After recording private albums, the band signed to Wind-up Records and released their first full-length album, Fallen, in 2003, which sold more than 15 million copies worldwide and helped the band win two Grammy Awards. A year later, they released their first live album, Anywhere But Home, which sold more than one million copies worldwide. In 2006, they then released their second studio album, The Open Door, which sold more than five million copies. They released their third and latest studio album, Evanescence in 2011.
The band currently consists of Amy Lee (lead vocals, piano, keyboards), Terry Balsamo (guitars), and Tim McCord (bass). Former members include David Hodges (piano, keyboards, backing vocals; left in 2002), Ben Moody (guitars; left in 2003), William Boyd (bass; left in 2006), John LeCompt (guitars, backing vocals; fired in 2007), and Rocky Gray (drums; left in 2007). Session members include Troy McLawhorn (guitars) and Will Hunt (drums), both are from Dark New Day, they were "borrowed" to replace LeCompt and Gray during 2007 tours.
Amy Lee and Ben Moody met in 1994 at a youth camp in Little Rock, where Moody heard Lee playing I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That) by Meat Loaf on the piano. Their first songs were Solitude and Give Unto Me, written by Lee, and Understanding and My Immortal, written by Moody.
Two of Lee and Moody's songs found playtime on local radio stations, raising local awareness of the group and demand for a show. The band eventually appeared live, and became one of the most popular acts in the area. After experimenting with band names, such as Childish Intentions and Stricken, they decided on Evanescence, which means "disappearance" or "fading away" (from the word evanesce, which means "to disappear"). Lee has stated she loves the name because "it is mysterious and dark, and places a picture in the listeners' mind.".
Their first full-length demo CD, Origin (released in 2000), is relatively unknown. The band also released two EPs. First, the self-titled Evanescence EP (1998) of which about 100 copies were made, and second the Sound Asleep EP, also known as the Whisper EP (1999), limited to 50 copies. Origin and the EPs contain demo versions of some of the songs on their debut album, Fallen. For example, the recording of My Immortal found on Fallen can also be found on Origin, minus a handful of additional string accompaniments. Only 2,500 copies of this record were produced; in response, Lee and Moody encouraged fans to download the band's older songs from the Internet.
In several interviews Amy has said that 'Origin' was not an album, it was merely meant to be a demo. While appearing to be an official CD, it was never meant to be officially released. According to Amy Lee "Origin is not an album. Should I say that clearer? 'Origin' is not an album. We recorded its demos, we recorded it a long time ago, in Ben's apartment or in my parent's attic with an 8-track recorder that cost $300. It sounds like crap. Don't feel bad that you don't have it, just download it. It looks kind of like an album because we had an artist make us this cool album cover because we were shopping it to record labels. We put everything we had on there, and some songs that are on there are on 'Fallen', just done right". The video of this interview can be seen here.
The band sent 'Origin' to several record labels, and eventually Wind-Up Records signed them. The band then recorded a large collection of demos throughout 2001 and 2002. Afterwards, the band began work on their second full-length album. However, after the album had been finished, Hodges left the band in December of 2002.
The album, entitled 'Fallen', was then released in March 2003. It brought the band international fame, selling 14 millions of copies worldwide. 'Fallen' has since gone 6 times platinum in the United States and has sold more than 15 million copies altogether worldwide.
However, shortly after, Moody left the band on October 22 of 2003 due to internal struggles with the band members. He was then replaced by guitarist Terry Balsamo from the band Cold. Before Moody's departure, Gray, LeCompt, and Boyd had been session members, but afterwards they became full-time members.
At the 2004 Grammy Awards, Evanescence won Best New Artist and Best Hard Rock Performance for their single Bring Me to Life, known worldwide from the Daredevil soundtrack. That same year, the band released a live CD/DVD entitled 'Anywhere But Home', which also sold 1 million of copies worldwide and has since gone platinum in the United States.
Afterwards, the band began work on their next release. Many things set the release back, including the health problems of Terry. He was unfortunately affected by a stroke, but is recovering successfully. Amy also fired their old manager which they had relations with during 'Fallen', and brought him to court. In 2006, they finished recording their second album, titled 'The Open Door', as well as shooting a video for the single Call Me When You're Sober. On July 13th, 2006, Lee announced through Evanescence's online message board that bassist Boyd has decided to leave the band in order to make time for his personal life and family. Tim McCord was announced as Will Boyd's replacement in August 2006.
'The Open Door' debuted at number 1 in Australia, United States, Greece, Germany, and Switzerland. It sold over 1 million copies worldwide within the first week of its release.
The second single of 'The Open Door' was Lithium. A video was shot for the single - directed by Paul Fedor (who has worked with Marilyn Manson, Seether, and Deftones). It took 2 days to film, October 31 and November 1, 2006.
The third single off 'The Open Door' was Sweet Sacrifice. The label, Wind-Up, had originally chosen All That I'm Living For to be the third single, but was met with opposition from the fans. The video was shot on March 9th and 10th, 2007. Directed by Paul Brown.
On May 4, 2007, John LeCompt announced that he had been fired from Evanescence, and also stated that drummer Rocky Gray had decided to quit as well. Both musicians posted on their personal MySpace pages to confirm the news report, however, neither elaborated about the circumstances surrounding their departures, and no official statement has yet been released by the band or label.
On his MySpace blog, LeCompt stated that Lee called his cellphone to fire him, and that no warning had previously been given nor were any negotiations made available. No replacements have been named as of yet, but Evanescence says they will continue touring and producing music.
Lee revealed during the taping of MuchMusic's January 9, 2007 episode of Live @ Much that she had become engaged the previous evening. She later confirmed on EvThreads.com that she was proposed to by Josh Hartzler, a 29-year-old therapist and long time friend. She noted in an interview that the songs Good Enough and Bring Me To Life were inspired by him. The couple were married on May 6, 2007, and honeymooned near The Bahamas. She has posted on EvThreads that she is "now officially Mrs. Amy Hartzler."
Recently Lee and Evanescence (with temporary members) headlined a one off show in Sao Paulo, Brazil for a music festival. A couple of weeks before, Lee posted on her Twitter that the band need to practice and was going to play a secret show in NYC's The Palace.
Lee confirmed that a third album was on the way and was set to release late 2010. A short video surfaced on one members Twitter account showing the band practicing and recording.
On 22 January, 2010, Amy posted on her Twitter that the b-side Together Again would be a gift to all who donate just the minimum amount to the Relief Effort over in Haiti.
In a MTV interview Amy Lee announced that the new album would be named 'Evanescence'. This was released October 11th, 2011. It is the first of their albums to have a deluxe version with 4 extra songs and an accompanying DVD.
Lost Whispers is a compilation album and was released on December 9, 2016, by The Bicycle Music Company. The album is a career-spanning collection of B-sides and two new recordings: "Lost Whispers", the intro from the band's 2009 tour and a new version of "Even in Death", originally on their 2000 demo album, Origin.
Their fourth Studio album, Synthesis, was released in November 2017. The album debuted at number 8 on the Billboard 200, and has reached number 23 in the UK, 5 in Germany, and 6 in Australia.
Discography
1998: Evanescence EP
1999: Sound Asleep EP
2000: Origin
2003: Mystary EP and Fallen (first official studio album)
2004: Anywhere But Home
2006: The Open Door
2011: Evanescence
2016: Lost Whispers
2017: Synthesis
2021: The Bitter Truth
Official site: www.evanescence.com
Anywhere
Evanescence Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And dear my love, haven't you longed to be free
I can't keep pretending that I don't even know you
And at sweet night, you are my own
Take my hand
We're leaving here tonight
There's no need to tell anyone
So by the morning's light
We'll be half way to anywhere
Where love is more than just your name
I have dreamt of a place for you and I
No one knows who we are there
All I want is to give my life only to you
I've dreamt so long, I cannot dream anymore
Let's run away, I'll take you there
We're leaving here tonight
There's no need to tell anyone
They'd only hold us down
So by the morning's light
We'll be half way to anywhere
Where no one needs a reason
Forget this life
Come with me
Don't look back, you're safe now
Unlock your heart
Drop your guard
No one's left to stop you
Forget this life
Come with me
Don't look back you're safe now
Unlock your heart
Drop your guard
No one's left to stop you now
We're leaving here tonight
There's no need to tell anyone
They'd only hold us down
So by the morning's light
We'll be half way to anywhere
Where love is more than just your name
Yeah yeah, yeah
Yeah yeah, yeah
Yeah yeah, yeah
Yeah yeah, yeah
Yeah yeah, yeah
Yeah yeah, yeah
The song "Anywhere" by Evanescence, is a ballad about escaping one's reality and running away with the one you love. The song begins with "Dear my love, haven't you wanted to be with me. And dear my love, haven't you longed to be free. I can't keep pretending that I don't even know you. And at sweet night, you are my own. Take my hand." Here, the singer is talking to her love and asking them if they ever wanted to be with her and be free while expressing her longing to know her love better. The next verse talks about a dream she had where her love and she could run away to be with each other in a place where they remain anonymous. The chorus of the song says that they are leaving without telling anyone since people would hold them down, and soon, they'll be halfway to anywhere, where love is not just a name.
In the second verse, the singer invites her love to come with her and leave this life behind while promising safety. The lyrics "Unlock your heart, drop your guard, no one's left to stop you now," highlight the desires to be with the one they love without any interference from anyone. The chorus is repeated again, emphasizing the idea that they can go anywhere to be together and be free.
Line by Line Meaning
Dear my love, haven't you wanted to be with me
I sense that you yearn to be near me, my dear love
And dear my love, haven't you longed to be free
Dear one, yearned to be free, you have, haven't you?
I can't keep pretending that I don't even know you
It is senseless of me to keep pretending to not know you
And at sweet night, you are my own
When night's sweetness envelopes us, you are mine
Take my hand
Hold my hand
We're leaving here tonight
Tonight we're running away
There's no need to tell anyone
No need to inform anyone
They'd only hold us down
They'll only try to hold us back
So by the morning's light
When the morning comes
We'll be half way to anywhere
We'll be halfway to our dream destination
Where love is more than just your name
A place where 'love' is no just a word
I have dreamt of a place for you and I
I have dreamt of a world designed for us
No one knows who we are there
In this world, we are anonymous
All I want is to give my life only to you
I want my life to belong solely to you
I've dreamt so long, I cannot dream anymore
I have dreamed for an eternity, I cannot go on dreaming
Let's run away, I'll take you there
We'll run off together, I'll take us to that place
Where no one needs a reason
A place where there is no justifying needed
Forget this life
Leave this life behind
Come with me
Follow me
Don't look back, you're safe now
Don't turn back, you're safe with me
Unlock your heart
Open your heart
Drop your guard
Lower your defenses
No one's left to stop you
No force remains to halt you
Yeah yeah, yeah
Yeah yeah, yeah
Yeah yeah, yeah
Yeah yeah, yeah
Yeah yeah, yeah
Yeah yeah, yeah
Yeah yeah, yeah
Yeah yeah, yeah
Yeah yeah, yeah
Yeah yeah, yeah
Yeah yeah, yeah
Yeah yeah, yeah
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing, Reservoir Media Management, Inc.
Written by: AMY LEE, BEN MOODY, DAVID HODGES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@benjaminbuhler2932
Painfully underrated song by Evanescence. A personal favorite
@sccanj
The biggest jewels need to remain hidden
What would be the point of this song sounding everywhere
@tawanahickey9234
Hi
@tawanahickey9234
Okay I'll be back in a few minutes and I'll be there at all 😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😀👋 and get
@tawanahickey9234
High School is a lot of things that need anything please and thank for your help and support and
@onota8527
@AndreaJanerightly said
@jessicasimplicioreis3824
Quem gosta de cantar essa música??..🌦💞
@pamelabogardt1012
Danced with my husband at our wedding to this song. Was amazing! I bet no one else there knew it but I didn't care. I paid a band a lot of money to perform but I had them put this song on from a CD I gave them cause i had to have Amy at my wedding!
@StaticBlaster
That's awesome. This song gives off romantic vibes.
@kristenpendergraft3725
Congratulations!