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.
Benjamin
Chelsea Wolfe Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Take it, kiss it, fix it
Put your fingers in my mouth
Baby I know only you can
Your words kill me in the best way
You make the whole world disappear
Only with you
You make me crazy
Baby I know only you can
The lyrics in "Benjamin" by Chelsea Wolfe seem to describe a codependency between two people, where one person (the singer) is in emotional pain and is seeking comfort and relief from the other person (presumably, Benjamin). The opening line "Inborn and I hold it aches" suggests that the singer has an inherent emotional wound or trauma that they are struggling to deal with on their own. They then ask Benjamin to "Take it, kiss it, fix it" - as if the solution to their pain resides in him. The line "Put your fingers in my mouth" could metaphorically mean that the singer is trying to silence their own pain, but only Benjamin has the power to truly make it go away.
The second half of the lyrics seems to differentiate Benjamin from everyone else in the singer's life. The line "Your words kill me in the best way" implies that Benjamin has a way with words that allows the singer to feel understood in a way that others cannot. He has the power to "make the whole world disappear" - suggesting that he can give the singer a sense of escape or relief from their pain. Ultimately, the singer seems to be saying that only Benjamin can make them crazy and kill them inside - perhaps suggesting that the intensity of their connection with him is both exhilarating and terrifying.
Line by Line Meaning
Inborn and I hold it aches
I have a natural pain within me that I keep inside
Take it, kiss it, fix it
Take that pain I have, embrace it, heal it
Put your fingers in my mouth
Touch me, intimately, in a way that is comforting and reassuring
Baby I know only you can
Only you have the power to make me feel better and ease my pain
Your words kill me in the best way
The things you say to me have such a profound impact that they leave me feeling overpowered and amazed
You make the whole world disappear
Being with you makes everything else seem less important and less real
Only with you
My happiness and sense of contentment are tied to being with you and being held by you
You make me crazy
You drive me wild and make me act impulsively and without regard for anyone else
Your words kill me inside and
The things you say to me consume me and affect me in a deep, internal way
Baby I know only you can
Once again, only you have the power to affect me like this and make me feel this way
Contributed by Gavin M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.