Interesting -- I always used to sing it as "faded," which made perfect sense to me, as Baltimore was really run-down back when I was a kid. MUCH nicer place nowadays. Anyhow, I later learned it should have been "fated," and figured I'd been committing a mondegreen. Now, thanks to Becky, I realize the source of the error was NLCR, from whom I first heard the song! Another of life's little mysteries solved!   But I'll have to admit to still having a fondness for "faded"...

Cheers, Nancy