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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Figure in the Mirror
L'Âme Immortelle Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A little piece of your soul dies away
The figure in the mirror's not me
A different reality
It's just a picture that you see
From my true self, I do flee
I do through eyes of an enemy
Forced by powers pushing me
Resulting in fear and misery
I change myself to fit the needs....
During this Mutation my heart bleeds
Trying to adjust to Society
Not anymore I want to be free
The figure in the mirror's not me
A different reality
It's just a picture that you see
From my true self, I do flee
Only a few could break the shell
Surrounding my soul's polluted well
Drink from it and you will see
All the pain that rests in me
It's like Pandora's box
With a number of haunted locks
The one who sees deep inside
knows all the feelings I do hide
The figure in the mirror's not me
A different reality
It's just a picture that you see
From my true self, I do flee
Once you took a look inside of me
You decide between joy and misery
If you abuse the things you know
The figure in the mirror's not me
A different reality
It's just a picture that you see
From my true self, I do flee
The lyrics of L'Âme Immortelle's "Figure in the Mirror" revolve around the idea of self-identity and the struggle to remain true to oneself in a world that constantly pressures one to conform. The opening lines "Every time you put this mask on your face/A little piece of your soul dies away" depict the emotional toll of hiding one's true self behind a facade of societal expectations. The chorus emphasizes this idea further, as it proclaims, "The figure in the mirror's not me/A different reality/It's just a picture that you see/From my true self, I do flee." The person in the mirror is a distorted reflection of one's true personality, enslaved by the constraints of society.
The song particularly highlights the impact of societal pressures and expectations as a major cause of anxiety and depression. The lyrics, "Forced by powers pushing me/Resulting in fear and misery," express this intense power that society holds over one, as it forces one to adapt to its demands. The lines, "Trying to adjust to society/Not anymore I want to be free," speak to the desire to break free from the chains of conformity.
The song also notes the difficulties that come with opening up and changing oneself for others in the lines "I change myself to fit the needs/During this mutation my heart bleeds." It also points to the idea of the strength of a few special people who can truly understand someone else's pain, as shown in the lyrics, "Only a few could break the shell/Surrounding my soul's polluted well/Drink from it and you will see/All the pain that rests in me." The song highlights the powerful message of being able to embrace one's true self by recognizing the masks people often wear in society.
Line by Line Meaning
Every time you put this mask on your face
Each time you pretend to be someone else
A little piece of your soul dies away
A small part of your true self is lost
The figure in the mirror's not me
The reflection I see is not who I really am
A different reality
An alternate version of myself
It's just a picture that you see
What appears in the mirror is just a visual representation
From my true self, I do flee
I distance myself from my genuine identity
What I feel and what I see
My emotions and perspective
I do through eyes of an enemy
As if viewing myself from an outsider's critical lens
Forced by powers pushing me
Influenced by external forces beyond my control
Resulting in fear and misery
Causing negative emotions like anxiety and unhappiness
I change myself to fit the needs....
Altering my behavior and personality accordingly
During this Mutation my heart bleeds
This transformation is emotionally painful
Trying to adjust to Society
Attempting to conform to societal standards and expectations
Not anymore I want to be free
I desire to break free from these constraints
Only a few could break the shell
Only a select few can penetrate my defenses
Surrounding my soul's polluted well
The barriers that protect my wounded, damaged spirit
Drink from it and you will see
If you access my true feelings, you will understand
All the pain that rests in me
The emotional suffering that I endure
It's like Pandora's box
Comparable to the mythological container with unforeseen, dangerous consequences
With a number of haunted locks
Difficult to open and fraught with inner turmoil
The one who sees deep inside
An empathetic person who can perceive beyond surface level
knows all the feelings I do hide
Understands my hidden emotions and secrets
Once you took a look inside of me
Once you understand me intimately
You decide between joy and misery
You have the power to either alleviate or exacerbate my emotional state
If you abuse the things you know
If you use this knowledge to hurt me
Contributed by Christopher G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.