Bring Me to Life

Infobox Single
Name = Bring Me to Life


Artist = Evanescence
from Album = Fallen
B-side = "Farther Away", "Missing"
Released = April 22, 2003
Format = CD single, DVD single, digital download
Recorded = 2003
Genre = Alternative metal
Length = 3:57
Label = Wind-up
Writer = Ben Moody, Amy Lee, David Hodges
Producer = Dave Fortman
Certification = Silver (BPI)
2x Platinum (ARIA)
Last single =
This single = "Bring Me to Life"
(2003)
Next single = "Going Under"
(2003)
Misc = Extra track listing
Album = Fallen
Type = studio
prev_track = "Going Under"
prev_no = 1
this_track = "Bring Me to Life"
track_no = 2
next_track = "Everybody's Fool"
next_no = 3 Extra track listing
altAlbum = Anywhere but Home
Type = live
Length = 4:43
Label = Wind-up
prev_track = "My Immortal"
prev_no = 9
this_track = "Bring Me to Life"
track_no = 10
next_track = "Tourniquet"
next_no = 11 Extra album cover 2
Upper caption = Bring Me to Life UK DVD
Type = single

"Bring Me to Life" is the first single from Evanescence's multi-platinum debut album "Fallen". At the 2004 Grammy Awards the song was honored with the award for Best Hard Rock Performance.

When the single was released, the track order of "Fallen" had not yet been finalized; although the single states that the B-side "Farther Away" is the Album Version, it was eventually dropped from "Fallen". The Bliss Mix of "Bring Me to Life", another B-side on the single, is the original version of the song before Paul McCoy's vocals were written for the .

Different versions of the "Bring Me to Life" single have been released, such as promos, DVDs and versions with altered track orders. A well known version, considered to be a collector's item, is the first pressing of the Australian single. On this version, the fourth track was not the video version of "Bring Me to Life", but another B-side titled "Missing". This track was removed in subsequent pressings, and was eventually released with "Anywhere but Home".

There are two other demo versions of "Bring Me to Life" known to exist, both having been leaked onto the Internet. Both are often referred to as an 'acoustic version', however, neither are available on any album; instead they can occasionally be found through websites or peer-to-peer networks. Both versions are similar in composition, with only a few differences — such as Amy Lee's voice being warped in the intro to one — setting them apart. The song itself is mainly comprised of electric guitar and assorted digital sound effects. Neither of the demos feature the vocals of Paul McCoy like their "Fallen" counterpart.

During live performances featuring "Bring Me to Life", McCoy's lines were sung by former Evanescence guitarist John LeCompt.

Story behind the song

Amy Lee became inspired to write the song after an incident that occurred while she was sitting in a restaurant.

Lee has also stated the previous in an VH1 interview:cquote|VH1: What's the song about ("Bring Me to Life")?
Lee: Open-mindedness. It's about waking up to all the things you've been missing for so long. One day someone said something that made my heart race for a second and I realized that for months I'd been numb, just going through the motions of life. |20px|20px|Amy Lee|"VH1 News"cite news |url=http://www.vh1.com/artists/interview/1472058/20030523/evanescence.jhtml |title=Evanescence: Fallen To the Top |work=VH1 News |last=Kaufman |first=Gil |date=2003-05-09 |accessdate=2007-03-10]

In an interview titled "Amy Lee: Back In Black", she said she wrote "Bring Me to Life" about her long time friend Josh, to whom she is now married.cite news |url=http://www.blender.com/guide/articles.aspx?id=2076 |title=Amy Lee: Back in Black |work=Blender |first=Josh |last=Eells |date=October 2006 |accessdate=2007-10-29]

The song initially topped Christian rock charts, partly because its lyrics were (and are still often) misinterpreted as a call for new life in Jesus Christ (the lyrics use some decidedly Bible-like imagery).cite news | url=http://www.christianitytoday.com/music/glimpses/2003/fallen.html |title=Fallen (Wind-Up) |work=Christian Music Today |first=Russ |last=Breimeier |year=2003 |accessdate=2007-10-29 |quote='Bring Me to Life,' as excerpted above, reads as a solid plea for spiritual revival.] cite news |url=http://www.christianitytoday.com/music/reviews/2006/comatose.html |title=Comatose (Ardent/SRE/Lava/Atlantic) |work=Christian Music Today |first=Russ |last=Breimeier |year=2006 |accessdate=2007-10-29] The misconception of the lyrics led John Tesh to cover the single for his worship album "A Deeper Faith II".

Appearances

The song was first released on "" as track 9. Evanescence was the only band on the soundtrack to have two songs featured, the second being the album version of "My Immortal" (track 17), not to be confused with the band version that was later released as a single. The song was sewn into the narrative and score of "Daredevil" during a key scene, as was "My Immortal".

When "Bring Me to Life" was released, it immediately found use in a wide variety of media, such as the theme song for WWE's "No Way Out 2003" and in television commercials for shows like "Without a Trace" and "Tru Calling". It has been used as music on television, such as during the UK soap "Emmerdale" and for an Indian Mitsubishi Lancer commercial.

A Season 2 episode of "Pimp My Ride" saw Kiearah's Ford Escort (1991) being "pimped". At the beginning of the show, the host "Xzibit," upon examining the internal state of the car, reads from a tattered piece of paper the lyrics to "Bring Me to Life". However, he misreads it as: "How can you see into my eyes like open doors? Leading you down into my core. Wake up inside of me".

Track listing

The single for "Bring Me to Life" was released shortly before Evanescence's debut album "Fallen". These are two of the most widely available versions of the single; other, mainly localized, versions have also been released worldwide.

*All songs written by Ben Moody, Amy Lee, David HodgesCD Single (First pressing; Australia only) (Released April 22, 2003)Tracklist
title1 = Bring Me to Life
note1 = Album version
length1= 3:56
title2 = Bring Me to Life
note2 = Bliss Mix
length2 = 3:59
title3 = Farther Away
note3 = Album version
length3 = 3:58
title4 = Missing
note4 = Album version
length4 = 4:15

CD Single (Subsequent pressings) (Released May 20, 2003)Tracklist
title1 = Bring Me to Life
note1 = Album version
length1 = 3:56
title2 = Bring Me to Life
note2 = Bliss Mix
length2 = 3:59
title3 = Farther Away
note3 = Album version
length3 = 3:58
title4 = Bring Me to Life
note4 = Music video
length4 = 4:14

Charts

The song topped charts worldwide, including the UK Singles Chart, the Australian ARIA Singles Chart, and the United World Chart, reached #3 in New Zealand, and reached #5 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States, becoming the group's most successful single to date.

References