Emilie Autumn Liddell (born on September 22, 1979), better known by her sta… Read Full Bio ↴Emilie Autumn Liddell (born on September 22, 1979), better known by her stage name Emilie Autumn, is an American singer-songwriter, poet, and violinist. Autumn draws influence for her music—the style of which she has alternatively labeled as "Victoriandustrial" and glam rock—from plays, novels, and history, particularly the Victorian era. Performing with her all-female backing band The Bloody Crumpets, Autumn incorporates elements of classical music, cabaret, electronica, and glam rock with theatrics, and burlesque.

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.

If You Could Only Know
Emilie Autumn Lyrics

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If you could only know
The hurt I feel
Each time I think of you
You might
Begin to understand
What makes a faerie cry
You couldn't quite believe
The reasons I would give

If you asked to be told
The nature of my tears
And so I told you why

If you could only know
How many times each day
I picture in my mind
The look
Upon your face
When you begin to laugh
Or how your eyes
Look sad
The softness of your hair
The beauty of your soul
And whatever I am
You are the other half
I cannot comprehend
How I could recognize
The one
I've waited for
The instant that we met
And have known since that day
While you are truly fond
And care I do believe
But would not take the chance
That alters suns and moons
And gave your heart away

If you could only know
How precious you’ve become
How all that I create
You still inspire so
You may begin to see
That I might be the one
For whom you were brought back
But if you never know

The chance will pass us by
And love will never be

Overall Meaning

The song "If You Could Only Know" by Emilie Autumn speaks about unrequited love and the pain that it brings to the person who loves. The song shows how the singer is deeply in love with someone who cannot return their feelings, and it's slowly killing them. The singer is pining for the affection of the person they love, so much so that they have memorized every little detail about them from the look on their face to the softness of their hair. The singer is making an appeal to this person, telling them that if only they knew how much they mattered, how much they inspired them, how much they loved them, then maybe they would consider a relationship. The song displays a sense of longing, sadness, and despair that comes with loving someone that cannot reciprocate feelings.

The song's emotive nature is a reflection of Emilie Autumn's personal experiences. Emilie was gravely ill and received treatment at an institution where she was sexually assaulted. She underwent psychiatric treatment to deal with the trauma, which is visible in her music. She often writes about mental health themes like suicidal thoughts, self-harm, and insanity. "If You Could Only Know" was written when she'd fallen in love with a man who was already in a committed relationship, and she had written him long letters pouring out her feelings for him. His rejection inspired her to write this song.

If You Could Only KnowEmilie Autumn Lyrics

If You Could Only Know
Emilie Autumn Lyrics