My Immortal by Evanescence is one of my favourite songs for this spooky time of year. It fits the season of Samhain perfectly. When I was the anchor vocalist in my step-father's bar I would sing this song as a hush fell over the customers. The melody is instantly recognizable and the lyrics are quite tear-jerking. It wasn't my singing that captivated people, but the powerful beauty of this song.
It is two years since my step-father passed away after losing his battle against cancer and as we pass this sorrowful anniversary, my thoughts have gone back to that time, when he was the life and soul of the party, and I was his little songbird. My mind has been playing this song all weekend. I just haven't been able to let it go. I like to think he is reaching out to me through music, as he did love to hear me sing this rock ballad, though I felt that I could never do the song true justice to be honest.
For me, Amy Lee, lead vocalist of Evanescence, is the undisputed queen of darkly beautiful lyrics and haunting piano melodies. In this music video to accompany the song she takes on the role of the ghost of a suicide - this is apparent by the bandages at her wrists and ankles. The Gothic genre is full of symbolism and here Amy is seen laying on various surfaces above the ground, suspended between life and death, as a suicide victim is believed to be lost in limbo, between this world and the next. The autumn leaves are falling around her - autumn being the season of darkness, death and decay. It is just such an evocative all-round piece with melody, lyrics and imagery all working together to create a unique and haunting, atmospheric soundscape.
Listening to this song over the weekend has made me long to sing again. I haven't kept up with my singing or piano practice anywhere near as much as I should have over the past couple of years. Perhaps this song stuck in my head for the last few days is a special message that I need to get back into it - to leave the shadows behind and remember the good times - to raise a glass and a torch-song to my step-dad, who was nothing if not the instigator of a good knees-up!
So cheers and a happy, healthy and long life to you all...
BB Marie x
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