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
Breathe No More
Evanescence Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That I've come to believe my soul's on the other side.
All the little pieces falling, shatter.
Shards of me,
Too sharp to put back together.
Too small to matter,
But big enough to cut me into so many little pieces.
If I try to touch her,
I bleed,
And I breathe,
I breathe no more.
Take a breath and I try to draw from my spirits well.
Yet again you refuse to drink like a stubborn child.
Lie to me,
Convince me that I've been sick forever.
And all of this,
Will make sense when I get better.
but I know the difference,
Between myself and my reflection.
I just can't help but to wonder,
Which of us do you love.
So I bleed,
I bleed,
And I breathe,
I breathe no
Bleed,
I bleed,
And I breathe,
I breathe,
I breathe
I breathe no more.
The lyrics of the song Breathe No More by Evanescence revolve around the concept of self-reflection and the feeling of being lost in one's own thoughts, struggling to find a way out. The first verse speaks about the singer's experience of looking into the mirror for an extended period of time and believing that their soul is on the other side, indicating a sense of disconnect from oneself. The use of the word 'shatter' and 'shards of me' further adds to the notion of feeling broken into different pieces that cannot be put back together. The singer acknowledges that these pieces are not significant enough to matter in the grand scheme of things, yet they can still harm and cut them 'into so many little pieces'. The last line of the verse 'If I try to touch her, and I bleed, I bleed,' suggests that the idea of trying to reach out to one's reflection or trying to connect with oneself can lead to pain and harm.
The second verse begins with the words 'Take a breath,' which can be interpreted as a reminder to ground oneself in the moment and focus on the present. However, the line 'yet again you refuse to drink like a stubborn child' points towards a refusal to acknowledge one's thoughts and emotions. The following lines describe the sense of being convinced that something is wrong with oneself and that it will all make sense when they get better. This can be seen as a reference to how some people refuse to accept that they might be struggling with mental health issues and often brush it off as a phase that they will grow out of. The singer acknowledges that there's a difference between themselves and their reflection, and wonders which one of them the person they're addressing loves. The repetition of the lines 'I bleed, I bleed, and I breathe, I breathe,' emphasize the fact that despite feeling so disconnected and broken, the singer is still alive, yet barely breathing.
Overall, the song Breathe No More by Evanescence is a poignant and moving exploration of mental health struggles, and how the experience of feeling disconnected from oneself can be incredibly isolating and painful.
Line by Line Meaning
I've been looking in the mirror for so long,
I have spent so much time examining myself and my personal flaws.
That I've come to believe my soul's on the other side.
I feel detached from my own being.
All the little pieces falling, shatter.
Every part of me is breaking apart.
Shards of me,
Fragments of my identity.
Too sharp to put back together.
The damage done is irreparable.
Too small to matter,
The fragments of my being are insignificant.
But big enough to cut me into so many little pieces.
Although small, the damage they’re doing is immense.
If I try to touch her,
If I try to connect with my inner self.
And I bleed,
The wounds within me will open up again.
I bleed,
My pain is physical and emotional.
And I breathe,
I have to keep going, regardless of how difficult it is.
I breathe no more.
I can’t face another day with this pain.
Take a breath and I try to draw from my spirits well.
I attempt to gather any remaining strength.
Yet again you refuse to drink like a stubborn child.
My inner self is resisting recovery.
Lie to me,
Conceal the truth from me.
Convince me that I've been sick forever.
Make me believe that there’s no hope for a cure.
And all of this,
The pain and suffering.
Will make sense when I get better.
It’ll all have meaning when I heal.
But I know the difference,
I know the truth, deep down inside.
Between myself and my reflection.
I’m aware of the difference between who I really am and the image reflected back at me.
I just can't help but to wonder,
I can’t stop asking myself.
Which of us do you love.
Which version of me do you accept and cherish?
So I bleed,
I continue to suffer.
I bleed,
I still feel pain.
And I breathe,
I keep going, despite the pain.
I breathe,
I’m holding on, as best I can.
I breathe no more.
But maybe, one day, it’ll be too much.
Lyrics © Reservoir Media Management, Inc.
Written by: AMY LEE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Kyle Mcalister
This song is very deep to I. Makes me want to tear up once while. Thankyou for this song helps me.
Elena Pandora Carter
You're very welcome ^^
Andrew Bloxham
Thankyouthankyouthankyou :)
Elena Pandora Carter
you're welcome :)
Shardano
:)