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.
Rose Red
Emilie Autumn Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Will I ever see thee wed
I will marry at thy will sire
At thy will
A thousand years gone by
Too late to wonder why
I'm here alone
She rose that fell a flower
I should have known
Rose Rose Rose Red
Will I ever see thee wed
Only if you can capture me
Tell me no more stories
And I'll tell you no lies
No one wants to hurt me
But everybody tries
And if you think that I've been waiting
For my planets to align
It's Time you go on
Get your things, get up, get out
I'm doing fine, yeah yeah
Someday these walls will speak
The floors beneath you creek
To call my name
Here in my web of dreams
My whispers turn to screams
And place the blame
Rose Rose Rose Red
Will I ever see thee wed
Only if you discover me
Tell me no more stories
And I'll tell you no lies
No one wants to hurt me
But everybody tries
And if you think that I've been waiting
For my planets to align
It's Time you go on
Get your things, get up, get out
I'm doing fine, yeah yeah
For this freedom
I have given all I had
For this darkness
I gave my light
For this wisdom
I have lost my innocence
Take my petals
And cover me with the night
Tell me no more stories
And I'll tell you no lies
No one wants to hurt me
But everybody tries
And if you think that I've been waiting
For my planets to align
It's Time you go on
Get your things, get up, get out
I'm doing fine, yeah yeah
The song “Rose Red” by Emilie Autumn is a haunting tale of a woman who is waiting for someone to capture her and marry her. In the first stanza, the woman, addressed as “Rose Red,” expresses her willingness to marry the person who captures her. However, as the song progresses, she becomes increasingly disillusioned with the idea of marriage and even hints at dangers lurking around her. She declares that she is doing fine on her own and does not need anyone to rescue her. The repetition of “Tell me no more stories and I'll tell you no lies” emphasizes her need to be in control of her own narrative.
Autumn’s use of the rose as a symbol is significant in this song. The rose is often seen as a symbol of love, romance, and beauty. However, in “Rose Red,” it takes on a darker connotation. The woman is identified as “Rose Red,” but in the second stanza, we are told that she should have known to stay away from the person who caused her to fall like a flower. This suggests that perhaps the rose has been plucked before, that the woman has been hurt before. Her desire to be captured, even though she knows it could lead to harm, speaks to the complexity of love and relationships. The rose is beautiful, but it also has thorns.
In conclusion, “Rose Red” by Emilie Autumn is a complex and haunting song that explores the desire for love and the dangers that come with it. It is a tale of a woman who is waiting for someone to sweep her off her feet, but who ultimately realizes that she is better off alone.
Line by Line Meaning
Rose Rose Rose Red
Addressing the rose and its red color as a metaphor for love and sensuality
Will I ever see thee wed
Asking if love and marriage is achievable
I will marry at thy will sire
Agreeing to follow the wishes of those in control, even if it means sacrificing personal desires
At thy will
Reiterating the previous line
A thousand years gone by
Reflecting on the passage of time and missed opportunities
Too late to wonder why
Realizing that it's too late to contemplate past mistakes or choices
I'm here alone
Acknowledging loneliness and isolation
If in my darkest hour She rose that fell a flower I should have known
Regretting not recognizing the signs of help when it was available
Rose Rose Rose Red
Repeating the first line for emphasis and as a reminder of the underlying theme
Will I ever see thee wed
Repeating the second line for emphasis
Only if you can capture me
Asserting independence and the need to be pursued, rather than captured
Tell me no more stories
Rejecting false narratives and promises
And I'll tell you no lies
Promising to be truthful in return
No one wants to hurt me
Expressing vulnerability and the desire for protection
But everybody tries
Acknowledging that hurt is an inherent risk of engaging with others
And if you think that I've been waiting
Rejecting the assumption that waiting is an option or desire
For my planets to align
Referencing the concept of fate and destiny in relation to love and relationships
It's Time you go on Get your things, get up, get out
Demanding that others leave and move on from their assumptions or obligations
I'm doing fine, yeah yeah
Asserting confidence and self-sufficiency
Someday these walls will speak
Hinting at hidden secrets and stories within walls or memories
The floors beneath you creek
Adding to the eerie, mysterious atmosphere and foreshadowing future events
To call my name
Hinting at a haunting or otherworldly presence
Here in my web of dreams
Describing a world of imagination, fantasy, and personal creation
My whispers turn to screams
Highlighting the intense and emotional nature of the internal world
And place the blame
Acknowledging a tendency to blame others or circumstances
Only if you discover me
Repeating the third variation of the chorus for emphasis and to reassert independence
For this freedom I have given all I had
Describing the sacrifices made to achieve personal freedom and independence
For this darkness I gave my light
Highlighting the cost of embracing a darker or unconventional path
For this wisdom I have lost my innocence
Acknowledging the trade-off between knowledge and naivety
Take my petals And cover me with the night
Offering oneself to the darkness or unknown, even at the cost of personal destruction
It's Time you go on Get your things, get up, get out
Repeating the fourth variation of the chorus
I'm doing fine, yeah yeah
Repeating the fifth variation of the chorus
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: EMILIE AUTUMN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind