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.
O Mistress Mine
Emilie Autumn Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
O stay and hear! Your true love's coming
That can sing both high and low;
Trip no further, pretty sweeting,
Journeys end in lovers meeting,
Every wise man's son doth know.
What is love? 'Tis not hereafter;
What's to come is still unsure:
In delay there lies no plenty;
Then come kiss me, Sweet-and-twenty,
Youth's a stuff will not endure.
The opening of Emilie Autumn's song O Mistress Mine, speaks of a mistress who's out and about, journeying from place to place, and asks her to stay and listen instead. The singer informs the mistress that her true love is coming to serenade her with a song that can hit both high and low notes. He urges her to stop her travels and not move any further, and declares that every wise man's son knows that journeys end in lovers meeting.
The second half of the lyrics, on the other hand, contemplates the nature of love. The singer asks the question, "What is love?" and dismisses the idea that it waits for us in the future. At present, it's something we can enjoy and bask in the moment. The future, however, remains uncertain. The singer then shares that delaying something doesn't lead to plenty and encourages his companion to come and kiss him, reminding her that youth is something that needs to be appreciated and isn't meant to last forever.
Line by Line Meaning
O mistress mine, where are you roaming?
Oh, my lady love, where are you wandering off to?
O stay and hear! Your true love's coming
Please stay and listen, your true love is on their way
That can sing both high and low;
Someone who can sing in a range of pitches
Trip no further, pretty sweeting,
Please don't continue on your journey quite yet, pretty one
Journeys end in lovers meeting,
When two lovers are fated to reunite, they will meet at the end of their respective journeys
Every wise man's son doth know.
This is a well-known truth passed down from many generations of wise men
What is love? 'Tis not hereafter;
Love is not something that only appears in the future, it is here and now
Present mirth hath present laughter;
The joy we experience in the present is what causes us to laugh
What's to come is still unsure:
The future is always uncertain
In delay there lies no plenty;
Putting things off does not bring abundance
Then come kiss me, Sweet-and-twenty,
So come here and kiss me, my sweet twenty-year-old
Youth's a stuff will not endure.
Youthfulness is fleeting and doesn't last forever
Contributed by Jacob C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.