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.
Vex
Chelsea Wolfe Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I swore off obsidian thoughts
And lay awake on broken glass
I bled out more than once
I drew the poison out
The scavenger feeds in hum of low sea
Cast-off exuviae in fragility
I kept my head down and bit my tongue
Until I tasted love
Rare form at the casement, for which I burn
Perfect psychosis, noiselessly whirrs
(Then come perfect psychosis, then come noiselessly whirrs)
(Then come, destroyer, then come, destroyer)
(We′ll fight with claws and teeth)
The lyrics of Chelsea Wolfe's "Vex" describe a journey of transformation from darkness and pain to finding love and embracing a new identity. The first two lines "Hush, ancient purr, I swore off obsidian thoughts" suggest a desire to quiet the mind and move away from negative or destructive thoughts. The lyric "I lay awake on broken glass, I bled out more than once, I drew the poison out" suggests that this transformation was not easy and came with a lot of pain and sacrifice. The image of laying on broken glass can be interpreted as a metaphor for the pain and suffering that the singer had to endure to get to where they are now.
The next lines "The scavenger feeds in hum of low sea, Cast-off exuviae in fragility" creates an eerie, almost apocalyptic picture of a world where everything is broken down and decayed. The singer keeps their "head down and bit [their] tongue until [they] tasted love," implying that love was the one thing that kept them going during the difficult times. The lines "Rare form at the casement, for which I burn, Perfect psychosis, noiselessly whirrs" suggest that the singer has transformed into a new form, one that they are not entirely comfortable with. The repetition of "then come, destroyer" and "we'll fight with claws and teeth" suggest a fierce determination to protect this new identity.
Line by Line Meaning
Hush, ancient purr
Silence the old and familiar way of thinking that has been passed down through the ages.
I swore off obsidian thoughts
I promised myself not to dwell on dark and negative ideas anymore.
And lay awake on broken glass
I suffered through immense pain and discomfort like laying on sharp, shattered pieces of glass.
I bled out more than once
I experienced deep emotional wounds that kept resurfacing and causing me to hurt repeatedly.
I drew the poison out
I tried to remove the toxic thoughts and emotions that were affecting me negatively.
The scavenger feeds in hum of low sea
Amidst a quiet and lonely atmosphere, the scavenger feasts on scraps and remains.
Cast-off exuviae in fragility
I discarded my old and fragile self, just like how insects shed their exoskeletons, to become stronger and resilient.
I kept my head down and bit my tongue
I stayed silent, unexpressive and submissive, holding back my true emotions.
Until I tasted love
Only when I found love, I finally released my emotions and expressed them freely.
Rare form at the casement, for which I burn
I long for a rare connection with someone, a bond that I fiercely desire and cherish.
Perfect psychosis, noiselessly whirrs
A sense of overwhelming joy and ecstasy consumes my being silently and imperceptibly.
(Then come perfect psychosis, then come noiselessly whirrs)
I anticipate and yearn for that state of mind where my happiness is intense and all-consuming.
(Then come, destroyer, then come, destroyer)
But I fear that this blissful state will be short-lived, and someone or something will come to destroy it.
(We′ll fight with claws and teeth)
I will fiercely defend my happiness and do everything to preserve it.
Writer(s): Chelsea Joy Wolfe
Contributed by Miles S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.