The Bridgewater, NJ-based hardcore band Shades Apart formed in 1988, compri… Read Full Bio ↴The Bridgewater, NJ-based hardcore band Shades Apart formed in 1988, comprising singer/guitarist Mark V., bassist Kevin Lynch and drummer Ed Brown. After releasing their self-titled debut later that year on the Wishingwell label, the trio fell silent before resurfacing in 1992 with the Sunspot EP Dude Danger; another label change, this time to Skene, followed for the 1993 EP Neon. All members Bill Stevenson and Stephen Egerton produced Shades Apart's next LP, 1995's Save It, which scored a minor hit with its punked-up cover of Soft Cell's "Tainted Love." Following 1997's Seeing Things, the group signed to major label Universal to issue Eyewitness two years later. In addition to positive reviews, "Stranger by the Day" was featured on the American Pie soundtrack. Sonic Boom was released in spring 2001 to mediocre reviews. It featured "Got Shot Down," which received a considerable amount of radio play, and a re-recording of "Behind the Wheel."

Although Shades Apart has not released an album since Sonic Boom, they continue to play live shows on occasion.

Away
Shades Apart Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I'm packing up my memories gonna send them all away
Forgotten is a troubled time a cluttered mind - what will be will be
To whom this past belongs to now stuck with it I'm afraid
I guess I don't even care 'cause I'm not there

Leave behind what you know you can't change
Throw away the victim that is you
Time to find what you want as yours it's yours to keep

All inside your head

I've been waiting for a chance like this to send myself away
Forgotten are the shaky steps there's nothing left - what will be will be

Destroying all the evidence - the clues to what's been done
I know now what will be and because of me

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Shades Apart's song Away speak about leaving behind the past and the negative emotions that can come with it. The first verse talks about packing up memories to send them away and forgetting a troubled time with a cluttered mind. The singer acknowledges that the past belongs to someone else and they don't even care anymore because they're not there. The second verse tells the listener to leave behind what they cannot change and to discard the victim mentality. The singer encourages the listener to find what they want and to keep it inside their head. The chorus speaks about sending oneself away to forget the shaky steps and to destroy all evidence of what's been done. The singer reflects on the fact that they now know what will be and that it's because of them.

The lyrics of Away can be interpreted as a message of hope and encouragement to let go of the past and to move forward. The verses focus on acknowledging the past but also on accepting that it cannot be changed. The chorus encourages the listener to take action to forget the past by sending it away and destroying the evidence. This can be seen as a metaphor for letting go of negative emotions and moving forward. Overall, the song speaks to the importance of self-acceptance and taking control of one's life.

Line by Line Meaning

I'm packing up my memories gonna send them all away
Gathering all my past recollections and intentionally sending them far from me to remove the burden they bring

Forgotten is a troubled time a cluttered mind - what will be will be
Letting go of all my distressing experiences and difficult thoughts - accepting that the future holds what it holds and I can't change it

To whom this past belongs to now stuck with it I'm afraid
Unsure of who I am leaving my past with but coming to terms with the fact that I no longer want it to define me

I guess I don't even care 'cause I'm not there
Not concerned with the aftermath of letting go of the past because I'm moving on from it

Leave behind what you know you can't change
Abandoning what is impossible to alter and recognizing it's not worth holding onto

Throw away the victim that is you
Discarding the mindset of being a victim and empowered to take control over my life

Time to find what you want as yours it's yours to keep
Now is the moment to uncover what I desire in life and maintain possession of it

All inside your head
Realizing that all the power and control I need to seize my dreams resides within my mind

I've been waiting for a chance like this to send myself away
Anticipating and preparing myself for an opportunity to distance myself from the past in search of personal growth and positive change

Forgotten are the shaky steps there's nothing left - what will be will be
Forgetting about any obstacles I've encountered in the past, creating a blank slate, and allowing myself to trust in the unknown future

Destroying all the evidence - the clues to what's been done
Erasing any lingering evidence of my past, not allowing it to hinder my progress or tie me to who I used to be

I know now what will be and because of me
Feeling empowered to create a future reflective of what I truly want, taking responsibility for my actions and their resulting consequences

Lyrics © DistroKid, Universal Music Publishing Group, Capitol CMG Publishing, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: S. L. BROWN, CHRIS RODRIGUEZ, CHUCK BUTLER

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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