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.
Your Name
Chelsea Wolfe Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
everytime I hear your name
my heart is dragged along the ground for miles
my heart is dragged along the ground for miles
And I can't see nothing good coming
I can't see nothing but desert road
And I can't see nothing good coming
Everytime I hear your name
everytime I hear your name
my heart is dragged along the ground for miles
my heart is dragged along the ground for miles
And I can't see nothing good coming
I can't see nothing but desert road
And I can't see nothing good coming
I can't see nothing but desert road ahead
Why can't I forget you?
Why can't I forget you?
Why can't I forget you?
Why can't I forget you?
You've ruined me
You've ruined me
The lyrics to Chelsea Wolfe's song Your Name evoke the feelings of heartbreak and longing that come with the sound of an ex-lover's name. The repetition of the phrase "every time I hear your name" underscores the idea that hearing the name is a trigger for emotional pain, and the heart being "dragged along the ground for miles" paints a vivid image of the depth of that pain. The singer acknowledges that they cannot envision anything positive for their future - "can't see nothing good coming" - and that the road ahead feels empty and desolate.
The lyrics shift to an almost pleading tone in the second half of the song, with the repetition of "why can't I forget you?" The singer seems to be struggling with their inability to move on and let go of the past. The final line, "you've ruined me," cements the notion that the end of the relationship was a defining moment for the singer, and that it has forever changed them.
Overall, Your Name is a visceral and raw look at the pain and difficulty inherent in moving on from a lost love.
Line by Line Meaning
Everytime I hear your name
Whenever I hear your name, I feel immense pain and sorrow.
my heart is dragged along the ground for miles
The pain I experience when I hear your name feels like my heart is being dragged through a painful and exhausting journey.
And I can't see nothing good coming
When I think of you, I cannot picture anything positive or hopeful happening in my life.
I can't see nothing but desert road
All I see ahead of me is a long, empty, and barren path with no end in sight.
Why can't I forget you?
Why can't I erase you from my thoughts and memories?
You've ruined me
Your impact on me has been so intense and negative that I feel broken and damaged beyond repair.
Contributed by Makayla R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Plinio Santos
Everytime I hear your name
everytime I hear your name
my heart is dragged along the ground for miles
my heart is dragged along the ground for miles (x2)
And I can't see nothing good coming
I can't see nothing but desert road
And I can't see nothing good coming
I can't see nothing but desert road ahead
Everytime I hear your name
everytime I hear your name
my heart is dragged along the ground for miles
my heart is dragged along the ground for miles (x2)
And I can't see nothing good coming
I can't see nothing but desert road
And I can't see nothing good coming
I can't see nothing but desert road ahead
Why can't I forget you?
Why can't I forget you?
Why can't I forget you?
Why can't I forget you?
You've ruined me
You've ruined me