You're communicating in metaphors which can be interpreted in countless ways without context, depending on one's mindset, imagination and million other factors. It's always better to chill and fade away rather than suffer intensely and burn out early.
Chill and fade away, or suffer and burn out, sounds like the metaphor was pretty clear then.
Personally, I don’t think it’s always better to fade away. Burn out means you die with your boots on, blaze of glory, or simply go until you can’t go anymore. I’d prefer that over fading into obscurity. Better to be gone but not forgotten, than forgotten but not gone.