I think she's telling someone not to sleep with someone (red dresses usually have those sort of connotations..) or at least not to bother making an effort for him because he'll treat her badly either way.
By "don't be afraid of the dark" I think she's referring to the unknown, because the person she's singing to can't remember a time before him.
For the rest of the song, I agree that it's about self-harm, because I've heard that's something to do with wanting to be able to control something when everything else seems beyond you. So they control the pain. "What is dominion over a faltering soul and a heart that has severed from the body" she's saying "what does it matter if you're in control of that, controlling that won't make everything better". "Is it anything to control someone that has been broken open?" = "Why would you even want to control anything when the thing you're controlling is just misery".
I think she's telling someone not to sleep with someone (red dresses usually have those sort of connotations..) or at least not to bother making an effort for him because he'll treat her badly either way.
By "don't be afraid of the dark" I think she's referring to the unknown, because the person she's singing to can't remember a time before him.
For the rest of the song, I agree that it's about self-harm, because I've heard that's something to do with wanting to be able to control something when everything else seems beyond you. So they control the pain. "What is dominion over a faltering soul and a heart that has severed from the body" she's saying "what does it matter if you're in control of that, controlling that won't make everything better". "Is it anything to control someone that has been broken open?" = "Why would you even want to control anything when the thing you're controlling is just misery".
Ooh, get me being all deep and analytical ;)