Born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, Been formed his band The Call in the 1970s in Northern California with Tom Ferrier on guitar, bassist Greg Freeman and drummer Scott Musick. Motion Pictures aka the Call were discovered by Tulsa's Phil Symour. They released a self-titled album in 1982 with Mercury Records. The band's 1983 album Modern Romans led to a world tour opening for Peter Gabriel and featured the song "When the Walls Came Down" which achieved heavy rotation on MTV.[1]
Been participated in composing and performing the music to Paul Schrader's 1992 film Light Sleeper. The film also features two of his songs, To Feel This Way and World On Fire. In 1994, he recorded a solo album, On the Verge of a Nervous Breakthrough
Been appeared as a sideman in bands fronted by actor Harry Dean Stanton; Stanton having played harmonica on "Let The Day Begin" track "For Love". He played the apostle John in Martin Scorsese's 1988 feature film The Last Temptation of Christ and had some film credits.
Been's son, Robert Levon Been, is the frontman for Black Rebel Motorcycle Club. Michael Been was heavily involved in BRMC, as their sound engineer, and toured with them.
Been died at age 60 on August 19, 2010, in Hasselt, Belgium of a heart attack while at the Pukkelpop 2010 music festival in Hasselt, Belgium, where he was on tour as a sound man for Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, a band led by his son Robert Levon Been
Fate
Michael Been Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
All our arms embrace
All comes crashing down
All comes face to face
The beast is at the door
The book is open wide
Now to seal my fate
Now to step inside.
Ancient shadows cross
Wicked and divine
All that lives and breathes
All I leave behind
Now you stand alone
Distant thunder sounds
Now the dream has come
On this barren ground.
Now the heart exposed
Each beloved face
Written in the stars
Love and death embrace
Staggered by the way
This confining dark
Watched your dreams burn down
Tears them from your heart.
Cries of silence rage
Now our lives collide
Where′s this magic place
Where sorrow dies.
The lyrics of Michael Been's song Fate depict a sense of inevitability that comes with facing one's own life trajectory. The song speaks of a collective experience of humanity where everyone has witnessed the ups and downs of life. The first verse tells us about the beauty and fragility of life, how we cherish it, and how everything comes to an end. The second verse speaks of the past, the ancient and divine. Everything is transient, one leaves behind everything that once seemed so important. Time does not stop for anyone, and Now you stand alone is an indication that every individual has to confront their fate by themselves.
As the song progresses, we see the theme move towards a sense of despair and loss. The heart is exposed, and every beloved face is etched into it, yet everything is fleeting like a dream. The dreams that were once cherished now seem to burn away, leaving one's heart empty. The final line "Where is this magic place, where sorrow dies" suggests that there is no absolution, no end to grief, and that we must make the most of the limited time we have.
Overall, Fate by Michael Been is a poignant reflection on life and death, and our place in an ever-changing world.
Line by Line Meaning
All our eyes have seen
We have all witnessed the events that are taking place.
All our arms embrace
We are united in this moment and are coming together.
All comes crashing down
Everything is falling apart.
All comes face to face
We have to confront our problems head-on.
The beast is at the door
Something dangerous is approaching and is close to us.
The book is open wide
Everything is exposed and there are no secrets left.
Now to seal my fate
We are making a decision that will determine our future.
Now to step inside
We are committing ourselves to something that we cannot turn back from.
Ancient shadows cross
The past is haunting us.
Wicked and divine
There are both good and evil forces at play.
All that lives and breathes
Everything around us is alive and has a spirit.
All I leave behind
We leave things behind after we die.
Now you stand alone
We are left on our own at some point in our lives.
Distant thunder sounds
There is an ominous feeling in the air.
Now the dream has come
Something that we have been hoping for is finally happening.
On this barren ground
We are in a desolate and hopeless place.
Now the heart exposed
Our deepest emotions and vulnerabilities are out in the open.
Each beloved face
The people we care about are in our hearts.
Written in the stars
Our destiny is predetermined and we cannot change it.
Love and death embrace
Our deepest passions and fears are intertwined.
Staggered by the way
We are shocked and stunned by what is happening around us.
This confining dark
We feel trapped and powerless in a dark situation.
Watched your dreams burn down
We are witnessing the destruction of our hopes and aspirations.
Tears them from your heart
We are forced to let go of the things we hold dear.
Cries of silence rage
We are feeling deep emotions that we are unable to express.
Now our lives collide
Our paths have finally crossed in a significant way.
Where's this magic place
We are searching for a place or time of happiness and contentment.
Where sorrow dies
We hope to find a place where our pain and hardships cease to exist.
Writer(s): Michael Been
Contributed by Alex P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@kenladd6737
I'm not saying this because I played "Carlos" in "Light Sleeper" ...but the soundtrack is killer~ Director: Paul Schrader really put a powerful film together~with an amazing cast...that was so much fun to make~ David Spade, sensational~! Dana, great sport and person~ 15 years later, Susan and my daughter shared the same school and math class...small world}. ~And last but not least...my on set trailer buddy, Willem...which in my opinion..is one of America's most Incredibly Talented Actors~ robbed of the academy award for "Diaries of a Vampire"~
@susanneseiler5113
I am obsessed with this soundtrack movie for me was eh but my God the soundtrack was one of the greatest ever produced I've been trying to find these songs for years
@susanneseiler5113
Lyric correction now to drink this cup on this barren ground. Not what is posted
@nogueiraeditorial2153
Ken Ladd Thanks for this movie! From Brazil greetings!!!
@vidsforsquids
Ken Ladd Hello Ken - I was the co-writer and guitarist with Michael Been on this material early on and I also provided all the scary guitar parts and such. It’s was a memorable experience. It also featured other members of The Call and some special guests. Good times remembered ... RIP Michael
@kenladd6737
It's an Honor to meet you sir~ What a wonderful score, like wine, becomes even more powerful as time goes by~
Thank you so vey much for the music~ Be safe Brother~
@Judezki92
One hell of a soundtrack!! Highly underrated and forgotten too. I wish there was a re-release of this one, a true hidden gem if you ask me. So much emotion.
@tcb5141
Michael Been was in a band called.. The Call " check them out.
@falconone7230
He put in some gangster work at the end of the movie!
@fredahyatt3035
I freaking LOVE this band. Every album is fantastic. What a great loss!