| Emilie Autumn – Dead Is the New Alive Lyrics | 9 years ago |
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@[nemoman:16827] I'd argue it's more about Hamlet than about Romeo and Juliet. (After all, the title of the album is taken from Ophelia!) "A gothic play revival The last act of the show" The majority of the deaths in Hamlet took place in the last act of the play. As for the quote: "A quick taste of the poison, a quick twist of the knife When the obsession with death The obsession with death becomes a way of life" Most characters in Hamlet die as a result of poison (Gertrude drinks it, Hamlet and Laertes receive it intravenously, Claudius gets /both/...). The 'twist of the knife'- well, Polonius, Hamlet, Laertes, and Claudius all die from knives/swords as well. The 'obsession with death' could be Hamlet's own obsession with death: 'to be or not to be', 'fix'd his canon 'gainst self-slaughter', and of course, his obsession with dead things (skulls!) And the title itself, 'Dead is the New Alive' makes me think of Hamlet more than Romeo and Juliet. R&J has its fair share of death, that's true. But Hamlet ends with many, many more characters alive than dead: the enduring image of the end of the play is that of Horatio, the only survivor, in a room full of corpses. So I totally see where you're coming from, and I love the Shakespearean tragedy thing you see...but based on the theme of the album, I'd argue for Hamlet over R&J. |
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| Emilie Autumn – I Know Where You Sleep Lyrics | 9 years ago |
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Well, based on the title/theme of the album, Opheliac, I personally think this is about Hamlet. As if it's a letter written from Ophelia to Hamlet. It's a popular interpretation that Hamlet slept with Ophelia before/during the events of the play, then spurned her ("get thee to a nunnery!"). This is like her getting her own back. "You poor pathetic paranoid"- what a wonderful description of Hamlet's character. "I know, the arrogant pride that poisons the truth you hear I know, the bigoted tongue that tears apart all your fears"- I can't explain why, but the use of the words of poison, of tongues tearing, of hearing...these are all words/images used over and over throughout the play, and it sounds like something from there. "You play the victim very well You build yourself indulgent hell You wanted someone to understand you Well be careful what you wish for because I do You've got a fancy turn of phrase You set your trap You made your plays You're so fond of games" - Playing the victim, building his own hell, are all insults that sound very much like what Ophelia must think of Hamlet. Wanting someone to understand him- that's what he wants from Ophelia (and Horatio), and it's been argued that his poor treatment of her is because he feels she hasn't fulfilled that role. Setting a trap and making a play mentioned so close together relate right back to Hamlet's actions of creating a trap in the form of a play. And during the play-trap scene, he insults and humiliates Ophelia in front of those sitting in the audience. And, of course: "I'm wishing you the best of luck and by the way (Your poetry sucks)" The first song in the album Opheliac contained the lyrics: "Doubt that the stars are fire Doubt that the earth doth move Doubt truth to be a liar But never doubt I love" That's poetry written from Hamlet to Ophelia. It does suck, and the rest of the letter read in the play is him admitting that and apologizing for it. Perhaps it's a bit of a stretch to say the whole thing is like an Ophelia-Hamlet revenge letter. But considering the theme of the album, I don't think it's that difficult to see parallels between the play and this song. |
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