Kael and Heather married in 2005, and shortly thereafter moved to Irvine, CA, where they met John Williams, who was also in the area doing a PhD in comparative literature at UC Irvine. Heather was studying biology, and Kael was already hard at work creating music for film and TV projects. One afternoon in the fall of 2007, looking for a distraction from writing his dissertation, John suggested to Kael and Heather that they write some music together. Within three weeks they had written a few songs, and put them up online (on ye olde Myspace). The response from listeners was fast and overwhelming, so much so that they were motivated to continue writing and release a full album, Dynamo, in 2008. After playing some shows in southern California, the band won “Best Electronic Band” at the OC Music Awards, and was listed by the New York Post as a “new music must-have.” NPR called the band’s debut album “clever, intriguing . . . even beautiful.”
When John graduated and got a job at Yale, and Heather was accepted to medical school at UCLA, the band realized they’d either have to carry on via long-distance songwriting, or else end the band. With Dynamo doing so well, and many more songs still on their way, the band decided to try songwriting bi-coastally. John purchased some home-recording equipment to take with him to Connecticut, while Heather and Kael moved to Los Angeles, where Robot Repair built a beautiful studio space for Kael to work in. During the next three years, the band sent tracks back and forth online, video chatting, and emailing notes to write two more studio albums, New Medium (2010), and The Matter (2012). The band’s sound had matured by this point into something more powerful and intense. Alternately sparse and epic, harmonic and grinding, pensive and playful, FPF was clearly moving beyond their electro-pop beginnings.
By 2013, FPF’s music seemed to be circulating everywhere, with millions of plays on Spotify, LastFM, Hype Machine, and Pandora, and appearances on everything from ABC’s “Grey’s Anatomy” to MTV’s “The Real World,” NBCSports, and E! Then, just as the band was contemplating a fourth album Kael and Heather discovered that they were expecting a baby. Many fans wondered whether Faded Paper Figures would be able to maintain its songwriting work with so much going on. But very little seems to slow them down. If anything, the music now comes with even greater clarity and brilliance, and as a result, the band is now set to release their fourth studio album in August, 2014, titled “Relics.” This most recent album promises to be their most honest, sophisticated, and ambitious, spanning a vast musical and lyrical spectrum, from epic synth-pop anthems on questions of life and death, to quiet, intense meditations on the passage of time. The band seems to have fully mastered not only their signature sound (electronic beats, gorgeous guitar riffs, and beautiful harmonies), but accelerated full force into a brave new world of sitars, analog synths, and even more intense vocals. Whatever emotions and uncanny dreams those day jobs are creating, it seems to be paying off enormously in their musical lives.
Speechless
Faded Paper Figures Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But the truth is truth is a bit obscene.
If they said "everything,"
Then they lied.
And at the fall fire line
They bought time
On your TV screen
Can give speeches
On and on and on through the night.
And if you're watching again
(I don't know now)
It's not half as strange as it's been
(or will be).
Channel 66 and I still can't see
What the things they said
Have to do with "free."
If we left everything,
We'd be fine.
At the last free side
I brought my revelation dream
Of a gun-less sky
And I gave speeches
On and on and on through the night.
We missed the last peace train
We've gone insane
A radiation cloud starts to rain
And you hear speeches
On and on and on through the next fire line
They'll buy more time
On your TV screen
So some white-haired guy
Can give speeches
On and on and on through the night.
The opening line, "I've been trying to watch this thing, but the truth is truth is a bit obscene" suggests a sense of disillusionment with the world. The singer is trying to make sense of what is happening around them, but the harsh reality of the situation is too much to bear. The following lines mention a vague statement that "they" said "everything," but it turns out to be a lie. This could refer to politicians or the media, who often make big promises that never come to fruition.
The song then takes on a more specific focus, as it references a "fall fire line" and "channel 66." These could be interpreted as references to news coverage of a major event or disaster. The singer is questioning the relevance of the speeches given by politicians or experts, wondering why they don't seem to be helping the situation. The lyrics become more urgent as they mention a "last free side" and a "radiation cloud."
Overall, "Speechless" seems to be a commentary on the political and social climate of the world. The singer is frustrated with the lies and empty promises of those in power, and feels helpless to make a change. The repeated mentions of speeches suggest a sense of futility - even when people are talking, nothing good seems to be happening. The song ends with a bleak prediction that more speeches will be given in the future, as more crises occur.
Line by Line Meaning
I've been trying to watch this thing,
I have been attempting to pay attention to this particular issue,
But the truth is truth is a bit obscene.
However, the reality is considered off-putting and unpleasant.
If they said "everything",
If these individuals had promised to do absolutely everything,
Then they lied.
Then they were not truthful in their claims.
And at the fall fire line
At this point of decline,
They bought time
They attempted to stall,
On your TV screen
Appearing on the television screen,
So some white-haired guy
Thus, a man with gray hair
Can give speeches
Was able to present speeches
On and on and on through the night.
Continuing the speeches repetitively throughout the entire evening.
And if you're watching again
If you happen to be watching once more
(I don't know now)
(I am uncertain at this point)
It's not half as strange as it's been
The situation is currently less bizarre than it previously was
(or will be).
(or perhaps will become in the future).
Channel 66 and I still can't see
Even though I have changed the channel to 66, I am still unable to comprehend
What the things they said
The meaning of the topics that were discussed during the speeches
Have to do with "free."
Connected with the concept of freedom
If we left everything,
If we were to abandon absolutely everything,
We'd be fine.
We would manage or cope adequately.
At the last free side
During the final location of freedom,
I brought my revelation dream
I conveyed my idea of a sudden realization or epiphany
Of a gun-less sky
Regarding a sky free of firearms
And I gave speeches
Then I presented speeches
On and on and on through the night.
Persistently continuing to speak throughout the night.
We missed the last peace train
We failed to catch the final opportunity for peace
We've gone insane
We have become irrational
A radiation cloud starts to rain
A hazardous radioactive cloud begins to fall as precipitation
And you hear speeches
And you become subjected to speeches once again
On and on and on through the next fire line
Continuing the speeches repeatedly while moving toward another moment of crisis
They'll buy more time
The policymakers will attempt to stall a little longer
On your TV screen,
Broadcasting through the television screen,
So some white-haired guy
Thus, a man with gray hair
Can give speeches
Was able to present speeches
On and on and on through the night.
Repetitively continuing the speeches throughout the entire evening.
Contributed by Ruby V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.