Elegant Machinery is a Swedish synthpop band. Borrowing heavily from the li… Read Full Bio ↴Elegant Machinery is a Swedish synthpop band. Borrowing heavily from the likes of Depeche Mode, they are one of few recent bands dedicated to making traditional synthpop music. Along with such bands as Page, S.P.O.C.K, Sista Mannen På Jorden and KieTheVez they define the sound of the Swedish synthpop movement.
Heavily influenced by acts like Yazoo, Human League, Depeche Mode, Rational Youth and Robert Marlow, Richard Johansson and Leslie Bayne started the band in 1988 under the name Pole Position.
Robert Enforsen joined the band as lead vocalist in 1989, and the band released their first demo, at which point they changed their name to elegant MACHINERY, a name derived from the album by Data.
Due to Leslie Bayne's stagefright, Johan Malmgren joined the band as a tour musician in 1992. He later became a permanent member.
The band was very successful in Sweden, with a number of successful singles and various awards. In the rest of Europe, their biggest break into the mainstream was with the single Process, which reached number 5 in the Spanish charts.
elegant MACHINERY disbanded in 1999.
In 2001, the band temporarily reunited (with Johan temporarily replaced by Jarmo Ollila of Daily Planet) for their first-ever American appearance, followed by a performance in Mexico. Over the next few years, the band performed a number of times in Europe.
In October 2004, after a successful gig at Romo Night in Gothenburg, the band decided to work on new music. Johan, Richard, and Robert have been joined by original member Leslie Bayne, and plan to release a new single in 2006.
During the band's hiatus, Robert Enforsen worked on a number of side projects, including Enforce, Hype, Gobble & Gag, and Red Light District. Meanwhile, Johan Malmgren joined the Swedish band S.P.O.C.K as a keyboardist, programmer and composer. Johan and Robert also produced the debut album "Lost in a Maze" of the Swedish-British band Univaque in 2004.

Fading
Elegant Machinery Lyrics

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Standing there on her own
Hiding her face from the crowd
"oh god what kind of a world this is"
So many scars that hurts
Scars that never faded
A sweet caress she softly miss
Fading away
In the darkest hour

Like a withering flower
Fading away
In the darkest night
She's a shade of hear youth
Standing there in the dark
All is real but still unseen
She looks around with a sign of grief
She needs someone who cares
Someone who listens to
Those words of disbelief
Fading away
In the darkest hour
Like a withering flower
Fading away
In the darkest night
She's a shade of hear youth
"Take these broken wings of mine

And teach me how to live my life"
Fading away...

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Elegant Machinery's song Fading Away describe a woman who is alone and hiding her face from the crowd; she is overwhelmed by the pain and scars of life that never seem to go away. She longs for a sweet caress that she misses so much, but feels like she is fading away in the darkest hour, like a withering flower. She stands alone in the dark, surrounded by the reality of life that is unseen; she looks around with a sign of grief, hoping for someone who cares and can listen to her words of disbelief. The chorus repeats the phrase "fading away" like a mantra, emphasizing the idea of slowly disappearing due to the burdens of life. The woman's youth is now merely a shadow of what it once was, and she needs someone to take her broken wings and teach her how to live her life once again.

This song reflects the struggles many people face in life, where past pain and trauma can leave a lasting impression on a person's well-being. The lyrics suggest that the woman is struggling with feelings of loneliness and isolation and that she feels disconnected from the world around her. Her faith in humanity has been shattered, and she longs for someone to listen to her, to understand her pain, and to show her the way to heal. The song's repetition of the phrase "fading away" is a powerful, evocative image that captures the sense of despair the woman is feeling, emphasizing the urgency of her need for connection and meaning.

Line by Line Meaning

Standing there on her own
She is alone and isolated

Hiding her face from the crowd
She is avoiding attention

"oh god what kind of a world this is"
She questions the state of the world

So many scars that hurts
She has emotional wounds that are painful

Scars that never faded
Her emotional pain is long-lasting

A sweet caress she softly miss
She longs for physical comfort and affection

Fading away
She is losing herself or disappearing

In the darkest hour
Her lowest point in life

Like a withering flower
She is losing vitality and fading away

She's a shade of her youth
She feels old and worn out

Standing there in the dark
She is lost and alone in a dark place