A pioneer of the progressive metal movement, Fates Warning has been referred to as one of the "Big Three" of the genre, creating and popularizing the style along with Queensrÿche and Dream Theater. Their early work, influenced by the new wave of British heavy metal, is also important in the development of American power metal. Fates Warning has released thirteen studio albums, two live albums, one compilation album, one VHS cassette, three DVDs (each featuring live concerts) and four demo tapes. The band experienced its first commercial success with the 1986 release of their third studio album, Awaken the Guardian, which peaked at No. 191 on the Billboard 200 and became the first album released on Metal Blade to enter that chart. Their next three albums—No Exit (1988), Perfect Symmetry (1989) and Parallels (1991)—were also successful; the first two peaked at No. 111 and No. 141 on the Billboard 200, respectively. By 2001, Fates Warning had sold over a million albums worldwide. Their thirteenth studio album, Long Day Good Night, was released on November 6, 2020.
Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fates_Warning
Studio albums
Night on Bröcken (1984)
The Spectre Within (1985)
Awaken the Guardian (1986)
No Exit (1988)
Perfect Symmetry (1989)
Parallels (1991)
Inside Out (1994)
A Pleasant Shade of Gray (1997)
Disconnected (2000)
FWX (2004)
Darkness in a Different Light (2013)
Theories of Flight (2016)
Long Day Good Night (2020)
Misfit
Fates Warning Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
a proud Olympian.
Taught his boy all the tricks
he'd ever need to win.
The games were fierce as battle,
not for ordinary man.
A man born of royal blood
must live by sword in hand.
as he fell to his knees.
Suddenly inflicted,
deranged with disease.
His father act with fury,
you must not scorn his name.
Cast him to the forest,
return never again.
The nights cold and darkened
as the boy turned into man.
Took shelter in the jackyl's den,
the cave Tartarean.
Confronted by the serpent
now your soul belongs to me.
For your health and strength,
sell your soul and you'll go free.
Eager to accept the bribe,
for revenge in his mind.
Dawn reflect from the blade,
the forest left behind.
His strength grew with every stride,
he was healthy as an ox.
No one would stop him.
You live by the sword,
and die by the sword.
Avenge everyone in your way.
Condemning a Misfit
for innocence his sin.
His blade will avenge you someday.
He's a Misfit.
He's a Misfit.
Defeating every wild beast
and swordsman in the ring.
Victor of the main event
wed daughter of the king.
He glances to the throne
where sits the royal regime.
The king who cast the misfit died,
his father reigned supreme.
The charge begins, first pass is made
the serpent's face revealed.
Time has come to meet his fate,
The bribe kept concealed.
He casts his blade with vengeance
and pierced his father's soul.
Satan would take him.
You live by the sword,
and die by the sword.
Avenge everyone in your way.
Condemning a Misfit
for innocence his sin.
His blade will avenge you someday, oh no.
He's a Misfit.
Misfit, Misfit, he's a Misfit.
The lyrics of "Misfit" tell a disturbing story of a young man who is betrayed and cast out by his own father, the champion Olympian who had taught him everything he knew about winning. After falling ill with a disease, the young man is abandoned in the forest, where he makes a deal with a serpentine entity to trade his soul for health and strength. Upon returning to society as a powerful swordsman and winning the favor of the king's daughter, he seeks revenge against his father by killing him during a jousting match.
The song is essentially a cautionary tale about the dangers of channeling one's anger and bitterness into violent actions. The singer becomes a "misfit" not because he is inherently bad, but because he is a victim of circumstances and mistreatment. His thirst for vengeance ultimately leads to his downfall, as he succumbs to the same brutal mentality that drove his father to cast him out. The lyrics suggest that violence begets violence, and that blindly following the code of the sword will only lead to a lonely and tragic end.
Line by Line Meaning
He was the sun of champion,
a proud Olympian.
He was the son of a successful athlete, a celebrated Olympian.
Taught his boy all the tricks
he'd ever need to win.
His father trained him with all the skills necessary to emerge victorious.
The games were fierce as battle,
not for ordinary man.
The tournaments were just as intense as warfare, and not suited for an average man.
A man born of royal blood
must live by sword in hand.
A man born into a royal family must have proficiency in swordsmanship.
This one not so lucky,
as he fell to his knees.
This protagonist was unlucky, as he was brought down on his knees.
Suddenly inflicted,
deranged with disease.
He was suddenly afflicted with a severe, crazy-making ailment.
His father act with fury,
you must not scorn his name.
His father reacted with anger and resentment, feeling that his reputation was at stake.
Cast him to the forest,
return never again.
His father banished him to the woods, forbidding him to return.
The nights cold and darkened
as the boy turned into man.
The nights were long, frigid, and devoid of light, as he matured into manhood.
Took shelter in the jackyl's den,
the cave Tartarean.
He sought refuge in an unsavory location, a dark and dangerous underground cavern called Tartarus
Confronted by the serpent
now your soul belongs to me.
He was confronted by the beastly serpent, which ominously claimed ownership of his soul.
For your health and strength,
sell your soul and you'll go free.
In exchange for his physical wellness and strength, he must part with his soul, which the serpent desires.
Eager to accept the bribe,
for revenge in his mind.
He was readily inclined to take the serpent's offer, driven by his thirst for revenge.
Dawn reflect from the blade,
the forest left behind.
Dawn's light reflected off his sword as he departed from the forest.
His strength grew with every stride,
he was healthy as an ox.
With each step, he felt himself getting stronger, and his health improved significantly.
No one would stop him.
You live by the sword,
and die by the sword.
He felt unstoppable. As the saying goes, those who live by the sword must also perish by it.
Avenge everyone in your way.
Condemning a Misfit
for innocence his sin.
He took revenge against all those who stood in his path. Innocence was his sin, and it caused him to be ostracized.
His blade will avenge you someday.
His sword was his instrument of vengeance, which would someday inflict retribution.
Defeating every wild beast
and swordsman in the ring.
He emerged victorious over every creature he encountered and vanquished every swordsman in the arena.
Victor of the main event
wed daughter of the king.
As the winner of the main tournament, he married the daughter of the monarch.
He glances to the throne
where sits the royal regime.
He casts an eye over to the throne, where the royals preside.
The king who cast the misfit died,
his father reigned supreme.
After the king who condemned him died, his father became the ruler.
The charge begins, first pass is made
the serpent's face revealed.
The attack commenced, and on the initial assault, the demonic serpent was unmasked.
Time has come to meet his fate,
The bribe kept concealed.
It's time for the artist to face his destiny, his desire for revenge kept hidden.
He casts his blade with vengeance
and pierced his father's soul.
He thrust his sword viciously, causing it to pierce his father's soul and end his life.
Satan would take him.
His fervent quest for vengeance led to his damnation and ultimate fate.
Misfit, Misfit, he's a Misfit.
The singer remains an outcast, labeled a misfit, with this song serving as a tribute to his story.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: JOHN ARCH, VICTOR ARDUINI
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind