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.
Space
Emilie Autumn Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Diamonds
Swimming
In squid’s ink
Tilting back our heads
Until we cannot close our mouths
We try to count
But lose our place
Not because it is cold
But because
We are afraid of falling
In the song Space, Emilie Autumn describes the experience of looking up at the sky and feeling overwhelmed with awe and fear. The image of diamonds swimming in squid's ink is a metaphor for the countless stars and galaxies that fill the universe, their beauty and vastness too much for the human mind to comprehend. As the singer tilts back their head, they begin to feel a sense of vertigo, a fear of falling into the infinite expanse above.
The act of counting further emphasizes the inability of the human mind to grasp the vast emptiness of space. The fear here is not a fear of danger or harm, but rather a fear of the unknown and the uncontrollable. By contrasting the physical sensation of shivering with the emotional fear of falling, Autumn illustrates the dichotomy of the human experience - the thrill of the unknown mixed with a fear of what we cannot understand.
Overall, Space is a beautifully evocative and poignant portrayal of the human struggle to comprehend the enormity of the universe and our place within it.
Line by Line Meaning
We look to the sky
We gaze upon the vast expanse of the heavens above us.
Diamonds
We notice the glittering beauty of the stars that adorn the darkness.
Swimming
We feel immersed in the vastness of space, like we're adrift in an endless sea.
In squid’s ink
It's as if we're surrounded by the mysterious and unknown, just like a squid hiding in its ink.
Tilting back our heads
We lean back and look up, hoping to take in as much of the sky as possible.
Until we cannot close our mouths
Our jaws hang open in amazement and awe, as we try to take in the vastness before us.
We try to count
We attempt to quantify the infinite with our minds and senses.
But lose our place
We quickly realize our inability to fully comprehend the enormity of space.
And shiver
The realization of our own insignificance to the universe sends chills down our spines.
Not because it is cold
The fear we feel is not due to the temperature of the night air.
But because
Rather, it is our own realization of how small we truly are in the grand scheme of things.
We are afraid of falling
The fear we feel is not of a physical fall, but a realization of our own mortality and place in the universe.
Contributed by Caleb G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.