Upon receiving the tape, Lance immediately began writing lyrics for the songs, and during the process the idea to do a whole new band was born. The four "new" TG songs sounded fresh and vital, and Lance was soon on the horn with Shay to discuss the possibilties of playing live again. Mike and Ryan jumped on board without hesitation, but Jeff was unfortunately on his way out of the revolving door known as Las Vegas to the windy city of Chicago where he would go on to play in many bands such as The Story So Far, The Bomb, and Four Star Alarm. Thus, Tomorrow's Gone became Faded Grey, as there is no TG without the great bearded lady.
After commuting to LV from CA for the first two live shows, Lance soon packed his bags and said goodbye to sunny southern California and returned to the blow dryer heat of the southern Nevada desert. Since the recording for the TG discography was scrapped when Jeff took three of the four songs with him to Chicago, a new FG demo was in order. The band quickly recorded two new songs (Begin Again and Army of Kids) and re-worked two old songs (Faded Grey and In Silence) with long time friend Abe, and the FG demo 1998 was completed. This recording would later be re-mastered at Q-Mark and released by Eric "sick boy" Z as the "Army of Kids" EP on Element Records.
Many live shows and an ill-fated, never released split 7" with fellow Las Vegan's Curl Up and Die would soon follow. FG slowly began to build a following in LV and southern CA over the next year with the energy and honesty they brought to a scene that was beginning to stagnate, at least in late 90's Las Vegas. Dave Mandel from Indecision Records took note of the band, and FG became a part of the Indecision family in late 1999. Needless to say, this was a huge stepping stone for a little known band from the sun baked desert.
Over the next few months, the band played numerous live shows in LV, CA, and Utah and began writing for what was intitially going to be a 7"/EP on Indy Recs. As Shay and Lance began to churn out more songs than expected, the slated EP became an LP, and Joe Schoser (Far From It and Keegan's Quest) was brought into the FG mix to beef up the sound as a second guitarist. During the beautiful spring and blazing summer of 2000, the band worked together tirelessly to write and refine what would become the "A Quiet Time of Desperation" LP, which was recorded with the great Paul Miner at For The Record studios in Orange, CA during the month of August 2000.
After the release of the FG LP in late 2000 (the official record release was January 2001), the band hit the road for a west coast tour with long-time friends Death By Stereo and new Indy Recs bros Count Me Out. Too many highlights and hijinks went down to discuss here, but the tour was a success on many levels, and FG continued to play relentlessly in LV, CA, and UT during the spring of 2001 before embarking on a US tour during the summer of 2001 with Count Me Out, Striking Distance (east coast leg), Time Flies (west coast leg), and Good Clean Fun (west coast leg). Again, while trying at times, the tour was a blast and many great friendships were made that summer. Unfortunately, the band parted ways with long-time FG drummer Ryan Butler at the end of the summer, and "Mr. Enthusiasm" himself, Victor Moya, was recruited as his replacement.
The remainder of 2001 and beginning of 2002 was spent playing shows in LV and CA and writing a few new songs, two of which were completed but never recorded (Another Dead Friend and Dot-Dot-Dash). The band would play its final out-of-town shows with fellow Indy Recs bros Stay Gold during a weekend trip to CA in the spring of 2002 and began to fall apart shortly there after due to a conflict of interest regarding many of the band members (family, school, work, etc). From the summer of 2002 until December 2002, the band was basically dormant until two last shows were booked on December 21st at Skate City and December 22nd at the Hammer House. Jesse Fitts from CUAD was brought in to play drums for Victor, who was tied down with family business, and the shows went down with much passion in front of two rousing hometown crowds (thanks to everyone who came from out of town as well).
After FG ended, the members kept in touch but went on to do many different things. Joe started a new band called Countenance and traveled to Germany for a school internship. Lance began to pursue a career as a firefighter/paramedic while slingin' cardboard for the brown. Mike made lots of money, smoked lots of cigs, and kicked it with the likes of Vince Neil. Shay was married to his long-time girlfriend and FG graphic designer, Jera Austin, and moved to San Diego. Ryan runs a recording studio and is a tattoo artist. Victor moved to Denver, CO, but later returned to LV and now plays drums for The Loud Pipes. Jesse continued to play in CUAD until their demise and now plays drums for Vulcans. Regardless of where life took the members of FG, music was still a huge part of their lives, and when some local kids started talking about the band in late 2004, the plan to do a one time reunion show was hatched.
On January 28th, 2005, Faded Grey played with Of Faith and Fire and Folsom at the Roadhouse in Henderson, NV. To the band's surprise, kids from all over the country came to the show, and in the end, it was quite possibly the most intense FG experience ever. I think it's safe to say, "This music will survive."
Begin Again
Faded Grey Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Into their mold of what's right and wrong.
Ostracized because he chose to live free of lies.
Ignorance took his life.
Left out in the cold to die
And we wonder why
People hide themselves away
From a world that doesn't understand.
Poisoned minds
Judged him when he stepped out from behind
The safety of the closet door.
Evil eyes
Lynched him a thousand times before he died.
Fear wrapped the noose around his neck.
When will we see that true love holds validity
No matter who's involved?
The hatred we project
Toward those who may be different
Must meet an end.
Left out in the cold to die
And we wonder why
People hide themselves away
From a world that doesn't understand.
This world doesn't understand.
What can we say for ourselves
When we stand by with idle minds
And let hatred run it's course?
The song "Begin Again" by Faded Grey delves into the issue of discrimination and hatred towards marginalized members of society. The opening lines of the song describe the tragic fate of a child who was beaten to death for not adhering to societal norms of right and wrong. The child was ostracized for living a life free of lies and ultimately lost their life due to the ignorance and intolerance of others.
The lyrics then highlight the fact that despite progress in many areas, we still live in a world that doesn't understand those who are different. The song acknowledges the poisonous thoughts and judgments that society can inflict on those who step out from behind the safety of the closet door, whether gender, sexuality, race, or any other characteristic that makes them different. The song uses powerful imagery of lynching, fear, and nooses to convey the violence and hatred that are often directed towards those who are different.
The song ultimately calls for an end to the hatred and discrimination that exists in society. It challenges listeners to question their own role in allowing hatred to run its course, and to recognize that true love and acceptance hold validity no matter who is involved. The song is a call to begin again, to start fresh with a new understanding of the importance of loving and accepting everyone, regardless of their differences.
Line by Line Meaning
A child beaten to death because he didn't fit
A young innocent victim was brutally killed due to not fitting into societal norms.
Into their mold of what's right and wrong.
They imposed their personal beliefs of good and bad on the child, ignoring his own individuality.
Ostracized because he chose to live free of lies.
The child chose to live truthfully, but society didn't accept his honesty, resulting in alienation from others.
Ignorance took his life.
Lack of understanding and knowledge led to his tragic death.
Left out in the cold to die
The child was abandoned and ignored when he needed help the most, left to suffer on his own.
And we wonder why
The society reflects on their actions and lack of empathy, yet still fail to comprehend why such cruel events occur.
People hide themselves away
Individuals seek refuge from a world that refuses to acknowledge and accept their unique identities.
From a world that doesn't understand.
Society's failure to recognize and appreciate diverse perspectives and backgrounds causes individuals to hide and isolate themselves.
Poisoned minds
Individuals with twisted and narrow views imposed their hatred and prejudice onto the child, leading to his unjust demise.
Judged him when he stepped out from behind
The child was misunderstood and ridiculed when he broke free from hiding his true self and embraced his identity.
The safety of the closet door.
The child felt safer hiding his true self but took a risk in being himself, and society punished him for doing so.
Evil eyes
The cruelty and malice in others' gazes conveyed their hatred and bigotry towards the child.
Lynched him a thousand times before he died.
The constant judgment and oppression he faced caused the child to endure extreme emotional trauma, even before his physical death.
Fear wrapped the noose around his neck.
The fear and ignorance of others propelled the violence and brutality towards the victim to the point of him being lynched.
When will we see that true love holds validity
Society must recognize that every individual's identity and choices are valid, and love between any consenting individuals is true and valuable.
No matter who's involved?
Regardless of gender, ethnicity, or background, love and respect towards each other is infinitely more valuable than societal norms and traditions.
The hatred we project
Individuals' prejudice, resentment, and discrimination harms innocent people and perpetuates hatred and violence.
Toward those who may be different
Those who deviate from the majority face the wrath and intolerance of others who refuse to accept or understand their differences.
Must meet an end.
Society must end the hatred, bigotry, and discrimination that has caused pain and suffering to many marginalized individuals.
What can we say for ourselves
Individuals ponder their contributions to the intolerant and unjust society that caused the victim's cruel and untimely death.
When we stand by with idle minds
Individuals who refuse to think critically and act against injustice cling onto their privileges and turn a blind eye to the suffering of others.
And let hatred run its course?
By allowing hatred and discrimination to prevail, individuals contribute to a society that causes immense pain and suffering to many innocent victims.
Contributed by Arianna P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.