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.
Castle Down
Emilie Autumn Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Through the sea of painful
You have watched as I pull
Myself from the floor
And you were there when I
Built my tower like pebbles in the rain
Trying to balance all that I had left
With what I didn't have anymore
[Chorus]
But would you tear my castle down
Stone by stone
And let the wind run through my windows
'Til there is nothing left but a battered rose
Would you tear my castle down
Stone by stone
And let the wind run through my windows
'Til there is nothing left but a battered rose
You seem so devoted
Your love is unconditional
You were self-promoted
I never asked you
You were my everything
My apparitional faith
Where are you when I am screaming to my God
What am I coming to
[Chorus]
If I had another place to go
Would you break me, is it that you know
I have no choice but to rebuild again
I'm tied so hard I can't remember when
I last walked free upon these feet of mine
But I'll draw the line
There will come a Time
When I am stronger
Your words won't hurt any longer
[Chorus]
'Til there is nothing nothing left
'Til there is nothing nothing left
'Til there is nothing left
Will you tear my castle down
Will you tear my castle down
Will you tear my castle down
The lyrics of Emilie Autumn's song 'Castle Down' depict a deeply emotional journey of a person attempting to rise after experiencing immense pain. The opening lines of the song suggest that the person has been going through a lot of pain, and the pain seems like an endless sea that they swim through. The lyrics further reveal that the person has tried to stand up several times, even though they have fallen many times before. The imagery of building a 'tower' amidst the rain symbolizes that the person has attempted to balance what they have lost in life with what they still have, which is a very relatable notion. However, there is a sense of exhaustion that is prevalent in the lyrics. The person seems to be drained of every bit of resilience they had.
In the chorus of the song, the person questions if the people who love them, in this case, maybe the audience or the people who relate to the song, would destroy all that they have left, leaving them with nothing but 'a battered rose,' which might mean that the person is uncertain if they can bear any kind of pain anymore. The second verse of the song indicates that the person has someone in their life who seems genuinely devoted to them, and their love is unconditional. The lyrics reveal that the person did not ask for this devotion, and the person who loves them has gradually become their everything, probably representing a slippery slope that was hard to control.
The final verse of the song shows a gradual shift in the person's outlook. The lyrics suggest that there might come a time when the person is strong enough to overcome what they are going through, and the words that once hurt them will not affect them anymore. The song seems to indicate that though the climb is steep and jagged, the person has faith in their ability to rise from the ashes of despair. The song is an empowering ballad that speaks about taking control of one's life.
Line by Line Meaning
You can see that I swim
Through the sea of painful
You have noticed that I am struggling through a difficult time.
You have watched as I pull
Myself from the floor
You have witnessed my ability to pick myself up and keep going after falling down.
And you were there when I
Built my tower like pebbles in the rain
You were present when I built up my strength slowly and steadily, one step at a time, despite everything that was going on around me.
Trying to balance all that I had left
With what I didn't have anymore
I was attempting to find harmony between what I had lost and what I still had left in order to move forward.
But would you tear my castle down
Stone by stone
And let the wind run through my windows
'Til there is nothing left but a battered rose
Are you willing to help me let go of my past and all the walls I've put up, even if it means I'll be left vulnerable and damaged?
You seem so devoted
Your love is unconditional
You were self-promoted
I never asked you
You appear very committed and your love for me is unwavering, but I never asked for your help or support.
You were my everything
My apparitional faith
Where are you when I am screaming to my God
What am I coming to
At one point, you were all I had to hold onto, my source of strength, but now that I'm questioning my situation, where are you?
If I had another place to go
Would you break me, is it that you know
I have no choice but to rebuild again
I'm tied so hard I can't remember when
I last walked free upon these feet of mine
But I'll draw the line
There will come a Time
When I am stronger
Your words won't hurt any longer
If I had a chance to leave this situation, would you intentionally do something to prevent me from doing so? Despite my current struggles and limitations, I will draw a line and will grow stronger, so that your words will no longer have the power to hurt me.
Will you tear my castle down
Will you tear my castle down
Will you tear my castle down
Are you willing to help me break down the walls I've constructed and move forward, even if it's difficult and painful?
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: EMILIE AUTUMN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind