When it comes to songs that defined a generation and continue to resonate with fans around the world, few can compare to the lasting impact of Evanescence .
Released in 2003 as part of the album Fallen , this iconic song left its mark on music history. Written by Amy Lee , Ben Moody , and David Hodges , the song was responsible for catapulting the band into nu metal, alternative rock, and the mainstream.
In this article, we'll explore five interesting facts about "Bring Me To Life".
What does "Bring Me To Life" mean?
In an interview with Sonic Seducer , Amy Lee confessed that the track was inspired by her current husband, Josh Hartzler, even before she ended her previous relationship.
“There was this moment, I was in a difficult situation and in a bad relationship, and my current husband was just a friend and someone I barely knew at the time,” she recounted (via Blabbermouth ). “It was maybe the third or fourth time we met, and we went to find a place at a restaurant while our friends parked their car. We sat across from each other, and he looked at me and just said, ‘So, are you happy?’ That caught me by surprise.”
At that moment, the connection became clear to Amy and inspired the song's opening lines. "I felt a pang in my heart because I thought I was pretending really well, and someone managed to see right through me," she continued. "It really made me feel and acknowledge the desire I had to get to a better place and really set me on a journey [to improve]."
Besides changing the singer's personal life, now determined to leave the bad relationship behind, that question was the starting point for writing the song that would change everything for Evanescence.
Who raps in "Bring Me To Life"?
Paul McCoy , from 12 Stones , is responsible for the rap in the song.
In 2020, Amy Lee revealed that Evanescence's former record label wanted the band to include a permanent male vocalist in their lineup. The following year, the singer said the intention was to turn them into a "female Linkin Park".
Amy Lee's discomfort with rap.
Amy Lee needed convincing to do the song with rap. She believed that the song that would pave the way for the band should be something entirely their own.
“The fact that it was a woman and a piano that started the track was too much,” Amy recounts. “I had to think we were going to get fired because I refused [a male vocalist outright]. Eventually, we reached a consensus that we only needed to do it on one song and it could be a guest singer. That was really hard for me because I had to start with our first song feeling like I made a sacrifice for my art,” she commented in a conversation with The Forty Five .
In an interview with Metal Hammer, Amy Lee talks about how she feels nowadays regarding the rap verse performed by Paul McCoy of 12 Stones (via Loudersound ). “I stopped performing [that part] years ago. We never really performed it. When we’re on tour and we have a guest who fits the role, they come into the song,” she says.
However, the singer understands that the rap helped the band at the time. In an interview with the Australian news.com.au , the rap wasn't in the initial version of the song, but she admits it was a good decision, because thanks to it, they managed to get "Bring Me To Life" played on the radio.
“God bless rap. That part is what got us on the radio, I believe. At least according to all the rules of radio, which I don't understand or agree with. Rap wasn't part of our plans when we started. So, going back to the original idea of the song was great.”
“Bring Me To Life” (Synthesis)
In 2017, a rearranged version of the song was recorded for the band's fourth studio album, titled Synthesis.
This version features a different arrangement from the original track, with an orchestral base and electronic music elements. This was the first time the band released "Bring Me To Life" without the rap.
Demo of "Bring Me To Life" without the rap.
Twenty years after the release of "Bring Me To Life," Evanescence released the original demo of the song, made in 2002, without the rap verses sung by Paul McCoy .
The release is part of the anniversary edition of the album Fallen (2003) , which will be released on November 17th, containing remastered versions of previously released songs and other unreleased tracks, as well as the demo.
