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)
The Calling
Fates Warning Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
that shrieks above the trees.
In a land where no one comes
in a land where spirits dwell,
hear their fatal screams.
The old man clutches his heart
as he looks to the window,
he knows his time has come.
her hair is white with the snow
nightmares just begun.
Fates Warning is heard,
run shivers up and down the spine
of those who believe.
The old and decrepit have seen,
they mourn in the night,
young and restless can't conceive
Moon looks through the drifting storm,
thunder cracks the sky,
she screams throughout the night.
The laughing magpie spreads his wings,
and looks you in the eye,
and laughs at you in spite.
Spirits of innocence take me away.
Dancing her pitiful ritual,
she's stalking her prey.
the bard and the banshee
sound a harmonious wail.
Predestined hour has come.
Let it come.
The old man wakes with the dawn,
sweat upon his brow, he casts the spell,
Father O'Reilly found in the moors,
the people mourn, hear the church's bell.
Moon looks through the drifting storm,
thunder cracks the sky, and she screams, YEAH!
The laughing magpie spreads his wings,
and looks you in the eye, and laughs, HA-HA!
The spirits of innocence take me away
Dancing her pitiful ritual,
she's stalking her prey.
she's coming your way
the bard and the banshee
sound a harmonious wail.
Predestined hour has come.
The Banshee!
The Calling by Fates Warning appears to be a tale of supernatural horror that follows a small town community that is haunted by an unseen force. The song begins with a chilling scream that shivers the night, and a voice in agony that shrieks above the trees. The setting of the story is in a land where no one comes and where spirits dwell. The first character mentioned is the old man who clutches his heart as he knows his time has come. The second character is a woman in the dark with white hair due to the snow. The lyrics suggest that they are victims of the haunting spirits that torment them with fatal screams and nightmares.
The song builds up to a climax with the introduction of Fates Warning which is heard running up and down the spine of those who believe. The old and the decrepit have seen the spirits and mourn at night while the young and restless are unable to conceive the terror. The moon looks through the drifting storm, and the thunder cracks the sky as the spirits scream throughout the night. The laughing magpie spreads its wings and looks the listener in the eye and laughs in spite.
The chorus of the song features the dancer who is stalking her prey and the harmonious wail of the bard and the banshee. This all builds up to the predestined hour when the Banshee arrives. Father O'Reilly is found in the moors, and the church bell is heard as the people mourn. The song ends with another scream from the spirits of innocence taking someone away.
Line by Line Meaning
A cry shivers the night, a voice in agony
that shrieks above the trees.
A distressful sound pierces through the darkness, emitting from somewhere high above the trees.
In a land where no one comes
in a land where spirits dwell,
hear their fatal screams.
This is a place where no one dares to tread - perhaps where spirits and other creatures reside - and the screams of its inhabitants can be heard.
The old man clutches his heart
as he looks to the window,
he knows his time has come.
An elderly man grips his chest, realizing that his final moments are upon him as he gazes out a nearby window.
Woman stands in the dark,
her hair is white with the snow
nightmares just begun.
A woman with hair the color of the snow is enveloped by the darkness, possibly because she is experiencing harrowing nightmares.
Fates Warning is heard,
run shivers up and down the spine
of those who believe.
The sound of Fates Warning can provoke a visceral reaction of fear that travels through the body of those susceptible to its power.
The old and decrepit have seen,
they mourn in the night,
young and restless can't conceive
The elderly, who have lived a long life and seen much, grieve at night, while the young, lacking life experience, cannot comprehend what they've experienced.
Moon looks through the drifting storm,
thunder cracks the sky,
she screams throughout the night.
Throughout a stormy night, the moon appears and disappears in-between deafening crashes of thunder as if it is crying out in agony.
The laughing magpie spreads his wings,
and looks you in the eye,
and laughs at you in spite.
A magpie, a bird often associated with good luck, spreads its wings and cackles, indicating that it may be making fun of the person who encounters it.
Spirits of innocence take me away.
Dancing her pitiful ritual,
she's stalking her prey.
A person experiences a feeling of being swept away by innocent spirits while a woman performs a sorrowful dance while hunting her next victim.
the bard and the banshee
sound a harmonious wail.
Predestined hour has come.
A musician and a banshee, beings known for their haunting vocalizations, produce an eerie and beautiful sound, signifying that a preordained [perhaps fateful] time has arrived.
The old man wakes with the dawn,
sweat upon his brow, he casts the spell,
Father O'Reilly found in the moors,
the people mourn, hear the church's bell.
Aged person wakes up as the sun rises with sweat on their forehead, they utter an incantation of some kind, Father O'Reilly has been found dead in a less frequented area, and the community mourns as they hear the church bells ringing.
The spirits of innocence take me away
Dancing her pitiful ritual,
she's stalking her prey.
She's coming your way!
The pure spirits whisk away the artist while an innocent spirit dances pitifully and stalks them. Eventually, she is closing in on her prey, who may be the person listening to the song.
the bard and the banshee
sound a harmonious wail.
Predestined hour has come.
The Banshee!
A bard and banshee sing together beautifully, signaling that the predestined hour has arrived, and The Banshee, a harbinger of death, may be coming.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: JIM MATHEOS, JOHN ARCH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind