My Immortal

General Information

Evanescence EP: Outtake
Origin: Track 4
Mystary EP: Track 2
Fallen: Track 4
Anywhere But Home: Track 9
Written by: A. Lee and B. Moody

One of the most popular songs ever recorded by the band. This song lasts the entire span of Evanescence’s recording history. It is credited as the 4th song ever written for Evanescence. Ben Moody wrote the original in full when he was 15 years old. It is the second song that he wrote for the band (Understanding is credited as his first). In the later versions of the song, Amy Lee is credited to have written the bridge and the coinciding piano part to the song. There are seven different recorded versions of the song. The Fallen version of the song has strings by composer Graeme Revell.

- The original version was a piano/vocal.
- The Origin one is similar to the Fallen version. The Origin version has no strings and features a louder backup vocal by David Hodges. Track #4
- The Mystary version is similar to the Band version because the string arrangement was made by Beck Hanson’s father, David Campbell (also known for making the string arrangement to Linkin Park’s “Breaking the Habit”).
- An acoustic version appears on the Bring Me to Life DVD single.
- Two versions of the band version were recorded for radio play in late September 2003. One with Campbell’s string arrangement and one without strings through the first 2 verses.

The song has many different interpretations. Ben wrote a short story before writing the lyrics to the song. The song according to Ben is about a spirit staying with you after its death and haunting you until you actually wish that the spirit were gone because it won't leave you alone. Ben dedicated the song along with the Fallen album to his grandfather. The song peaked at #2 on the pop chart just behind Britney Spears’ Toxic, and was #1 on the Hot Adult Contemporary chart for 3 weeks.

The video was directed by David Mouldy and was filmed in Barcelona, Spain. The video touches upon the theme of solitude and loneliness. The video was filmed 2 weeks before Ben Moody walked away.

The band version of My Immortal is Ben Moody's last recording with Evanescence before his departure in October of 2003.

Commercial release: December 8, 2003/December 30, 2003

This song has been nominated for Best Pop Vocal Performance by Duo or Group for the 47th Annual Grammy Awards.

Lyrics

My Immortal - Fallen, Origin, & Band Version

I'm so tired of being here
Suppressed by all my childish fears
And if you have to leave
I wish that you would just leave
'Cause your presence still lingers here
And it won't leave me alone

These wounds won't seem to heal
This pain is just too real
There's just too much that time cannot erase

[CHORUS:]
When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears
When you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears
I held your hand through all of these years
But you still have
All of me

You used to captivate me
By your resonating light
Now I'm bound by the life you left behind
Your face it haunts
My once pleasant dreams
Your voice it chased away
All the sanity in me

These wounds won't seem to heal
This pain is just too real
There's just too much that time cannot erase-

[Chorus]

I've tried so hard to tell myself that you're gone
But though you're still with me
I've been alone all along

[Chorus]

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My Immortal - Piano - Vocal (Original) Version

I'm so tired of being here
Suppressed by all my childish fears
I would give the very breath from my chest
To give you all the things that my mind couldn't bear
And if you have to leave
I wish that you would just leave
'Cause your presence still lingers here
And it won't leave me alone

These wounds won't seem to heal
This pain is just too real
There's just too much that time cannot erase

When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears
When you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears
I held your hand through all of these years
But you still have
All of me

You used to captivate me by your resonating light
Now I'm bound by the life you left behind
Your face it haunts
My once pleasant dreams
Your voice it chased away
All the sanity in me

These wounds won't seem to heal
This pain is just too real
There's just too much that time cannot erase

When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears
When you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears
I held your hand through all of these years
But you still have
All of me

I'd love to walk away and pull myself out of the rain
But I can't leave without you
I'd love to live without the constant fear and endless doubt
But I can't live without you
When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears
When you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears
I held your hand through all of these years
But you still have
All of me