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)
Wish
Fates Warning Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I was watching over you
And all the fears came drifting back
With every little breath you drew
Wished upon a falling star
Cold and pale against the night
And all the fears came drifting back
To cloud the view and steal the light
Was underneath a falling snow
I was lying next to you
And all the fears came floating down
With every little wind that blew
Wished upon a passing cloud
Cold and pale against the gray
And all the fears came floating down
To cloud the view and steal the day
May you never know this darkness
May you never be so blind
May you always know the peace
That I could never seem to find
May you never know this darkness
May you always see the light
May you always know the peace
That comforts you tonight
The song "Wish" by Fates Warning is a ballad that seems to be written from the perspective of a person who is watching over someone they care about deeply. The song is a reflection on the fears and worries that come with being close to someone, and how the person singing the song wishes they could protect the other person from those fears. The opening lines set the scene, with the singer standing in the darkness and watching over the other person, before describing how they feel the fears beginning to creep in with every breath the other person takes.
The chorus of the song is a wish for the other person to never experience the darkness and fear that the singer has known. The imagery in the song is powerful, with falling stars and snow representing moments of hope that are always tempered by the fears that come crashing down. The final lines of the song are a wish for the other person to always find peace and comfort.
Line by Line Meaning
Was standing in the darkness
I was alone in the darkness observing you from afar
I was watching over you
I was keeping an eye on you
And all the fears came drifting back
Your worries from the past started to reappear
With every little breath you drew
Every time you breathe in, your fears become stronger
Wished upon a falling star
I made a wish while looking at a shooting star
Cold and pale against the night
The star looked dull in contrast to the dark sky
And all the fears came drifting back
But your concerns kept surfacing in my mind
To cloud the view and steal the light
And those apprehensions obscured the sight of the star
Was underneath a falling snow
I was lying beside you in the snow
I was lying next to you
I was resting beside you
And all the fears came floating down
Your fears and doubts came down like snowflakes
With every little wind that blew
With every breeze that passed by, your fears became greater
Wished upon a passing cloud
I hoped while looking at a passing cloud
Cold and pale against the gray
The cloud looked colorless and bleak against the gray sky
And all the fears came floating down
Still, your worries came down like snowflakes
To cloud the view and steal the day
And those worries obscured the view and took away the daylight
May you never know this darkness
I hope you never experience this same loneliness
May you never be so blind
I hope that you won't be oblivious to the world's beauty
May you always know the peace
May you always have peace in your heart
That I could never seem to find
Something that I wasn't able to attain for myself
May you never know this darkness
Once again, I hope you never have to face this solitude
May you always see the light
I hope that you always find hope and positivity in life
May you always know the peace
May you always have the tranquility and serenity that I was lacking
That comforts you tonight
That gives you comfort and ease today
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: JIM MATHEOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
John Smith
Was standing in the darkness
I was watching over you
And all the fears came drifting back
With every little breath you drew
Wished upon a falling star
Cold and pale against the night
And all the fears came drifting back
To cloud the view and steal the light
Was underneath a falling snow
I was lying next to you
And all the fears came floating down
With every little wind that blew
Wished upon a passing cloud
Cold and pale against the gray
And all the fears came floating down
To cloud the view and steal the day
May you never know this darkness
May you never be so blind
May you always know the peace
That I could never seem to find
May you never know this darkness
May you always see the light
May you always know the peace
That comforts you tonight
Jason Seabourne
Matheos is a brilliant song writer and lyricist and couldn't have a better singer to convey the emotion of said lyrics!
L N
Said everything bro. It's like Ray is the voice Jim needs to express his art, and sounds so natural. Not forget that Ray is a good lyrics writer as well.
80sMetalMan
"EXACTLY"...... Well Said!!!
Kevin Gould
The best ,Fates Warning .I would like to thank you for all the years of music ,Your music helped me in my darkest times and though I am older now ,it still holds true .I shared with my son ,It meant alot to me ,Long live your music ,forever a fan
Orome20
I absolutely love this song! But I cannot listen to it too much, every time I do I get to thinking about my past, and all the fears of my past catching up to me. It's hard to describe, does anyone else get that feeling while listening to this song? In any case it's still a damn good song.
ktompa77
It didn't click with the first listens, but it definitely grew on me over the years. Some years ago they played it live and BAM! I couldn't hold back my tears, it was like a revelation, especially if I think of how much time has passed.
Sheer brilliance.
Rhonni Rush
If this song isn't the most pure expression of love, I don't know what is. It gets me Every. Single. Time.
ktompa77
@Rhonni Rush agreed my friend. Written for his daughter, so it makes sense.
tuấn trần
12 years since i knew this song and i'm loving it more and more
Nageeb Mahfuz Shamir
If there's anything called "perfect song" then this is that perfect song. Awesome composition, Very powerful lyrics to. Nice buildup from the beginning, hooks you in from the very moment you hear you the bass. The rippling effect of the song remains long after it ends, compells you to ponder long... "what an heavenly music i just heard". Can never thank you guys enough for this worderful creation.