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.
The Music I Heard Once
Emilie Autumn Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Was louder
Than it is now
I can no longer distinguish
Pained cries
From shouts of joy
Perhaps my ears are deaf
Or the interference too great
Has given way to discord
And while running wild was exciting
It was so
Only for a moment
Fleeting as a note
Leaving an even more transparent impression
The music I recall
Was different than it is now
For the new makes the old seem
Older than it is
To think from that
We grew into a new age
Suggests that
Ages past
Were not enough for adventuring souls
For stars too bright to be concealed
In a dark
But beauteous night
We will paste upon the curled pages
Words
Like charming
And romantic
And sentimental
Forgetting that charming is witchcraft
Romantic is love
And sentiment is what makes us
Human
The song "The Music I Heard Once" by Emilie Autumn is a poignant reflection on the passage of time and how it can change our perceptions of the world. The singer muses on how the music they remember from the past was "louder" and more distinct than what they hear now. They can no longer distinguish between sounds of pain and joy, and order has given way to discord. The singer notes that running wild was exciting, but only for a fleeting moment, much like a note in a fleeting musical passage. The singer's memories of the music of the past are different from what they hear now, and the passage of time has made the old seem even older.
As the singer reflects on the passing of time, they make a comment about how we often romanticize the past. The singer says that we will "paste upon the curled pages Words like charming And romantic And sentimental," forgetting that these terms have deeper meanings. The singer notes that "charming is witchcraft, Romantic is love, And sentiment is what makes us Human." This final stanza seems to suggest that our nostalgia for the past can be deceptive and that we should be wary of idealizing a time that may not have been as perfect as we remember.
Overall, "The Music I Heard Once" is a song that speaks to the inescapability of time and how it can alter our perceptions of the world around us. The singer's reflections on the music of the past serve as a metaphor for the larger themes of the passage of time and the human tendency to idealize the past.
Line by Line Meaning
The music I heard once
I remember hearing music in the past
Was louder
It was more intense and impactful
Than it is now
Compared to what I hear now, it was more powerful
I can no longer distinguish
Now I can't separate or differentiate
Pained cries
Sounds of agony and suffering
From shouts of joy
From expressions of happiness
Perhaps my ears are deaf
It's possible that I have lost my hearing abilities
Or the interference too great
Or there are too many sounds together that it becomes distorted
Still the order I remember
The structure I recall listening to earlier
Has given way to discord
Has changed into chaos and disharmony
And while running wild was exciting
Although being wild was thrilling
It was so
It was only momentarily
Only for a moment
Just for a short time span
Fleeting as a note
As brief as a musical note
Leaving an even more transparent impression
Having an even more faint memory
The music I recall
The music I recollect
Was different than it is now
Compared to what I can hear nowadays, it was distinct
For the new makes the old seem
As time passes, any new accomplishment makes the old seem
Older than it is
As if the old stuff happened even earlier
To think from that
To assume that today, based on this memory from the past
We grew into a new age
Humanity evolved into a new era
Suggests that
It implies that
Ages past
Previous eras or centuries
Were not enough for adventuring souls
Were insufficient for those who seek adventure and excitement in life
For stars too bright to be concealed
For extremely bright stars that can't be hidden
In a dark
Within a dimly lit
But beauteous night
Yet beautiful night
We will paste upon the curled pages
We will write down on the old, crumpled pages
Words
Expressions
Like charming
Such as enchanting
And romantic
And intimate
And sentimental
And nostalgic
Forgetting that charming is witchcraft
Omitting the reality that charming comes from magic
Romantic is love
Ignoring that romantic is what we believe to be love
And sentiment is what makes us
And feelings are what distinguishes us as humans
Contributed by Ava P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Harley Queenn
People like Emilie Autumn make me have +200 faith in humanity again. Whenever I see or hear something stupid the human race has done, I come to her music and poetry and immediately, my hope for humanity is reinstalled Thank you, Emilie Autumn, for being that awesome. <3.
Amber Lynn
Simply amazing.
Robin Flowers
Beautiful :)
FaeryRibbon
@miekkiej wtf, like - wtf? lol.