Opheliac
Emilie Autumn Lyrics
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I've been so disillusioned
I know you'd take me back
But still I feigned confusion
I couldn't be your friend
My world was too unstable
You might have seen the end
But you were never able
To keep me breathing
As the water rises up again
Before I slip away
You know the games I play
And the words I say
When I want my own way
You know the lies I tell
When you've gone through hell
And I say I can't stay
You know how hard it can be
To keep believing in me
When everything and everyone
Becomes my enemy and when
There's nothing more you can do
I'm gonna blame it on you
It's not the way I want to be
I only hope that in the end you will see
It's the Opheliac in me
It's the Opheliac in me
I'm your Opheliac
My stocking prove my virtues
I'm open to attack
But I don't want to hurt you
Whether I swim or sink
That's no concern of yours now
How could you possibly think
You had the power to know how
To keep me breathing
As the water rises up again
Before I slip away
You know the games I play
And the words I say
When I want my own way
You know the lies I tell
When you've gone through hell
And I say I can't stay
You know how hard it can be
To keep believing in me
When everything and everyone
Becomes my enemy and when
There's nothing more you can do
I'm gonna blame it on you
It's not the way I want to be
I only hope that in the end you will see
It's the Opheliac in me
It's the Opheliac in me
Studies Show...
Intelligent girls are more depressed
Because they know
What the world is really like
Don't think for a beat it makes it better
When you sit her down and tell her
Everything's gonna all right
She knows in society she either is
A devil or an angel with no in between
She speaks in third person
So she can forget that she's me
Doubt thou the stars are fire
Doubt thou the sun doth move
Doubt truth to be a liar
But never doubt
Doubt thou the stars are fire
Doubt thou the sun doth move
Doubt truth to be a liar
But never doubt
Doubt thou the stars are fire
Doubt thou the sun doth move
Doubt truth to be a liar
But never doubt I love
You know the games I play
And the words I say
When I want my own way
You know the lies I tell
When you've gone through hell
And I say I can't stay
You know how hard it can be
To keep believing in me
When everything and everyone
Becomes my enemy and when
There's nothing more you can do
I'm gonna blame it on you
It's not the way I want to be
I only hope that in the end you will see
But never doubt
You know the games I play
And the words I say
When I want my own way
You know the lies I tell
When you've gone through hell
And I say I can't stay
You know how hard it can be
To keep believing in me
When everything and everyone
Becomes my enemy and when
There's nothing more you can do
I'm gonna blame it on you
It's not the way I want to be
I only hope that in the end you will see
The lyrics of Emilie Autumn's song "Opheliac" explore the struggles of someone who identifies with Ophelia, the tragic heroine from Shakespeare's play "Hamlet". The singer of the song sees herself as an "Opheliac," a term she has coined to describe her own instability and descent into madness. At the same time, she wants to be understood and accepted by those around her, particularly a romantic partner who she has hurt in the past. The singer acknowledges that she plays games and tells lies, and that she can be difficult to believe in. However, she also suggests that her behavior is not entirely her fault, as society places unrealistic and contradictory expectations on women (represented by the line "She knows in society she either is/A devil or an angel with no in between").
Throughout the song, the singer references drowning, using water as a metaphor for her own despair and feelings of being overwhelmed. She tells the person she is addressing that they have not been able to keep her "breathing" or prevent her from slipping away. In the final verse, the singer repeats a quote from "Hamlet" - "Doubt thou the stars are fire/Doubt thou the sun doth move/Doubt truth to be a liar/But never doubt I love" - which suggests that despite everything she has said and done, she still loves the person she is addressing.
Overall, the song presents a deeply introspective exploration of mental illness and the difficulty of navigating relationships while struggling with one's own instability.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm your Opheliac
I am your mentally unstable lover who struggles with various mood disorders.
I've been so disillusioned
I have lost faith in everything and everyone.
I know you'd take me back
I am aware that you still have feelings for me.
But still I feigned confusion
However, I pretended not to understand your feelings to avoid confusion.
I couldn't be your friend
I am incapable of having a normal friendship.
My world was too unstable
I live in a world where instability constantly surrounds me.
You might have seen the end
You could have seen the end of our relationship coming.
But you were never able
However, you were unable to keep me from drowning in my own instability.
To keep me breathing
To keep me from being consumed by my own chaos and disorders.
As the water rises up again
As my mental instability becomes overwhelming again.
Before I slip away
Before I spiral completely out of control.
You know the games I play
You are aware of all the manipulative tactics I use to get my way.
And the words I say
You know the ways in which I twist my words to make you feel guilty.
When I want my own way
When I am trying to manipulate you to get what I want.
You know the lies I tell
You are aware of the dishonesty that I use to deceive you.
When you've gone through hell
When I have put you through incredibly difficult situations and experiences.
And I say I can't stay
When I insist that I cannot stay with you because of my own instability.
You know how hard it can be
You understand how challenging it is to believe in me and support me.
To keep believing in me
To continue having faith and hope in me even when I am constantly unstable.
When everything and everyone
In a world where every person and thing can be a trigger for my disorder.
Becomes my enemy and when
When the world feels like it is constantly against me and trying to bring me down.
There's nothing more you can do
When you have exhausted every possible solution or approach to help me.
I'm gonna blame it on you
Blaming you for my own instability and issues.
It's not the way I want to be
I do not want to be mentally unstable and unpredictable, but I cannot help it.
I only hope that in the end you will see
I hope that someday you will understand why I am the way I am.
My stocking prove my virtues
My stockings are a reflection of the ideals and expectations that society has placed on me.
I'm open to attack
Being vulnerable and exposing my true self makes me an easy target for criticism and judgment.
But I don't want to hurt you
Despite my instability, I care about you and do not wish to cause you pain.
Whether I swim or sink
Whether I am able to rise above my disorders or fall even deeper into them.
That's no concern of yours now
It is not your responsibility to constantly worry about me and my instability.
How could you possibly think
How could you believe that you could fix or save me, when the instability is within me?
Doubt thou the stars are fire
Questioning the very fabric of reality and one's place in the universe.
Doubt thou the sun doth move
Doubting even the most basic laws of science and reality.
Doubt truth to be a liar
Even truth can be distorted and falsified.
But never doubt
Despite all of the uncertainty and instability, do not doubt the love that is present between us.
But never doubt I love
The love that I have for you, despite my mental instability.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: EMILIE AUTUMN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind