Once under contract with Epic, the group released a live EP called Motion in late 1997. In Late-May of the following year they released their first full-length studio album titled Fallout. The album was praised by critics, and the band went on a rigorous, 15-month promotional tour opening for the likes of Creed, Everclear, Fuel, Big Wreck, Stabbing Westward and The Watchmen.
However, the album failed to chart, the tour ended, and the band returned home for a much-needed break. The band also sought new management. It continued as a trio, with Kennedy solely on guitars for a few local festivals throughout the coming year. The three remaining members eventually secluded in Kennedy's basement studio to write and record in preparation for their next album, which was recorded during the fall of 2000.
Their second full-length album, Second Skin, was released in June 2001, and the band went on the road again, this time with Alessandro Cortini on rhythm guitar and backing vocals. Stagnant sales of Second Skin forced the band to end its relationship with Epic in 2002. The band formally split shortly thereafter in order to pursue other interests. Most prominent is Kennedy's participation with Creed members in the band Alter Bridge, for whom he provides guitar and lead vocals. Cortini toured with Nine Inch Nails on keyboards from 2005 onward and collaborated on its latest efforts Ghosts I-IV and The Slip.
Band members
Myles Kennedy - lead vocals, lead guitars (1996 - 2002)
Zia Uddin - drums, percussion (1996 - 2002)
Marty Meisner - bass guitar (1996 - 2002)
Alessandro Cortini - guitars, vocals (2000 - 2002)
Craig Johnson - rhythm guitar (1996 - 1999)
Fallout
The Mayfield Four Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
breaking off a piece for everyone
I gave in good faith
in you I believed
but these efforts to connect just segregate given time
Then walls grow taller not with bricks and mortar
but with distance and indifference
and you trust like children and you break like glass
Just for a minute you were my best friend
what I gave
you took away (give it back)
Swimming in a sea of nameless faces
good-natured boy wants the world to be his friend
is that the rock tied around his ankle that will drag him down and drown him in the end
He needs a hand to hold
He needs a hand
Do you have one to lend?
Past to present is all he seems to know
understand that's the reason he's afraid to give again
Just for a minute you were my best friend
what I gave you took away
It just bleeds into one anymore
so sad but common to throw this blanket over all is that the state of relations that I made for myself
'cause it's cake to doubt
and I won't trust again
And the Fallout takes it's toll
The Fallout takes it's toll
on me
and on you
When it settles will we ever be the same
time heals a broken heart but the scars they never go away
In the song Fallout by The Mayfield Four, the lyrics speak about the pain and disappointment of trusting someone and then realizing that the efforts to connect only led to further segregation. The singer talks about how trust, like the fragility of glass, can easily be broken, leaving someone shattered and in need of help to be put back together. The lyrics also talk about the fear of giving again, afraid of being hurt once more. The song speaks to the struggle of building relationships and the toll it takes on a person when they are let down.
The lyrics use powerful imagery to convey the emotions of the singer and his struggle. The metaphor of the walls growing taller, not with bricks but with distance and indifference, shows how relationships can create separations over time, leaving one feeling isolated and alone. The lines "Swimming in a sea of nameless faces" and "Is that the rock tied around his ankle that will drag him down and drown him in the end" express the struggle of trusting others and the thought of being dragged down by the weight of relationships gone wrong.
Overall, The Mayfield Four's Fallout is an emotionally powerful song that speaks to the struggles of building relationships and the pain of being let down by others. The lyrics use powerful imagery and metaphors to convey the emotions of the singer and the toll that such relationships can take on a person.
Line by Line Meaning
Done it to myself once again
I have made the same mistake again
breaking off a piece for everyone
Sharing my time and effort with everyone
I gave in good faith
I trusted with a pure heart
in you I believed
I had faith in you
but these efforts to connect just segregate given time
My attempts to connect with others only lead to separation
Then walls grow taller not with bricks and mortar
The distance between us grows larger not because of physical barriers
but with distance and indifference
But because of emotional distance and lack of caring
and you trust like children and you break like glass
You trust easily and are easily hurt
won't you please put me back together?
Can you help me heal?
Just for a minute you were my best friend
For a brief moment, we were close
what I gave you took away (give it back)
You took what I offered, now please return it
Swimming in a sea of nameless faces
Feeling lost among strangers
good-natured boy wants the world to be his friend
A kind-hearted person who wants to befriend everyone
is that the rock tied around his ankle that will drag him down and drown him in the end
Will trying to befriend everyone ultimately crush him?
He needs a hand to hold
He needs someone to support him
He needs a hand
He needs help
Do you have one to lend?
Can you offer your help?
Past to present is all he seems to know
He can't move on from his past experiences
understand that's the reason he's afraid to give again
He's afraid to trust again because of his past
It just bleeds into one anymore
Everything just blends together now
so sad but common to throw this blanket over all is that the state of relations that I made for myself
It's common to generalize that all relationships are the same and reflect my own failures
'cause it's cake to doubt
It's easy to doubt
and I won't trust again
I can't bring myself to trust again
And the Fallout takes it's toll
The consequences take their toll
The Fallout takes it's toll
The consequences take their toll
on me
On me
and on you
And on you
When it settles will we ever be the same
Once the dust settles, will we still be the same?
time heals a broken heart but the scars they never go away
Time can heal emotional pain, but the memories will always remain
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind