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
The Last Day
Evanescence Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Throwing rocks at your window
That I never even knocked
On your front door
I walk by statues
Never even made one chip
But if I could leave a mark
I just might lay myself down
For a little more than I had
The last day
The last day
The last day
Wait a time
To spare these lies we tell ourselves
These days have come and gone
But this time is sweeter than honey
The lyrics of Evanescence's song, "So Close," seem to deal with the singer's missed opportunities and regrets in a relationship. The first stanza is a metaphor for how they’ve been trying to get the attention of someone they care about, but they've been going about it the wrong way. Instead of knocking on their actual front door, they've been throwing rocks at their window. This reads as a desperate attempt to get attention that is, ultimately, futile because it doesn't get them the results they want.
The second stanza explores the idea of missed chances in more depth. The singer admits that they've walked by statues and never made a move, reflecting a general sense of inaction and inattentiveness in their life. But they also express a desire to leave their mark on something important, using the metaphor of a "monument of the heart." This suggests that the singer wants more than just passing experiences; they want something lasting and meaningful. The last two lines of the stanza are a kind of compromise with themselves. They know they can't change the past, but they might be willing to settle for something less than they really want, even if it means sacrificing something important.
Line by Line Meaning
I've spent so much time
I've invested a considerable amount of time
Throwing rocks at your window
Trying to gain your attention from a distance
That I never even knocked
But, I never gathered the courage to knock on your door
On your front door
To directly approach you
I walk by statues
I've walked past many things without noticing
Never even made one chip
And, haven't made an impact on them
But if I could leave a mark
But I would love to leave an impression
On the monument of the heart
On someone's heart, which is considered as an eternal monument
I just might lay myself down
I wouldn't mind putting my all into it
For a little more than I had
To give a little more than I did last time
The last day
The final day of something significant
The last day
The last opportunity, possibly to start again
The last day
The final moment to change things
Wait a time
Take time to pause
To spare these lies we tell ourselves
To avoid deceiving ourselves with false stories
These days have come and gone
The past cannot be changed
But this time is sweeter than honey
But the present moment is beautiful and worthy of recognition
Contributed by Owen G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@user-wx3zk5vn2w
I 'VE SPENT SO MUCH TIME
THROWING ROCKS AT YOUR WINDOW
THAT I NEVER EVEN KNOCKED
ON THE FRONT DOOR
I walk by statues
Never even made one chip
BUT IF I COULD LEAVE A MARK
ON THE MONUMENT OF THE HEART
I just might lay myself down
For a little more than I had
The last day
The last day
The last day
Wait a time
To spare these lies we tell ourselves
These days have come and gone
BUT THIS TIME IS SWEETER THAN HONEY
@dylanludwick8402
One of my favorite songs ever - the early, raw Evanescence tracks will always have a special place in my heart.
@tiffaniewilliams509
I heard this song for the first time in 2005 and I've never stopped listening to it. I'm now 33 and my kids enjoy Evanescence.
@totallyanonymousbish9599
So happy for you🤍
@YinPT
Good parenting, right there 😁
@neemoteemo7530
I would wager ita a bad idea , evanescence genre is more on the depressive dark sate of mind and how she (amy) navigates it , children might get influenced negatively
@totallyanonymousbish9599
@@neemoteemo7530 that's literally not a thing you moron
@neemoteemo7530
@@totallyanonymousbish9599 whatever you say mate
@Eww.shotsIG
I really hope those songs never get erased in time, evanescence should live forever, long after we are all gone
@stephenkosta6883
Kind of ironic that evanescent means 'soon passing out of sight, memory, or existence; quickly fading or disappearing' and evanescence means 'the quality of being fleeting or vanishing quickly; impermanence'.
@EscapeTheFateXFIR
The guitar intro kills me ♥