The band met and formed in Greenville, North Carolina, USA while studying art at East Carolina University. Their first band was Art Lord & The Self-Portraits, which was also composed of Adam Beeby and Kymia Nawabi and lasted from 2003 to 2005. In 2006, Cashion, Herring, and Welmers formed Future Islands, along with Erick Murillo, the bassist for The Kickass. Other former members include Samuel N. Ortiz-Payero (drums, 2008) and Denny Bowen (drums, 2009–2013 in studio; 2013–2014 touring)
Future Islands released Little Advances in April 2006, and a self-released split CD with Welmers' solo project Moss of Aura in January 2007. In July 2007, they recorded their debut album, Wave Like Home, with Chester Endersby Gwazda at Backdoor Skateshop in Greenville, North Carolina. After a Halloween party in 2007, Murillo quit the band. In late 2007 and early 2008, the band relocated to Baltimore, Maryland, USA. The "Feathers and Hallways" 7" was recorded in Oakland, California during their first US tour and was their first release as a focused three-piece. Upset! the Rhythm released Wave Like Home on 25 August 2008. The cover art was designed by Kymia Nawabi, a former member of Art Lord & The Self-Portraits. In 2009 the band signed to independent Chicago record company Thrill Jockey.
Their second album, In Evening Air, was recorded in the band's living room in the historic Marble Hill neighborhood in Baltimore and released on 4 May 2010.Their third full-length album, On the Water, was recorded in Elizabeth City, NC's historic, waterfront Andrew S. Sanders House. It was released on 11 October 2011.
These early albums from Future Islands are often associated with other bands affiliated with Wham City, such as Videohippos, Santa Dads, Blood Baby, OCDJ, Adventure, Dan Deacon, Weekends and Double Dagger.
In 2014, they released Singles with hit-track Seasons (Waiting on You). The band and song gained critical acclamation from Pitchfork and NME and performed the song on the Late Show with David Letterman, a performance that went viral. In 2017, they released The Far Field and most recently in 2020 they released As Long As You Are.
Fall from Grace
Future Islands Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Why does it take so long?
When you were here, it was warm
Now it's just a bitter storm
Now I'm older, turning white
Watching days turn into nights
Now I'm older and I'm grave
Pardon my reflection
In the mirror, at your feet
Before you go, please tell me
"Was it all inside of me?"
"I'll leave here in the morning"
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You were mine when I was young
Why does it take so long?
Now I'm older and I'm grave
Tell me, "what's been left to save?"
I held you in the morning
In the doorway of the sea
"Pardon my reflection
It was all inside of me."
We slowly fall from grace
We slowly fade away
The lyrics in Future Islands' song “Fall from Grace” are full of emotion and depth, speaking of the inevitable passage of time and the bittersweet memories of a relationship that has faded away. The opening line, “You were mine when I was young,” is a nostalgic longing for a relationship that was once strong and exciting in the early years of life. The singer then asks, “Why does it take so long?” indicating their sadness that, despite the attempts to hold onto the relationship, time and circumstance have caused it to wither away.
As the song progresses, the singer continues with phrases that hint at the passing of time and the feeling of being left behind. They mention their hair turning white and watching the days turn into nights, indicating a sense of aging and the feeling of being left in the past. The sad stripping away of the relationship is expressed through the metaphor of a bitter storm, implying that the relationship has soured and the good times have been replaced by pain and regret.
The singer then asks for a final answer before the other person leaves: “Was it all inside of me? Was it something I said or did?" They want to know what they could have done differently and what they could have done to fix it. The final verses speak of a final embrace, with the singer holding the other person in the doorway to the sea, asking for forgiveness and admitting that it was all just a reflection of their own emotions. The song leaves the listener with the final words “we slowly fall from grace, we slowly fade away,” which speaks to the inevitability of time and how everything fades away at some point.
Line by Line Meaning
You were mine when I was young
The singer is reminiscing about a past relationship.
Why does it take so long?
The singer is questioning why time seems to pass slowly when one is desperately waiting for something.
When you were here, it was warm
The singer is indicating that the presence of the person they were in a relationship with made them feel safe and secure.
Now it's just a bitter storm
The artist is saying that without the person they love, their life feels tumultuous and difficult.
Now I'm older, turning white
The artist is acknowledging that they have aged since their past relationship.
Watching days turn into nights
The singer is observing time passing by.
Now I'm older and I'm grave
The singer is reflecting on how their experiences have impacted them and they feel serious and reflective.
Tell me, what's been left to save?
The artist is asking a rhetorical question, wondering what they have left to hold onto.
Pardon my reflection
The artist is asking for forgiveness for the things they see in their reflection.
In the mirror, at your feet
The artist is looking at their own reflection by the feet of their lover.
Before you go, please tell me
The singer is asking their lover to provide them with answers before departing.
"Was it all inside of me?"
The artist wonders if their perceptions of their relationship and love were all in their own head, or if the relationship was actually meaningful.
"I'll leave here in the morning"
The singer's lover is indicating that they will be leaving soon.
We slowly fall from grace
The singer is reflecting on how they and their lover slowly lost their way and became less perfect in each others' eyes.
We slowly fade away
The singer is recognizing that the relationship between them and their lover has deteriorated over time and is slowly disappearing.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: John Gerrit Welmers, Samuel Thompson Herring, William Cashion
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind