While some subsequent Sleep Station albums have been recorded with a full band (After the War, The Pride of Chester James), others have essentially been David Debiak solo albums (Von Cosel, The Blood of Our Our Fathers), featuring very little, if any, instrumentation other than David Debiak's own guitar playing.
Sleep Station is known for its concept albums; to date, all Sleep Station releases have called "rock operas" by some critics. David Debiak himself, however, has stated that he is not trying to tell a story in his songs, stating in a MySpace bulletin "Every record I have done as Sleep Station has been thematic in its nature, not trying to tell a story but just create a mood". Unconventional love affairs and war are common lyrical themes in Sleep Station's music.
Following the release of the album After the War in 2004, Sleep Station went on hiatus, with David Debiak starting a side project, New London Fire, with his brother Jason Debiak.
In 2008, Sleep Station returned from hiatus with the album The Pride of Chester James, an album about a fictional circus drifter who shows up in a small town.
Fading Out
Sleep Station Lyrics
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The song "Fading Out" by Sleep Station is a contemplative and emotional reflection on the search for identity and purpose in life. The opening line, "Are we everything without ourselves?" poses a deep question about the value and meaning of existence. The next few lines suggest a feeling of despair and hopelessness, as if the singer has lost their sense of self and direction in life. They're asking to be brought out of this state of confusion but also acknowledge that they're not sure where to begin or how to find their way.
The lyrics then touch on the concept of winning battles and success, as if to suggest that these things don't necessarily bring fulfillment or a sense of purpose. The line "save me with your lies" could be interpreted as a feeling of being stuck in a cycle of false hope or unfulfilled promises. The mention of darkness and the sun blinding you from the truth suggest that there may be things hidden from view that are hard to confront.
The chorus repeats the refrain of being lost and fading, suggesting a feeling of disconnect and isolation. The line "I am missing you tonight, and I'm not trying..." adds to this sense of longing and missing something important in life. The song ends with a repetition of the fading theme, suggesting a sense of finality or resignation.
Overall, "Fading Out" is a poignant, contemplative ballad that speaks to the universal human experience of searching for meaning and purpose in life, and the feeling of being lost or disconnected when those things are not easily found.
Line by Line Meaning
Are we everything without ourselves?
Are we defined by external factors rather than our own identities?
You have seen my soul, I'm left unconscious and without hope
After revealing my true self to you, I feel helpless and vulnerable.
And some would say we win, the battle that were in?
Is it considered a victory if we come out of a struggle changed and scarred?
Bring me out of here I am lost and I cannot begin to open up your eyes, and save me with your lies.
I need assistance escaping my confusion and cannot enlighten you about my troubles. Your deceitful words can provide refuge, nonetheless.
What the days have always known, I am finding.
I am discovering a long-established truth.
There is darkness all the time, it's the sun that makes you blind and covers up so well the truth you cannot tell.
The truth is always obscured by external forces that distract and deceive us. Lofty ideals and goals can lead us astray.
I am not in time, how can everyone not find the love that's in our hearts.
I feel unconnected to my environment, wondering why others cannot find the love that embodies us.
That, is tearing me apart.
My mind is tormented by this destructive feeling.
I'm growing out of my light, if we could take it down.
As I mature, I feel that my inner glow is weakening. Perhaps it can be extinguished.
I am missing you tonight, and I'm not trying...
I am affected by your absence and cannot conceal my emotions.
Please, bring me out of here I am lost and I cannot begin to open up your eyes and save me with your lies.
I need your support to navigate this confusion and am pleading with you to help me. Even if it's through deception.
I am lost for the last time, and I am fading.
This is my final struggle, and I am slipping away.
I am fading, I am fading, I am fading out.
I am losing myself, disappearing into obscurity.
Contributed by Victoria V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.