Many of L'âme Immortelle's songs feature melancholy or lovelorn lyrics in German or English, and juxtaposed harsh male and emotional female vocals. Current work has moved away from the band's electronic roots into the neue deutsche härte (New German hardness) genre.
L'âme Immortelle was formed in 1996 in Vienna, Austria by friends Thomas Rainer and Hannes Medwenitsch. Soon vocalist Sonja Kraushofer, a former classmate of Rainer, joined and the band sought a record contract. They released their first album, "Lieder die wie Wunden bluten" in 1997 on MOS Records in Lichtenstein, which became popular in the underground German Goth subculture. In 1999, L'âme Immortelle switched to Trisol Records. From 1998 through 2001, L'âme Immortelle released another LP yearly, each bringing the band greater popularity. In 2002, Medwenitsch left the band. Kraushofer and Rainer recruited Ashley Dayour as a guitarist and the re-formed L'âme Immortelle released a new single, "Tiefster Winter" in November 2002. In 2003, L'âme Immortelle released "Als die Liebe starb", as well as "Seelensturm", a collection of re-issued and re-mixed early material.
In 2004, the band switched labels again, this time to major label Supersonic, a subsidiary of Sony BMG Music Entertainment. The first issue following the switch was a collaboration with OOMPH! on the non-album single "Brennende Liebe" (released as OOMPH! feat. L'âme Immortelle); they also appeared in the video. Following that, L'âme Immortelle released a new album, "Gezeiten", which includes some of their most popular songs like "5 Jahre", "Stumme Schreie" and "Fallen Angel". A significant change in L'âme Immortelle's style is evident now that the band is on a major label; notably the electronic instrumentation of earlier work was less prominent in "Gezeiten".
Their latest album "Auf deinen Schwingen" has been released on August 2006 along with "Phönix" single. The record also includes songs like "Wohin" which contains text from another famous LAI song called "Aus den Ruinen", and "Nur Du" — a song which totally differs from older L'âme Immortelle work. The music video for this song is a cartoon, an unusual thing for the band.
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Epitaph
L'Âme Immortelle Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And leave nothing behind
Too many live just for the day
And let their time pass by
Too many graves stay nameless
In the garden of the dead
Too many pictures frameless
Do not search this place for me
Search for me deep in your heart
If I haven't built my memorial there
My life has been in vain
So I must not fear the time
When the reaper shows its face
My memorial will shine
Brighter than the sun
Let come the night, the final day
To retreat forever
My soul will sweep away
And will not be forgotten
Do not search this place for me
Search for me deep in your heart
If I haven't built my memorial there
My life has been in vain
In L'Âme Immortelle's song "Epitaph," the lyrics address the impermanence of life and how easily one can fade away without leaving any lasting impact behind. The opening lines suggest that countless individuals pass away without leaving behind any marks, while others might be alive but not living a life with any sense of purpose or meaning. The third line highlights the idea that countless remain anonymous even in death and that numerous moments in life are nothing more than blurry images that fade away with time.
The chorus of "Epitaph" explains that the singer does not want to be remembered for the physical place of their burial; instead, they want their memory to be alive and vibrant in the hearts of those who loved and knew them best. If the singer were to become a transient memory lost in oblivion, then their life would feel forgotten and meaningless.
The second stanza continues with the theme of facing one's mortality with acceptance and enduring that one's legacy will continue to thrive long after they're gone. The lyrics suggest that one must embrace the concept of death, and by doing so, they will leave something everlasting behind that can be cherished.
Overall, the song's lyrics express a desire to be remembered for one's character, accomplishments, and the impact they had on those around them rather than merely becoming a forgotten memory on a tombstone.
Line by Line Meaning
Too many souls just fade away
There are countless people who live their lives without leaving any impression on this world, and they eventually fade away into oblivion.
And leave nothing behind
These people fail to create any impact or legacy that would have made their presence known or felt.
Too many live just for the day
Many people go through life without any long-term goals or aspirations, focusing only on immediate pleasures and desires.
And let their time pass by
They waste their time on meaningless activities and distractions that do not contribute to their personal growth or to society.
Too many graves stay nameless
There are numerous graves that do not carry any identifying information, indicating that the people buried there were forgotten or unimportant.
In the garden of the dead
This is a metaphorical depiction of a cemetery or burial ground.
Too many pictures frameless
There are countless photos that are never printed or displayed in any meaningful way, and as a result, they lose their visual impact and significance.
Blurred lost memories
These photos are also not able to evoke clear memories and emotions due to their lack of context and exposure.
Do not search this place for me
The artist is urging the listener not to look for their physical body after they have passed away.
Search for me deep in your heart
The artist believes that their true presence and essence will be felt strongest in the hearts and memories of those who knew and loved them.
If I haven't built my memorial there
The singer suggests that their true legacy is not in any physical monument or structure, but rather in the impact they had on the people around them.
My life has been in vain
If the artist has not made any meaningful connections or left a positive impact on people's lives, then their life will have had no purpose.
So I must not fear the time
The singer realizes that death is inevitable and accepts it as a natural part of life.
When the reaper shows its face
This is a metaphorical depiction of death or the moment of passing.
My memorial will shine
The singer believes that their true legacy will be felt by others, and will continue to shine even after they are gone.
Brighter than the sun
This is an exaggerated expression of the artist's belief that their positive impact will be long-lasting and far-reaching.
Let come the night, the final day
The artist is acknowledging their mortality and accepting that death will eventually come.
To retreat forever
The singer believes that their soul will peacefully depart from this world and be at rest.
My soul will sweep away
This is another way of expressing the idea that the singer's soul will depart from their physical body and continue to exist elsewhere.
And will not be forgotten
The artist believes that they will continue to live on in the memories and hearts of the people who knew and loved them.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: THOMAS RAINER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Laurent James
Platonisme écorché jusqu’à l’os.