Growing up in Malibu, California, she began learning the violin at the age of four and left regular school five years later with the goal of becoming a world-class violinist; she practiced eight or nine hours a day and read a wide range of literature. Progressing to writing her own music, she studied under various teachers and went to Indiana University, which she left over issues regarding the relationship between classical music and the appearance of the performer. Through her own independent label Traitor Records, Autumn debuted with her classical album On a Day: Music for Violin & Continuo, followed by the release in 2003 of her album Enchant.
She appeared in singer Courtney Love's backing band on her 2004 America's Sweetheart tour and returned to Europe. She released the 2006 album Opheliac with the German label Trisol Music Group. In 2007, she released Laced/Unlaced; the re-release of On a Day... appeared as Laced with songs on the electric violin as Unlaced. She later left Trisol to join New York-based The End Records in 2009 and release Opheliac in the United States, where previously it had only been available as an import. Currently she is on tour to promote her newest album Fight Like A Girl. She played the role of Painted Doll in Darren Lynn Bousman's 2012 film The Devil's Carnival.
A Plea to the Dying
Emilie Autumn Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
All there is
You've moved on without me
You do not suffer as I do
It is so clear
What can I do and
Yet I will reach you somehow
With my mind
I will invade your dreams
I will not ask if it is right
I do not care
You must see me
Time is running out
No, I cannot touch you
But I will reach
Beyond dimension
Beyond realm
Beyond memory
To touch you
In some small way
And tell you
Beg you
To stop
Stop
And think
What you are doing
Is it what you want
Is it what you think you are supposed to want
Is it the only comfort you have ever known
And you feel safe
Well, you are right to want this
And I am wrong to want to stop you
But you need not make this move
What
Who says you must
If you love
If she loves
Why ask the world to take notice
Just let it be
And go on loving out of choice
Not duty
Am I so
Blind
What do I not see
When I look at her
What you do
Why do you not know that
Everything you ever wished for
Everything you were afraid to say
Out loud
Everything you hate
And desire
And will never understand
Lies in one who would never be brave enough
To tell you
Can you but open your eyes
For one single shining
Moment
And see yourself in the light that I do
Can you not see that
You are the answer to all my fears
I could feel safe with you and
Yes, I have my daggers and scars
And everything that would keep you back
But if you make this move
You close a door you can never reopen
And I will not pass through it anymore
And I can tell you that a life lived in waiting for what never comes
Is far better than a life content in the knowledge
Of what is certain never to be
Can you not wait
Can you not be brave
And see beyond this moment
Beyond this sense of comfort
You feel see your life
Open before you
Trusting in things to come
Believing they will be worth the wait and
Thrilling in the thought that
You have no idea what the next dream will bring you
Now I am here
With you
See my eyes as you have so many times before
See the way
I look at you
See what you always felt
But never dared to show
Believe in your power
To get the thing you dream of
Even when it is the very thing you fear
The thing
No other man can hope to attain
Look into your heart and see written there
The name
Of her you love
Who is it that fascinates you
Who is it that knows you better than you yourself
Who is it that will be waiting
When it all ends
At the end of the path
With a smirk
And a sarcastic comment
And a kiss on the neck
Don’t leave me
In this emotionally charged song by Emilie Autumn, the lyrics are a plea to someone who is about to make a move that the singer believes is a mistake. The singer has been left behind and suffers from the loss of the person they are addressing. The person they are singing to is moving on, but the singer can't seem to let go. The singer is desperate to reach the person in any way they can, even if it means invading their dreams. They are begging the person to stop and think about the move they are about to make and whether it's what they truly want or just what they think they're supposed to do.
The singer feels that the person they are addressing is the answer to their fears, and they could feel safe with them. They believe that if the person makes the move, they will be closing a door that they can never reopen. The singer is not ready to give up yet and wants the person to wait and be brave. They want the person to see beyond this moment of comfort and look into their heart to see the name of the person they love written there.
Overall, the song is about the struggle to let go of someone we love, even when they have moved on. It's a reminder that sometimes the thing we fear the most is also the thing that brings us the most happiness. The singer is desperately trying to convince the person to stay with them instead of making a move that they might regret in the future.
Line by Line Meaning
So that's it then
This is the end, there is nothing else to be said or done.
All there is
This is all that remains.
You've moved on without me
You have left me behind and moved on without me.
You do not suffer as I do
You do not experience the pain and suffering that I do.
It is so clear
It is obvious and easy to see.
What can I do
I feel powerless and unable to do anything.
And yet I will reach you somehow
Despite feeling powerless, I will try to reach you through my thoughts and dreams.
With my mind
I will use the power of my thoughts to try to connect with you.
All I have
The only thing I have left is my determination to reach you.
I will invade your dreams
I will try to enter your dreams to communicate with you.
I will not ask if it is right
I will not hesitate to do what I feel is necessary, regardless of whether it is right or wrong.
I do not care
I am so desperate to reach you that I do not care about the consequences or whether it is appropriate.
You must see me
I need you to see and acknowledge me in order to connect with you.
Time is running out
There is no time left and the urgency is increasing.
No, I cannot touch you
I am unable to physically touch you.
But I will reach beyond dimension, beyond realm, beyond memory, to touch you in some small way
I will try to reach you beyond physical boundaries and limitations in any way I can, even if it is in a small or insignificant way.
And tell you, beg you, to stop
I want to plead with you to stop what you are doing, to reconsider your choices.
Stop and think
I want you to pause and consider the impact of your actions.
What you are doing
Your current actions and choices.
Is it what you want
Are you doing what you truly want to do?
Is it what you think you are supposed to want
Are you living up to external expectations or societal norms instead of your own desires?
Is it the only comfort you have ever known
Are you sticking to something simply because it's familiar and comfortable, rather than what you truly desire?
And you feel safe
You may be clinging to these choices because they provide you with a sense of security.
Well, you are right to want this
It's understandable that you want to feel safe and secure.
And I am wrong to want to stop you
I realize that it may not be my place to interfere and I may be wrong to want to change your choices.
But you need not make this move
It's not necessary for you to make these choices.
What, who says you must
You don't have to follow through just because someone else says you should or you feel obligated.
If you love, if she loves
If this choice to move on is being dictated by love, is it really the best choice for everyone involved?
Why ask the world to take notice
Why look for validation or recognition from others?
Just let it be
Allow yourself to make choices based on what you truly want, not what others think you should do.
And go on loving out of choice, not duty
Choose to love freely and avoid feeling compelled or obligated to love someone in a certain way.
Am I so blind
Do I not realize something that is obvious to others?
What do I not see
What am I missing?
When I look at her
When I observe her actions and personality.
What you do
What are your actions?
Why do you not know that everything you ever wished for, everything you were afraid to say out loud, everything you hate and desire and will never understand, lies in one who would never be brave enough to tell you
The things you desire and fear lie in someone who is too afraid to tell you, someone who you may have overlooked or not given attention to.
Can you but open your eyes for one single shining moment and see yourself in the light that I do
Just for a moment, try to see yourself from my perspective or how others see you.
Can you not see that you are the answer to all my fears
You have the power to help me overcome my fears and doubts.
I could feel safe with you
You give me a sense of security and comfort.
And yes, I have my daggers and scars and everything that would keep you back
I have been hurt and am guarded, but I still want to try to connect with you.
But if you make this move, you close a door you can never reopen
If you choose to move on, it may be a decision you can never take back.
And I will not pass through it anymore
If you make this decision, I may no longer be able to be a part of your life.
And I can tell you that a life lived in waiting for what never comes is far better than a life content in the knowledge of what is certain never to be
It's better to wait for something that may never come than to settle for something that you know will never be enough.
Can you not wait? Can you not be brave? And see beyond this moment, beyond this sense of comfort you feel? See your life open before you?
Can you be patient and brave enough to look beyond this momentary feeling of comfort and see the potential for something greater in your future?
Trusting in things to come, believing they will be worth the wait, and thrilling in the thought that you have no idea what the next dream will bring you
Have faith that the things you're waiting for will be worth the wait, and embrace the excitement of not knowing what the future holds.
Now I am here with you
I am present with you in this moment.
See my eyes as you have so many times before
See me and recognize me as someone you know.
See the way I look at you
Notice the way that I am observing you and trying to connect with you.
See what you always felt but never dared to show
Notice the things that you have always felt or wanted to express but were afraid to share.
Believe in your power to get the thing you dream of, even when it is the very thing you fear
Believe in your own ability to achieve your dreams, even if it means facing your fears head on.
The thing no other man can hope to attain
What you desire is unique and not easily achieved.
Look into your heart and see written there the name of her you love
Be honest with yourself about who you truly love and what you truly desire.
Who is it that fascinates you? Who is it that knows you better than you yourself? Who is it that will be waiting when it all ends at the end of the path, with a smirk and a sarcastic comment and a kiss on the neck?
This person you love is someone who intrigues and challenges you, who understands you better than anyone else and will be waiting for you always.
Don’t leave me
Please don't leave me behind or forget about me as you move forward with your life.
Contributed by Aaliyah G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.