Friday

"Shalott" by Emilie Autumn from Opheliac

"I've been waiting… for the day I will surely die" because she, the poor Lady of Shalott, is trapped in her tower, and she's "been told / that I'll die before I'm old." Everyone else can see the sky, can have what they want, "So why can't I?" she asks. Why can't she, indeed.

This fast-paced reinterpretation of Lord Alfred Tynnyson's poem, "The Lady of Shalott", is gorgeous. The lyrics focus on how desperate it the lady is for something she wants, that everyone else can have. She knows full well that Lancelot has no idea who she is, but she's "sick of shadows" and has to get out. In dying, she realizes she's "the cursed one," but she's happy for the release that death will bring for her. The singer, Emilie Autumn, even pokes fun at herself, for her version of the Lady of Shalott says that "some drama queen is gonna write a song for me."

It's a compelling narrative. Sad and a bit depressing with how the Lady of Shalott so craves what she can't have, for some reason even she doesn't know. Theologically, Christians may take issue with her eagerness to die, because she wants to die and doesn't say why she's so sure death will end her chains.

Despite the overall dark story, the song itself is a lovely blend of fast and slow pace. The song sounds like there's minor key tonality, for I find it calming despite the fast tempo. "Shalott" features Emilie Autumn's usual impressive skill with violin, with further stringed and electric instruments. She combines industrial, classical, and other genres in a way that really shouldn't work, if you stop and think about it. But she makes it work. It's a blend that's well worth listening to just to experience how it fits together.

Emilie Autumn's voice focuses on the emotion. She can sound delicate or strong, angry or sad—and she does it all at the drop of a hat in "Shalott." You are with the Lady of Shalott, feeling her disappointment at her boundaries and her eagerness to be free of them, although it means her death. Again, it's something that's worth hearing for the experience.

Overall, an intriguing song that's worth listening to just to experience. It's strange in a way that you likely haven't heard unless you're already an Emilie Autumn fan. Recommended.


Lyrics: 5/5
Music: 5/5
Vocal(s): 5/5
Overall: 10/10

Check out "Shalott" on Amazon!

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