This is what Amy had to say about the song in a interview with a Italian magazine in 2006:
“Lose Control” is less easy to explain. You know, when it comes to Evanescence I become really fussy and obsessive: I have to have control of everything, even the smallest details… I’m a “control freak”! I like to evaluate every single decision within the band. Sometimes I behave like this even in my private life and in this song I express, on the contrary, the desire to be less apprehensive and more “loose”, to let things go on their own, sometimes… to not always have the responsibility of everything.
Amy was asked about why she referred to The Open Door as "having sensuality" and she cited "Lose Control" as an example of that:
“The song ‘Lose Control’ is what I was thinking of when I said that before, but then again I hate to say that because I don’t want people to think the album is some R&B-like sexed-up pop thing: it’s so hard to describe. I think that just comes from the fact that I’ve grown up and I’m not so insecure. And I’m not afraid to express every emotion – including feeling worthy and feeling like a woman and feeling good about myself; not that the album’s all happy and poppy. There are elements of everything.”
The song was played live a couple times in The Open Door Tour. The band played it for the first time since 2007 on their 2021 U.S. fall tour.
lose control
Evanescence Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I don't really care
Can we play the game your way?
Can I really lose control?
Just once in my life
I think it'd be nice
(Just to lose control, just once)
Mary had a lamb
His eyes black as coals
If we play very quiet, my lamb
Mary never has to know
Just once in my life
I think it'd be nice
(Just to lose control, just once)
If I cut you down to a thing I can use
I fear there will be nothing good left of you
Just to lose control, just once
The lyrics of Evanescence's song "Lose Control" expresses a desire to let go of control and indulge in a momentary lapse of self-discipline. In the first verse, the singer addresses someone who may have forgotten her name, saying she doesn't care as long as they can play the game their way. This game could refer to a power struggle, where the singer wants to relinquish control to the other person. She asks if she can lose control and play the game their way.
The second verse, which begins with the nursery rhyme "Mary had a lamb," seems to suggest a darker theme. The lamb with black coal eyes could represent something sinister, and the singer asks to play quietly so that Mary doesn't know. This could refer to secrecy or hidden games. The chorus repeats the singer's desire to lose control just once in her life with all the pretty flowers in the dust.
The lyrics further suggest that giving up control can heighten pleasure, but the singer fears that if she controls someone else, there will be nothing good left of them. Overall, the song explores the tension between control and the desire for wild abandon.
Line by Line Meaning
You don't remember my name
The singer is not important to the person they are addressing.
I don't really care
The singer shows indifference to being dismissed or overlooked.
Can we play the game your way?
The singer is willing to follow the other person's rules or expectations.
Can I really lose control?
The artist wants to let go of their inhibitions and go against their usual behavior.
Just once in my life, I think it'd be nice
The artist desires to break free from societal norms and experience the unknown.
"Just to lose control, just once"
The singer emphasizes their desire to let go of all inhibitions and want for order.
With all the pretty flowers in the dust
The singer sees beauty in destruction and chaos.
"Mary had a lamb, his eyes black as coals"
The artist references the nursery rhyme as an allusion to something dark or sinister.
If we play very quiet, my lamb, Mary never has to know
The artist wants to keep their actions hidden and secret from others.
If I cut you down to a thing I can use, I fear there will be nothing good left of you
The artist recognizes that selfishness and control can lead to losing the qualities and traits that make someone unique and valuable.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Songtrust Ave, RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC
Written by: TERRY BALSAMO, AMY LEE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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