songwriting and composition, Sheik wrote the film score for the 2004 romantic drama A Home at the End of the World as well as music for the 2005 documentary Through the Fire. He offered up his fifth studio LP, While Limousine, on the Zoë label in 2006. Its insightful lyrics didn't shy away from sociopolitical territory. In the meantime, he had collaborated with Sater on a rock musical based on the 19th century German play Spring Awakening, a story concerned with teenaged sexuality. With a book and lyrics by Sater and music by Sheik, Spring Awakening opened off-Broadway in May 2006 before moving to Broadway's Eugene O'Neill Theatre in December of that year. The show ran for over two years and took home eight Tony Awards, including Best Musical, Best Book of a Musical, and Best Original Score. The Decca-issued cast album won a Grammy for Sheik and Sater.
Sheik composed the scores for projects including the Mary Stuart Masterson-directed film The Cake Eaters (2007) and the animated TV movie Little Spirit: Christmas in New York (2008) before presenting his next pop album, 2009's Whisper House. Featuring several duets with Holly Brook (Skylar Grey), the RCA Victor release spent a week at the number 181 spot on the Billboard 200. He scored the movie dramas Dare (2009) and Harvest (2010), then returned in 2011 with the covers album Covers 80s, which included backing vocals by Rachael Yamagata and Brook. Covers 80s Remixed appeared in 2012.
Next up for Sheik was a musical adaptation of Bret Easton Ellis' American Psycho featuring a book by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa and music, lyrics, and orchestrations all by Sheik. It opened in London in 2013. He released another solo album, a song cycle titled Legerdemain (2015), and premiered the musical thriller Noir (2015) at Vassar College before American Psycho had its Broadway premiere in March 2016. The original London cast recording arrived on Concord Records the same month. Based on Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, another Sheik-Sater musical collaboration, Alice by Heart, opened off-Broadway in early 2019. The original cast recording was released by Ghostlight later in the year. 2019 also saw the off-Broadway opening of the musical The Secret Life of Bees, featuring music by Sheik and lyrics by Tony nominee Susan Birkenhead (Working, Jelly's Last Jam).
His first concert album, Live at the Cafe Carlyle, followed on Sneaky Studios/Missing Piece in late 2020. Compiled from a week of shows in October 2017, its set list spanned "Barely Breathing," songs from Spring Awakening, and previously unreleased covers of Radiohead and Tom Petty. An HBO documentary about the 15th anniversary concert of the hit musical, Spring Awakening: Those You've Known, premiered in May 2022 and was followed in June by Claptrap, Sheik's first solo studio album in seven years. It arrived on the New York-based Antifragile Music label.
Biography by Marcy Donelson
Nothing Fades
Duncan Sheik Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
There when you breathe
Your final breath
No one to hold you anymore
But haven't they told you baby
You're always alive
Leaving the plane of time and space
Just like the Sun and every ray
Might as well smile 'cause baby
We all die one day
We all die one day
Not square, not round
The silence in the sound
Not short, not long
The quiet in the song
(It carries you along!)
Some of the people here believe
Reading a book of prophesies
Some of you sigh and turn away
Nobody knows, so what's the play?
You're here now
You're here for now
And what does it matter anyway
Whatever I sing or what you say
Taking a chance we place a bet
But it ain't gonna get you
To black or red
This time around
This time around
No cause, no condition
Who knows your position?
Not you, no other
What will you discover?
You never disappear
So tell me why you fear
Neither are you born
Sometimes still you mourn
Never do you arise,
You're never low or high
No one acts, no one is made
Nothing glows, nothing fades
Nothing fades
The song "Nothing Fades" by Duncan Sheik is a contemplative and introspective piece that reflects on the nature of existence and mortality. The opening lines speak of the finality of death, the emptiness and lack of comfort that ensues when one's life comes to an end. However, the subsequent lines offer a glimmer of hope and reassurance that although the physical body may perish, the essence of one's being lives on in some form or another. The lyrics suggest that death is not an end but rather a transition to another form of existence, and that life is a temporary state that is always in flux.
The song then goes on to reflect on the illusory nature of time and space, the masks and facades that we present to the world, and the transient nature of all things. The lyrics advise us to embrace the present moment and to let go of attachments to the past or future. They suggest that we should smile in the face of our mortality and not be afraid, as death is an inevitable part of life that we all must face.
The refrain "Nothing fades" is repeated several times throughout the song, emphasizing the idea that despite the impermanence of all things, there is a sense of continuity and permanence that lies beneath the surface. The final lines of the song suggest that ultimately, there is no cause or condition that defines our existence, and that we are all part of an interconnected web of being that transcends time and space.
Overall, "Nothing Fades" is a thought-provoking and contemplative song that encourages us to embrace the present moment, let go of our fears and attachments, and to recognize the interconnectedness of all things.
Line by Line Meaning
Turning the wheel to emptiness
Starting the journey towards the unknown void of afterlife
There when you breathe
Death is certain and present even in every breath we take
Your final breath
The last breath taken before life ends
No one to hold you anymore
After death, there is no one to comfort or care for you
But haven't they told you baby
Despite death, life is eternal and continues beyond the physical form
You're always alive
The soul or spirit lives on eternally, beyond physical death
Leaving the plane of time and space
Departing from the physical realm and entering the unknown dimension beyond time and space
Leaving the mask of every face
Leaving behind the persona and identity that was crafted and presented in life
Just like the Sun and every ray
Just like the sun's rays that are born, shine, and fade, life is finite
Might as well smile 'cause baby
Accept and appreciate the brevity and beauty of life, despite its impermanence
We all die one day
Death is inevitable for all life forms
Not square, not round
Life is not defined by clear-cut shapes or patterns
The silence in the sound
Even amidst the chaos and noise of life, there is silence and stillness
Not short, not long
Life does not have a set duration or length
The quiet in the song
The beauty and essence of a song lies in its quiet and subtle moments
It carries you along!
Like a song that takes you on a journey, life has its ups and downs, but it carries you along
Some of the people here believe
Some people believe in prophecies or religious teachings
Reading a book of prophesies
Looking towards the future and seeking guidance or predictions from religious or spiritual texts
Some of you sigh and turn away
Others choose to ignore or dismiss prophecy or religious teachings
Nobody knows, so what's the play?
No one can truly predict or understand the future, so what's the point in trying?
You're here now
The present is the only moment that we know for certain
You're here for now
We exist in this present moment only temporarily
And what does it matter anyway
What is the significance of life's events and circumstances?
Whatever I sing or what you say
Regardless of what is said or done, life continues on as it will
Taking a chance we place a bet
We take risks and make choices, but there is no guarantee of outcomes
But it ain't gonna get you to black or red
There is no predetermined outcome or reward for the choices we make
This time around
This lifetime is one of many cycles of birth and death
No cause, no condition
There is no reason for the existence of life, nor any specific condition to fulfill
Who knows your position?
No one can predict or understand one's place in the world
Not you, no other
Neither yourself nor anyone else can truly comprehend the complexities of life and existence
What will you discover?
The unknown is a constant discovery, and the mysteries of existence continue beyond death
You never disappear
Existence may change, but it is never truly erased or forgotten
So tell me why you fear
Death and the unknown may be daunting, but it is an inevitable part of existence
Neither are you born
Life is a continuous cycle of existence and non-existence
Sometimes still you mourn
Despite the inevitability of existence and non-existence, the loss of loved ones can still be painful
Never do you arise
One's existence is a continuation of a cyclical process, rather than a singular rise to existence
You're never low or high
Existence is not limited to any single point or hierarchy of being
No one acts, no one is made
Life is not defined by any specific act or creation, but rather a continuous process
Nothing glows, nothing fades
Existence is a constant and eternal process beyond the notions of growth or decay
Nothing fades
Despite the impermanence of physical form, existence continues beyond death
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: DUNCAN SHEIK
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Erik Weiss
White Limousine is such an underrated album, with this song, Shopping, Hey Casanova and So Gone being standout gems.
mikebtko
Erik Weiss incredible album, drove across country and played it, it made the trip extra special...
Peter Kalnin
He explains the fundamentals of Buddhist metaphysics in this lovely piece.
I love Duncan Sheik's work, but especially this one in particular.
Ioannis Konstantinos Degante
Duncan Sheik , amazing man ! I really love his music!
Htc 626
Phenomenal.....gives me chills everytime I hear it!!!?
So Juorn Er
Nobody else makes depression sound so welcoming.
Gerimaya Whyte
Favorite Duncan song!!! Excited to found this high quality video and performance!!!
Ephlanuist
I've been wondering when they gem would show up on YouTube. I love this song. Wish I could've been there to see it.
Htc 626
I'm so glad he's doin so well....what an awesome Dad....👍♥️
Eric Whiting
love it.