Minimal Compact were a new wave band, formed in 1981 in Israel by the artis… Read Full Bio ↴Minimal Compact were a new wave band, formed in 1981 in Israel by the artists Sami Birnbach (lyrics and vocals), Berry Sakharoff (guitar), and Malka Spiegel (who learned to play bass guitar after joining the band). At first the band operated under the name S.O.B, and later (joined by Rami Fortis and Max Franken) become one of the very first artists signed to the Belgian Crammed label. the band gained fame in the Indie Rock scene, releasing several albums (some produced by Colin Newman of Wire, Speigel's husband). their song "When I Go" appears on the "Wings of Desire" soundtrack by Wim Wenders.

After the group disbanded in 1988, Fortis and Sakharoff came back to Israel, releasing several albums (some together, some solo) and became main figures in the Israeli rock scene.

Fading Light
Minimal Compact Lyrics

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Mary decided to stay
Shaun will be coming Tuesday
Weekends are wasted by waiting alone
Wishing for someone to say
Shaun will be coming some day
Bottles are empty and silence grew long

Fading light

Fading light thru' the summer
Fading light 'till the break of day
Could they take care of each other?
And it's sad
Now that the dream has been shattered anyway

Sleep is so crowded it's tough

Boxing her shadows she laughs
Soaking in sweat like a night boat she'll sail
Into the sea when it's rough
Intimacy it's a bluff
End of the summer and she moved away

Fading light
Fading light thru' the summer
Fading light 'till the break of day
Could they take care of each other?

And it's sad
Now that her dream has been shattered anyway

Overall Meaning

The song "Fading Light" by Minimal Compact is a melancholic portrayal of the end of summer love, and the feeling of being left behind. The opening lines talk about Mary - the singer of the story- who decides to stay while Shaun is coming on Tuesday. The song continues to describe how weekends are wasted while waiting for someone to say that Shaun will be coming some day, but the bottles are empty, and the silence grows longer. The mood is somber and preoccupied, and the lyrics suggest that the singer is waiting for something that might never come.

As the chorus kicks in, the lyrics chant fading light, fading light through the summer, and fading light 'till the break of day. The repetition of the phrase fading light depicts the feeling of time quickly running out while the dreams and ambitions are left unfulfilled. The lyrics suggest that Mary had a dream, but with the summer ending, it has been shattered anyway.

The second part of the song describes how Mary is struggling with the aftermath of the dream that never came true. Sleep is so crowded that it's hard to find peace in it. Boxing the shadows and laughing at them shows how Mary is slowly losing her sanity. The line "into the sea when it's rough" suggests that Mary is willing to seem less weak than she is. The song ends on a melancholic note by repeating the chorus and stating that Mary has moved away, and her dream has been shattered.

Line by Line Meaning

Mary decided to stay
Mary chose to remain in her current situation

Shaun will be coming Tuesday
Shaun is expected to arrive on Tuesday

Weekends are wasted by waiting alone
The singer has nothing to do on weekends but wait for company

Wishing for someone to say
The artist hopes for someone to show interest in them

Shaun will be coming some day
Shaun is anticipated to visit at an unspecified time

Bottles are empty and silence grew long
The singer has been drinking alone and the quiet has become oppressive

Fading light
The dwindling daylight

Fading light thru' the summer
The diminishing sunlight throughout the season

Fading light 'till the break of day
The fading sunlight until the dawn

Could they take care of each other?
The artist wonders if they could rely on someone else

And it's sad
The situation is unhappy