A former swimming teacher, Kate DeAraugo had auditioned for Australian Idol, in both the first (2003) and in the second season (2004), but didn't manage to make it past the audition stage of the competition. Since her first two auditions, DeAraugo had travelled from Bendigo, Victoria to the Gold Coast, Queensland for singing lessons with Vanetta Fields, finally moving to Queensland where she auditioned for the third season in 2005.
On November 14, 2005 she beat Lee Harding to ensure her place in the grand final. DeAraugo's co-finalist was Emily Williams, making this the first all-girl final since the Australian show began in 2003. Williams was generally considered the favourite. On November 21, 2005, DeAraugo was announced the winner of Australian Idol 2005, during a live broadcast from the Sydney Opera House.
Faded
Kate DeAraugo Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Take the time to really look
Look at the one
The one I really am
You try to fit
To fit me in a perfect box
You let me slip between the cracks
[Chorus:]
Now I've faded
Into someone else
Made me someone I don't wanna be
Yeah I'm faded
My true color's gone
Like a picture nobody sees
I'll bet you don't
Don't even know my favorite song
You tell me how
How I should wear my hair
You wanna change
Everything I ever was
Try to erase me
Till I'm not there
[Chorus:]
Now I've faded
Like I never was
Till I don't even know myself
Yeah I'm faded
Into what you want
But I'm not takin' it too well
I don't wanna be your little picture perfect, pretty girl
Who's got nothing to say
I'm not gonna wait around
Let you run my whole life down
So you can watch me fade away
(Faded, faded)
You try to fit
Fit me in your perfect box
(Faded, faded)
You try to fit
Fit me in your perfect box
You try to fit
Fit me in a perfect box
You let me slip between the cracks
[Chorus:]
Now I've faded
Like I never was
Till I don't even know myself
Yeah I'm faded
Into what you want
But I'm not takin' it too well
I faded
(Faded, hated, slippin' away as I disappear in the dark)
I faded
(Faded, hated, so far away from who I was at the start)
Faded, hated, slippin' away as I disappear in the dark
Faded, hated, so far away from who I was at the start
The song "Faded" by Kate DeAraugo is about losing oneself in a relationship with someone who is trying to change and control them. The singer describes how the person they are with never takes the time to really know and appreciate who they really are, and instead, tries to fit them into a perfect box, attempting to erode away their unique personality until they are unrecognizable.
The chorus speaks to the theme of losing oneself: "Now I've faded, Into someone else, Made me someone I don't wanna be, Yeah I'm faded, My true colors gone, Like a picture nobody sees." The repetition of "faded" highlights how the singer feels like they are slowly disappearing and becoming a shell of who they once were.
The lines "I don't wanna be your little picture perfect, pretty girl, Who's got nothing to say" show that the singer wants to be seen as more than just someone who fits into a particular mold. They don't want to be controlled or told what to do, but instead, recognized for their unique qualities.
Overall, the song is a powerful anthem for anyone who has ever felt like they have lost themselves in a relationship, and serves as a reminder to stay true to oneself.
Line by Line Meaning
You never take
You never take the time to understand me
Take the time to really look
Take the time to really look at me and my true identity
Look at the one
Look at the one and only me
The one I really am
The true essence of who I really am
You try to fit
You try to mold and shape me to fit your expectations
To fit me in a perfect box
To conform me to a perfect ideal that is not necessarily true to myself
You let me slip between the cracks
You let me go unnoticed and forgotten
Now I've faded
Now, I have faded away and lost myself
Into someone else
Into someone who is not really me, but what you want me to be
Made me someone I don't wanna be
Transformed me into someone who is not authentic
My true color's gone
The true essence of my identity is lost
Like a picture nobody sees
Like a picture that is not noticed or appreciated
I'll bet you don't
I bet you don't even
Don't even know my favorite song
Don't even know what matters to me
You tell me how
You dictate to me how
How I should wear my hair
How I should present myself to the world
You wanna change
You wish to alter
Everything I ever was
Everything that makes me unique and original
Try to erase me
Attempt to eliminate my true self
Till I'm not there
Till I no longer exist
Like I never was
As if I never existed
Till I don't even know myself
Till I am unrecognizable to myself
But I'm not takin' it too well
But I cannot tolerate this any longer
I don't wanna be your little picture perfect, pretty girl
I refuse to be a cliche of the 'perfect' girl you desire
Who's got nothing to say
Who is merely an empty shell
I'm not gonna wait around
I refuse to remain passive
Let you run my whole life down
Allowing you to control every aspect of my life to my detriment
So you can watch me fade away
So you can watch me disintegrate before your eyes
Faded, hated, slippin' away as I disappear in the dark
Experiencing a sense of ghostly insignificance and disappearing in the depths of darkness
So far away from who I was at the start
Distant from my original self, the true essence of my identity
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Downtown Music Publishing, Cloud9, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Matthew Gerrard, Matthew R.t. Gerrard, Robbie Nevil, Jessica Louise Origliasso, Lisa-Marie Origliasso
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Jeanine Edmondstone
still love this song in 2020
Matthew Cardwell
Star quality! Love this ❤️
Magenta Fox
She really was going for the aussie Kelly Clarkson aesthetic
tte1985
100%!
David Geisler
Yes it’s more obvious in hindsight than I remember at the time. Still a catchy tune though ...
Madison Oldfield
2022 and I fell down a nostalgic loop hole to me being in year 8 again 🤣 I'm 30 in 2 months 😔 oh how time flies
HaleyVic17
That's kind of like me...except I thought this song was Everlife's song! Never heard of Kate DeAraugo. Just happened to get back into listening to Everlife who I listened to alot in my childhood. Just found out that this Kate version is the original song and my mind is blown.
I'm partial to the everlife version obviously, but this one is not bad.
The everlife version is much more musically listenable to be, but can't have a cover without the original, eh?
Yeah, I'm 28 and have also fallen into a nostalgic loop hole as of last night, lol. Music back then just hit different. It's not the same anymore...or maybe I'm not the same, lol
Shelby Hammar
This is pretty :3 I love it. I've never heard the original, who dat by?
Miss Peta
Was written and Demo’d by The Veronicas
Jen at Literary Lane
A guy actually did this to me a few years back nearly lost my identity thank god we broke up!.