Chelsea Joy Wolfe was born in Roseville, California, and grew up in Sacramento. She is of Norwegian and German descent. Her father was in a country band and owned a home studio. By the age of 7, she had written her first poem and by the age of 9, she had written and recorded songs which she later described as "basically Casio-based gothy R&B songs."
Inspired by the dark state of the world and the strange connection between all things, she creates a unique musical blend of goth-folk, experimental rock and spiritual realm funeral songs. With influences ranging from the great minds of Ingmar Bergman and David Lynch to Soviet and end-times literature, her songs conjure visions of other dimensions, claustrophobic echo-rooms and parking garage cathedrals.
Wolfe has recorded seven full length studio albums: The Grime and the Glow, which was released on December 28th, 2010 on limited vinyl through Brooklyn’s Pendu Sound Recordings; Ἀποκάλυψις (pronounced “Apokalypsis”), which was released as a 12” LP on August 23rd, 2011; Unknown Rooms: a Collection of Acoustic Songs, which was released on October, 2012 through Sargent House; Pain Is Beauty, out September 3rd, 2013; Abyss, which was released August 7th, 2015; and Hiss Spun, out September 22nd, 2017; Birth of Violence[7i] which was released on September 13th, 2019.
Be All Things
Chelsea Wolfe Lyrics
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The ravens woke at dawn
And daylight plumed my skin
Then the air was full, simply composed of prey
I cannot stop
I want to be all things
I've got to let go
I want to be all things
Warriors, newborns, and queens
The lion and the wolf
Gnarling at eternal sleep
Let it burn
Hear it groan
Restrained desire
Cast it down
I cannot stop
I want to be all things
I've got to let go
I want to be all things
I cannot stop
I want to be all things
I've got to let go
I want to be all things
The lyrics to Chelsea Wolfe’s song, Be All Things, express a sense of desire and yearning for something more than what life has to offer. The singer in the song walks an old path that leads them towards death, symbolizing the inevitability of our mortality. The ravens waking at dawn and daylight pluming their skin reveals a desire to be close to nature, to be one with it. And yet, the air is full of prey, representing the harshness and brutality of life.
The singer then goes on to express their desire to be all things. They want to experience everything that life has to offer, to be a warrior, a newborn, a queen, a lion, a wolf. They want to embrace every aspect of life, even the eternal sleep of death. The repetition of the phrase “I cannot stop” emphasizes this overwhelming desire, while the phrase “I’ve got to let go” suggests a willingness to let go of all constraints and limitations.
Overall, the song seems to be about the human condition and our yearning for something more than what life has to offer. The desire to be all things, to embrace life in all its harshness and beauty, is ultimately a desire for transcendence.
Line by Line Meaning
Walking the old path turned me towards death
Reflecting on my past has made me aware of my mortality
The ravens woke at dawn
As I awaken, there are signs of death around me
And daylight plumed my skin
As the sun rises, I feel exposed and vulnerable
Then the air was full, simply composed of prey
The world around me only sees me as a potential meal, nothing more
Warriors, newborns, and queens
I want to experience every aspect of life, from strength to vulnerability
The lion and the wolf
I want to embody both ferocity and cunning
Gnarling at eternal sleep
I fear the finality of death, but I also recognize its inevitability
Let it burn
I must embrace my desires, no matter how destructive they may be
Hear it groan
I must acknowledge the pain that comes with living a life fully
Restrained desire
I must learn to control my impulses in order to grow and thrive
Cast it down
I must release my fears and embrace my true self in order to be all things
I cannot stop
I am driven by a deep need to experience all that life has to offer
I want to be all things
I want to be able to embrace both light and darkness, strength and weakness
I've got to let go
In order to truly be all things, I must release my own limitations and fears
I cannot stop
My need to experience all of life is all-consuming
I want to be all things
Embracing all aspects of life is my ultimate goal
I've got to let go
In order to truly be all things, I must let go of my own limitations and fears
Lyrics © ROUGH TRADE PUBLISHING
Written by: Chelsea Joy Wolfe
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind