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.
So Many Fools
Emilie Autumn Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
No such thing
As friendship?
Is it possible
Not to slip
Past the point of genial
With a quip
Implying something more?
As her heartbeat races
Thunders
Trying to drown out the grotesque
Blunders
Of a man at war
With the fact that he could be
Her father
Twice over
And she
A lady of sound mind and body
Was not meant for fools as he
Must a man be so unthinking?
When he sees his ship is sinking
Will he always try to grasp the
Wing of one
Who still can fly?
This is what the young girl ponders
As she does
Her vision wanders
Trying not to notice how much
Fonder looks the old man's eye
Down upon her form
And face
Believing she might like the chase
But knowing still
That he has no place
As he shows his true disgrace
Will my life be like this ever?
Must I laugh
And call them clever
Or else fight
And scratch
And claw
In fury
At so many fools?
This is what the young girl muses
As she battles shame
And loses
Leaving nothing
But so many
Bruises
Made by unseen tools
Wielded by a strengthless hand
Which could not hope to understand
How quickly it kills
Though unplanned,
Turning spirit into sand
Emilie Autumn's "So Many Fools" explores the theme of inappropriate relationships, particularly between older men and young girls. The singer, who is a young girl, wonders if it is possible to have a purely platonic friendship with men who always try to imply something more. The song highlights the uncomfortable position that young girls are often put in when older men make inappropriate advances towards them. The opening lines of the song question if friendship even exists, insinuating that it's always complicated when it involves the opposite sex.
The tone of the song suggests a certain uneasiness and fear felt by the young girl, as the singer expresses her anxiety about the situation she's in. The man in question is described as a "grotesque blunder," someone who has failed to recognize the inappropriateness of his advances towards someone who could be his daughter twice over. Despite being a lady of sound mind and body, the young girl's emotional distress is evident as she fights shame and loses, resulting in bruises that are the aftermath of the unseen tools wielded by a strengthless hand.
These lyrics highlight a very important social issue that still plagues us to this day. Many young girls are still victimized by older men who take advantage of their innocence and lack of experience. This song serves as a commentary on this disturbing trend, and its thought-provoking lyrics make us pause and think about the broader implications of this problem.
Line by Line Meaning
Is there
The singer questions the existence of true friendship
No such thing
The singer believes that true friendship may not exist
As friendship?
The singer is questioning the nature of friendship
Is it possible
The artist is asking if it's possible
Not to slip
The artist wonders if it's impossible to avoid crossing boundaries
Past the point of genial
The singer is referring to a boundary that can be surpassed
With a quip
The singer is referring to a remark that may be harmless on the surface
Implying something more?
The artist is questioning whether there is an underlying meaning behind a remark
This is what the young girl wonders
The artist is referring to a young girl who is contemplating these issues
As her heartbeat races
The artist is referring to the physical symptoms the girl is experiencing due to her emotional turmoil
Thunders
The singer describes the girl's heartbeat as loud and intense
Trying to drown out the grotesque
The artist is referring to the disturbing behavior of a man towards the girl
Blunders
The singer is referring to the man's mistakes or inappropriate actions
Of a man at war
The singer is using a metaphor to describe the man's inner conflict
With the fact that he could be
The singer is referring to the girl's realization that the man could be her father
Her father
The artist is referring to the possibility of incestuous behavior
Twice over
The artist is emphasizing the severity of the potential situation
And she
The singer refers to the girl again
A lady of sound mind and body
The singer is emphasizing the girl's physical and mental health
Was not meant for fools as he
The artist implies that the girl is too smart to fall for the man's advances
Must a man be so unthinking?
The artist questions if men can be so thoughtless
When he sees his ship is sinking
The artist is using a metaphor to describe the man's downfall
Will he always try to grasp the
The singer wonders if the man will try to cling to something for support
Wing of one
The artist is using a metaphor for someone who can provide help or support
Who still can fly?
The singer is questioning if the person providing help is actually able to help
This is what the young girl ponders
The singer is referring to the girl's contemplation of the man's behavior
As she does
The singer is referring to the girl's actions or thoughts
Her vision wanders
The artist is referring to the girl's thoughts being distracted
Trying not to notice how much
The artist is referring to the girl's effort to avoid acknowledging something
Fonder looks the old man's eye
The singer is referring to the old man's inappropriate behavior becoming more evident
Down upon her form
The singer is referring to the man's gaze on the girl's body
And face
The artist is referring to the man's gaze on the girl's face
Believing she might like the chase
The artist is implying that the man thinks the girl is interested in him
But knowing still
The artist believes the girl knows the man's intentions are inappropriate
That he has no place
The singer is stating that the man does not belong in the girl's life
As he shows his true disgrace
The artist is calling out the man's behavior as shameful
Will my life be like this ever?
The singer is questioning if her life will always be filled with these challenges
Must I laugh
The singer is implying that she must put on a brave face and laugh
And call them clever
The singer is implying that she must think of these situations as smart or humorous to cope with them
Or else fight
The artist is implying that she may need to take action against these situations
And scratch
The artist is using a metaphor for physically fighting back
And claw
The singer is using a metaphor for using any means necessary to protect oneself
In fury
The singer is referring to intense anger or rage
At so many fools?
The artist is referring to the men who make inappropriate advances
This is what the young girl muses
The artist is referring to the girl's thoughts on how to cope with these situations
As she battles shame
The artist is referring to the girl's struggle with feeling ashamed of the behavior directed towards her
And loses
The singer is stating that the girl has not yet successfully overcome these feelings of shame
Leaving nothing
The artist is implying that the girl is hopeless in her situation
But so many
The singer is calling attention to the number of men behaving inappropriately
Bruises
The singer is using a metaphor for the emotional pain and scars caused by these situations
Made by unseen tools
The singer is referring to the unseen impact of these negative experiences
Wielded by a strengthless hand
The artist is referring to the perpetrators' weak and powerless actions
Which could not hope to understand
The artist is stating that the perpetrators do not realize the damage they are causing
How quickly it kills
The singer is using a metaphor for the quick emotional damage caused by these inappropriate actions
Though unplanned,
The singer is stating that these actions are not intended to harm, but they do
Turning spirit into sand
The artist is using a metaphor for the negative impact these inappropriate actions have on the girl's mental and emotional state
Contributed by Alaina I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
SouthernDeathAngel
Absolutely beautiful and heartbreaking.
Robin Flowers
such a sad poem... She's wonderful
nargileh1
@waterwavesandsand 'A strengthless hand' hints at an attack on non-physical level, which is firmly the specialty of women. Try looking at the last 6 verses as the result of actions done by the girl instead. She's stuck in a dilemma: should she just suffer the the fools and keep their false hopes alive or should she push them head-under-water by being honest. The shame she battles is the one she feels about crushing their dreams.
Macaela Rehfield
Please, Fellow Muffins, I mean no harm. I just want to share. And please, if you don't want to hear a sad, confusing tale, move on to the next comment :) My best friend is two years older then me (16). She was raped by her friends, her brother, and a complete stranger. My mother was raped by my ex-neighbor (went to prison) when she was 8,10, and 14. My (awesome) gay uncle was molested when he was younger. Everyone around me is being raped... It's scary. I think thats why my mom wanted a boy.
Anita Hendricks
<3 <3 <3
waterwavesandsand
@nargileh1 Geez man, chill. It's all how you interpret it. I think being touched by a man twice her age is worthy of kicking. But hey, personal opinion.
waterwavesandsand
You just want to kick that man.