Imaginary

From The Evanescence Reference

Across the Universe*
All That I'm Living For
Anything for You
Anywhere
Artifact/The Turn
Ascension of the Spirit
Away from Me
Before the Dawn
Better Without You
Bleed
Blind Belief
Breathe No More
Bring Me to Life
Broken Pieces Shine
Call Me When You're Sober
Catherine
Cloud Nine
Demise
Disappear
End of the Dream
Erase This
Eternal
Even in Death
Everybody's Fool
Exodus
Far From Heaven
Farther Away
Feeding the Dark
Field of Innocence
Forever You
Forgive Me
Give Unto Me
Going Under
Good Enough
Haunted
Hello
Hi-Lo
If You Don't Mind
Imaginary
Imperfection
Instrumental 1
Instrumental 2
Instrumental 3
Instrumental 4
Lacrymosa
Lies
Like You
Listen to the Rain
Lithium
Lose Control
Lost in Paradise
Made of Stone
Me & You
Missing
My Heart Is Broken
My Immortal
My Last Breath
Never Go Back
New Way to Bleed
Oceans
October
Origin
Overture
Part of Me
Perfect Dream
Say You Will
Secret Door
Sick
Snow White Queen
So Close
Solitude
Spanish
Surrender
Sweet Sacrifice
Swimming Home
Take Cover
Taking Over Me
The Chain*
The Change
The End
The Game is Over
The In-Between
The Last Song I'm Wasting on You
The Only One
The Other Side
Together Again
Tourniquet
Understanding
Unknown Title
Unraveling
Use My Voice
Wasted on You
Weight of the World
What You Want
Where Will You Go?
Whisper
Yeah Right
You Got a Lot to Learn
Your Love
Your Star
* Cover songs


General Information

Written by: A. Lee and B. Moody

This song lasts about the entire span of Evanescence’s recording history. Originally released on the original Evanescence EP in 1998, Imaginary has evolved through 6 different versions. Amy Lee wrote the song and it apparently refers to her old room. The song is interpreted as finding a place to escape personal troubles and the outside world.

Imaginary had actually been released as an airplay single in Spain. The song debuted and peaked at #17 on the charts. The video was a clip from Live in Cologne (See Cologne, Live in)

Versions

Studio versions:

Imaginary [Fallen version]

  • Recording date: August - November 2002
  • Status: Released
  • Released on:
Fallen (track #7)
Mystary EP (track #5)
Imaginary promotional single

Imaginary [Origin version]

  • Recording date: 1999
  • Status: Released
  • Released on: Origin (track #3)

Imaginary [Evanescence EP version]

  • Recording date: 1998
  • Status: Released
  • Released on: Evanescence EP (track #3)

Imaginary [demo version #1]

  • Recording date: 2001-2002
  • Status: Unreleased

Imaginary [demo version #2]

  • Recording date: 2001-2002
  • Status: Unreleased

Live versions:

  • Imaginary [live]
  • Performing period: 2000-2004
  • Status: Released
  • Recording date: May 25, 2004
  • Released on: Anywhere But Home (track #12)

Imaginary [acoustic] [1]

  • Performing period: 2003
  • Status: Unreleased

Lyrics

Fallen Version

Aaah... Paper flowers
Aaah... Paper flowers

I linger in the doorway
Of alarm clock screaming monsters calling my name
Let me stay
Where the wind will whisper to me
Where the raindrops as they’re falling tell a story

In my field of paper flowers
And candy clouds of lullaby [paper flowers]
I lie inside myself for hours
And watch my purple sky fly over me [paper flowers]

Don't say I'm out of touch
With this rampant chaos, your reality
I know well what lies beyond my sleeping refuge
The nightmare I built my own world to escape

In my field of paper flowers
And candy clouds of lullaby [paper flowers]
I lie inside myself for hours
And watch my purple sky fly over me [paper flowers]

Swallowed up in the sound of my screaming
Cannot cease for the fear of silent nights
Oh, how I long for the deep sleep dreaming
The goddess of imaginary light

In my field of paper flowers
And candy clouds of lullaby [paper flowers]
I lie inside myself for hours
And watch my purple sky fly over me [paper flowers]

Aaah... Paper flowers
Aaah... Paper flowers

Origin Version

Swallowed up in the sound of my screaming
Cannot cease for the fear of silent nights
Oh, how I long for the deep sleep dreaming
The goddess of imaginary light

In my field of paper flowers
And candy clouds of lullaby [paper flowers]
I lie inside myself for hours
And watch my purple sky fly over me [paper flowers]

I linger in the doorway
Of alarm clock screaming monsters calling my name
Let me stay
Where the wind will whisper to me
Where the raindrops as they're falling tell a story

If you need to leave the world you live in
Lay your head down and stay a while [paper flowers]
Though you may not remember dreaming
Something waits for you to breathe again [paper flowers]

In my field of paper flowers
And candy clouds of lullaby [paper flowers]
I lie inside myself for hours
And watch my purple sky fly over me [paper flowers]

EP Version

Swallowed up in the sound of my screaming
Cannot cease for the fear of silent nights
Oh, how I long for the deep sleep dreaming
The goddess of imaginary light

In my field of paper flowers
And candy cloulds of lullabies [flowers]
I lie inside myself for hours
And watch my purple sky fly over me [flowers]

I linger in the doorway
Of alarm clocks screaming monsters calling my name
Let me stay
Where the wind will whisper to me
Where the raindrops as they're falling tell a story

If you need to leave the world you live in
Lay your head down and stay a while [flowers]
Though you may not remember dreaming
Something waits for you to breathe again [flowers]

Demo Version #1

Aaah... Paper flowers
Aaah... Paper flowers

I linger in the doorway
Of alarm clock screaming monsters calling my name
Let me stay
Where the wind will whisper to me
Where the raindrops as they're falling tell a story

In my field of paper flowers
And candy cloulds of lullaby [paper flowers]
I lie inside myself for hours
And watch my purple sky fly over me [paper flowers]

Don't say I'm out of touch
With this rampant chaos, your reality
I know well what lies beyond my sleeping refuge
The nightmare I built my own world to escape

In my field of paper flowers
And candy cloulds of lullaby [paper flowers]
I lie inside myself for hours
And watch my purple sky fly over me [paper flowers]

You can lead the world you live in to suicide
You may not remember
But something waits for you to breathe again

In my field of paper flowers
And candy cloulds of lullaby [paper flowers]
I lie inside myself for hours
And watch my purple sky fly over me [paper flowers]

Demo Version #2

I linger in the doorway
Of alarm clock screaming monsters calling my name
Let me stay
Where the wind will whisper to me
Where the raindrops as they’re falling tell a story

In my field of paper flowers
And candy clouds of lullaby [paper flowers]
I lie inside myself for hours
And watch my purple sky fly over me [paper flowers]

Don't say I'm out of touch
With this rampant chaos, your reality
I know well what lies beyond my sleeping refuge
The nightmare I built my own world to escape

If you need to leave the world you live in
Lay your head down and stay a while [paper flowers]
Though you may not remember dreaming
Something waits for you to breathe again [paper flowers]

In my field of paper flowers
And candy clouds of lullaby [paper flowers]
I lie inside myself for hours
And watch my purple sky fly over me [paper flowers]

Spain Radio Promo Single

Imaginary was released in very limited edition as a radio promo single, under the Sony label, in Spain in 2004. Catalog No. 281003. The single featured one track.

  1. Imaginary [Album Version] - (4:16)

It is rumored that anywhere from 15-50 of these radio promo discs exist. Sightings are very rare.

Guitar Tabs & Sheet Music

Notes and References

  1. Bootlegged by a local (dev on the EvBoard) from the band’s January 13th Fallen party later released on the Internet.