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 eight 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 which was released on September 13th, 2019; She Reaches Out To She Reaches Out To She which was released on February 9th, 2024.
Flatlands
Chelsea Wolfe Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I never cared about money and all its friends
I want flatlands
I want flatlands
I don't want precious stones
I never cared about anything you've ever owned
I want flatlands
I want simplicity
I want open plains and scattered trees
I want flower fields
I want salty seas
I want flatlands soft and steady breeze
bringing scents of lined-up orchard trees
dripping heavy with pears and dancing leaves
I want flatlands
will you go there with me
when it's said in the dark and you know it's always there
when it's dead in our heart but your mind is unafraid
when it's said in the dark and you know it's never coming back
when it's there in your heart in your mind you set it free
In Chelsea Wolfe's song Flatlands, she expresses her desire for simplicity and nature, stating that she is uninterested in wealth and material possessions. She longs for open plains, scattered trees, flower fields, and salty seas, as well as the scent of lined-up orchard trees. Chelsea Wolfe also seeks comfort in someone's arms, asking if they will go with her to these flatlands.
Throughout the song, there is a sense of openness and vulnerability as Chelsea Wolfe speaks about her desires and her heart. The repetition of "I want flatlands" emphasizes her longing for simplicity and highlights the importance of the natural world in her life. The verses also touch on the idea of letting go and moving on, stating that sometimes things can never return and it is best to set them free.
Overall, Flatlands is a poetic and emotional song that captures the beauty and importance of the natural world and the need for simplicity in our lives.
Line by Line Meaning
I want flatlands
I desire open, simplified land without any interruptions.
I never cared about money and all its friends
I have no interest in wealth or the company that accompanies it.
I want flatlands
I again assert my desire for unencumbered land.
I want flatlands
Repetitive reinforcement of my yearning for untainted terrain.
I don't want precious stones
Valuable minerals hold no value in my eyes.
I never cared about anything you've ever owned
I remain uninterested in items belonging to others.
I want flatlands
I express my longing for a life of simplicity once more.
I want simplicity
I desire a straightforward, simple life.
I need your arms wrapped hard around me
I crave the physical and emotional embrace of another person.
I want open plains and scattered trees
I dream of wide open, unobstructed land with scattered trees in view.
I want flower fields
I express my affection and admiration for fields filled with blossoming plants.
I want salty seas
I long to see and experience the vast, uncharted navigation of an ocean.
I want flatlands soft and steady breeze
I yearn for the calming, soft and consistent wind that perpetually flows through open, level land.
bringing scents of lined-up orchard trees
I desire the scent produced from an aligned collection of fruit trees, made possible by the flat surface of the land.
dripping heavy with pears and dancing leaves
I wish to witness the abundant fruit produced on said orchard as well as the joyous movement of the leaves in the wind.
I want flatlands
I voraciously repeat my want for effortless ground.
will you go there with me
I extend the invitation for another to join me in my desire for an uncomplicated existence.
when it's said in the dark and you know it's always there
I challenge the other to confront their fear of what they may find in the tranquility of the flatlands.
when it's dead in our heart but your mind is unafraid
I express my uncertainty in my own emotions, but encourage the other to possess bravery in their approach to the unknown.
when it's said in the dark and you know it's never coming back
I recognize the finality of moving towards this life of simple pleasures, and ask my companion to accept that same reality.
when it's there in your heart in your mind you set it free
I urge my companion to embrace the flatlands in their mind and allow themselves the freedom to join me in a life without material clutter or boundless pressure.
Contributed by Gabriella S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.