Video hit Evanescence

Evanescence - My Immortal

My Immortal is a song by American rock band Evanescence from their debut studio album Fallen (2003). It was released by Wind-up Records on December 8, 2003 as the third single from the album. The song was entirely written by guitarist Ben Moody, with the exception of the bridge, which was later written by lead singer Amy Lee, and it was produced by Dave Fortman. "My Immortal" was included on their EP releases Evanescence (1997) and Mystary (2003) and on the demo CD Origin (2000).

The version originally from Origin was later included on Fallen. The single version of the song was called "band version" because of the additional band performing the bridge and final chorus of the song.

"My Immortal" is a piano rock song written in slow and free tempo. Moody was inspired to write it after the death of his grandfather. Lyrically, it talks about "a spirit staying with you after its death and haunting you until you actually wish that the spirit were gone because it won't leave you alone."

Critical reception towards the song were positive with critics complimenting its piano melody. In 2005 it received a nomination for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals at the 47th Grammy Awards.

The song was also commercially successful, peaking within the top ten in more than ten countries.

It also peaked at number seven on the US Billboard Hot 100 and topped the charts in Canada, Greece and the US Adult Pop Songs chart. The single was certified gold in the US, and platinum in Australia.

An accompanying music video directed by David Mould was filmed entirely in black-and-white in Gothic Quarter, Barcelona on October 10, 2003. The video shows Lee sitting and singing on various locations, but never touching the ground. Shots of Moody are also shown but he is never together with his band or Lee.

The video was nominated in the category for Best Rock Video at the 2004 MTV Video Music Awards.

The song was performed by the band during their Fallen Tour and The Open Door Tour. It was also performed live during some of their television appearances and award ceremonies such as the Billboard Music Awards.

Covers and usage in media

"My Immortal" was featured on the soundtrack Daredevil: The Album from the movie Daredevil (2003) along with "Bring Me to Life".

It was also heavily used in promos for the series finale of Friends.

The song has been used during several television episodes. It featured during the Smallville season three episode "Memoria". It was used in the first episode, "No Such Thing as Vampires", of the American series Moonlight.

Lucy Walsh, a contestant of the show Rock the Cradle, covered the song during the fifth episode, "Judge's Picks".

Dancer Hampton Williams performed to this song during his audition for the Season 9 premiere of So You Think You Can Dance which aired on May 24, 2012, where he received a standing ovation.

In 2013, Andrea Begley covered "My Immortal" for her debut studio album The Message. Robert Copsey of Digital Spy wrote that the cover "range[s] from the excruciating to the offensively inoffensive".

The lyrics:

I'm so tired of being here

Suppressed by all my childish fears

And if you have to leave

I wish that you would just leave

'Cause your presence still lingers here

And it won't leave me alone

These wounds won't seem to heal

This pain is just too real

There's just too much that time cannot erase

[Chorus:]

When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears

When you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears

And I held your hand through all of these years

But you still have

All of me

You used to captivate me by your resonating light

Now I'm bound by the life you left behind

Your face – it haunts my once pleasant dreams

Your voice – it chased away all the sanity in me

These wounds won't seem to heal

This pain is just too real

There's just too much that time cannot erase

[Chorus]

I've tried so hard to tell myself that you're gone

But though you're still with me

I've been alone all along

[Chorus]

...me, me, me.