Lacrymosa (song)
Encyclopedia
"Lacrymosa" is a song recorded by American rock band Evanescence
for their second studio album, The Open Door
(2006). The song was composed by Amy Lee and Terry Balsamo and produced by Dave Fortman. "Lacrymosa" incorporates the Lacrimosa
sequence from Mozart's Requiem
(1791) throughout the song and Lee said that its main inspiration is the film Amadeus
. The song is influenced by genres such as alternative metal, gothic rock, and post-grunge. Set in slow tempo, it was originally written in the key of D minor
but Lee and Balsamo transposed it into E minor
.
The song was praised as one of the best songs on The Open Door by critics, who particularly complimented the backing choir. According to Lee, "Lacrymosa" was originally written for the soundtrack of the movie The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
, but was not included because of its dark sound. The producers of Narnia, however, rebutted her claim, stating this information was "news to them" and that no Evanescence music had been planned for inclusion in the soundtrack. The song was part of the setlist during their The Open Door Tour. The title of the track, lacrymosa, means "related to sadness."
and Terry Balsamo
and produced by Dave Fortman
. David Campbell, who has previously arranged music for the band and worked with them at the Billboard Music Awards, led a 22-piece orchestra for the song. The Millennium Choir performed the Lacrimosa sequence ("Lacrimosa dies illa Qua resurget ex favilla Judicandus homo reus. Huic ergo parce, Deus: Pie Jesu Domine, Dona eis requiem. Amen.") and backing vocals throughout the song. It was recorded in a chapel near Seattle, Washington. In a number of interviews, Lee revealed that everyone asked about a collaboration between her and Mozart. She further stated that she always wanted to make Lacrimosa from Mozart's Requiem a metal song, later adding that The Open Door was "the time for that, for trying things I hadn't been brave enough to try before." In an interview with VH1 News, Lee further explained the inspiration behind the song
, gothic rock
and post-grunge
song set in a common time
and performed in slow tempo
of 48 beats per minute. Although the original Lacrimosa sequence was performed in D-minor, it was transposed into E-minor by Lee and Terry Balsamo. The instruments in the song are piano
, guitar
, violin
s and drums
. Lee's vocal range from the note of B3
and E5
; the SATB
choir ranges from the note of B2 to E4. "Lacrymosa" has a "violin intro, synth worth of a Nine Inch Nails
album, and Omen-esque choral sections that are very haunting."
According to Rob Sheffield from Rolling Stone
, in "Lacrymosa" Lee is "sobbing hysterically over a grand piano." According to the IGN
reviewer, Ed Thompson, the song "takes the trademark Evanescence sound - Lee's celestial voice, and adds her brooding lyrics 'I can't change who I am, not this time, I won't lie to keep you near me and in this short life, there's no time to waste on giving up. My love wasn't enough'.". Danielle Baudhuin from The Oshkosh West Index stated that "Lee's astounding classical vocals are displayed with songs as the eerie 'Like You,' and 'Lacrymosa'." She said that these two songs feature slower beats, and are more "piano-themed melodies, followed shortly by the power guitar section of the song." But she said that the song was very similar to "Haunted" from Fallen adding, "creepy background choir vocals and violins send listeners into a gothic Cathedral-like setting." Jim Farber from nydailynews.com said that "Lacrymosa" will remind older listeners the '70s art-rock horror Renaissance
. Andree Farias from Christianity Today
said "[But] the song has nothing to do with Lucy
and her escapades into the land of Aslan
. Rather, it's just another bitter break-up anthem: 'And you can blame it on me / Just set your guilt free, honey / I don't want to hold you back now love.'"
put the song in the list of Top Tracks on The Open Door alongside with "Sweet Sacrifice
", "Call Me When You're Sober
", "Your Star" and "Good Enough
". He added "Elements such as the connection of the song 'Lacrymosa' to the Mozart 'Requiem' movement of the same name, or intense exploration of the benefits and costs of 'Lithium
' give hints that Evanescence could add intellectual heft to their obvious command of emotion." Ed Thompson from IGN
called "Lacrymosa" the "most memorable track" in the whole album. Don Kaye of the website Blabbermouth.net
said that while the song was an "interesting experiment" it came "across as more of a stab at artsiness with its strings and choirs than a real song."
An editor from The New York Times
said that "Lacrymosa" is grandiose even by the album’s standards. Sputnikmusic
said that the song is the best on the album and gave the song a grade of 4.5 along with "Good Enough", adding that on the last two songs the album stops to be boring because of the variations. Simon Cosyns from The Sun concluded that "song titles such as 'Weight of the World', 'Lose Control' and 'Lacrymosa' tell you it’s not a bed of roses, but there is a positive streak running through The Open Door". On Postmedia News it was stated that Lee "achieves stunning notes on 'Lacrymosa', which employs a haunting choir". Jordan Reimer from The Daily Princetonian
praised Lee's melodies and said that "Cloud Nine" and "Lacrymosa" were her best two arrangements. John Hood from Miami New Times
made a story, "'Call Me When You're Sober' sent a man away, 'Lacrymosa' kept him there, and 'Cloud Nine' told the clueless dolt why he would no longer ever be welcomed back. Joost Melis from the Dutch website FOK!
compared "Lacrymosa" with song of the bands Within Temptation
and Nightwish
. A writer of The Independent
put the song on his list of "Download This" from The Open Door.
Brendan Butler from Cinema Blend
was critical saying that "the worst song on The Open Door, i[t’]s a toss up between 'Lacrymosa' with its abominable choir and the obnoxious 'Lose Control,' which features Amy crying for about five minutes." A reviewer from Altsounds noted that the weakest tracks on the album are "Snow White Queen", "Lacrymosa", "Like You", and "Lose Control" because "the vocal arraignments on those tracks just do not flow with the lyrics and music combined therefore making them annoying because [Lee's] voice gets a bit unsettling and can only be tolerable to a certain extent." Glenn Gamboa from The Providence Journal
concluded that "maybe the over-the-top dramatics of 'Lacrymosa' and piano ballad 'Your Star' will be seen as so-bad-they’re-good."
the band played "Lacrymosa". During the performance Lee was wearing a purple tank, black skirt and black boots. They also performed the song at Hammerstein Ballroom
in New York in 2006. Evanescence played the song live at their secret New York
gig which took place on November 4, 2009.
, Amy Lee revealed that she was composing music for the film, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
. She also revealed that the producers of the movie offered her a small role, "They were like, 'Do you want to do a cameo?' And I was like, 'Hell yeah! Let me die. I want to be somebody who gets murdered.' So I don't think that's going to happen." She later revealed that "Lacrymosa" was originally written for the film, but was mysteriously not included. However, according to producers, neither Lee or the band were approached to compose music for the film. Another song was also written for the movie, but it was rejected because of its dark sound. Lee went on to state that it was just "more great stuff [for The Open Door]".
The word lacrymosa means "related to sadness". The track title is also the scientific name for a species of moth known as Catocala lacrymosa
, also known as the 'Tearful Underwing'. The species of moth are featured throughout The Open Doors cover booklet and on the cover of the "Sweet Sacrifice
" radio promo CD. A clip of "Lacrymosa" was used in the video teaser for The Open Door.
Evanescence
Evanescence is an American rock band founded in Little Rock, Arkansas in 1995 by singer/pianist Amy Lee and guitarist Ben Moody. After recording private albums, the band released their first full-length album, Fallen, on Wind-up Records in 2003. Fallen sold more than 17 million copies worldwide...
for their second studio album, The Open Door
The Open Door
The Open Door is the second studio album by the American rock band Evanescence. It was first released in Poland on September 25, 2006, through Wind-up Records and subsequently in more than 20 other countries worldwide...
(2006). The song was composed by Amy Lee and Terry Balsamo and produced by Dave Fortman. "Lacrymosa" incorporates the Lacrimosa
Lacrimosa (Requiem)
The Lacrimosa is part of the Dies Irae sequence in the Requiem mass. Its text comes from the 18th and 19th stanzas of the sequence. Many composers, including Mozart, Berlioz, and Verdi have set the text as a discrete movement of the Requiem.-Latin Text:...
sequence from Mozart's Requiem
Requiem (Mozart)
The Requiem Mass in D minor by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was composed in Vienna in 1791 and left unfinished at the composer's death. A completion by Franz Xaver Süssmayr was delivered to Count Franz von Walsegg, who had anonymously commissioned the piece for a requiem Mass to commemorate the...
(1791) throughout the song and Lee said that its main inspiration is the film Amadeus
Amadeus (film)
Amadeus is a 1984 period drama film directed by Miloš Forman and written by Peter Shaffer. Adapted from Shaffer's stage play Amadeus, the story is based loosely on the lives of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Antonio Salieri, two composers who lived in Vienna, Austria, during the latter half of the...
. The song is influenced by genres such as alternative metal, gothic rock, and post-grunge. Set in slow tempo, it was originally written in the key of D minor
D minor
D minor is a minor scale based on D, consisting of the pitches D, E, F, G, A, B, and C. In the harmonic minor, the C is raised to C. Its key signature has one flat ....
but Lee and Balsamo transposed it into E minor
E minor
E minor is a minor scale based on the note E. The E natural minor scale consists of the pitches E, F, G, A, B, C, and D. The E harmonic minor scale contains the natural 7, D, rather than the flatted 7, D – to align with the major dominant chord, B7 .Its key signature has one sharp, F .Its...
.
The song was praised as one of the best songs on The Open Door by critics, who particularly complimented the backing choir. According to Lee, "Lacrymosa" was originally written for the soundtrack of the movie The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is a 2005 epic fantasy adventure film directed by Andrew Adamson and based on The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, the first published and second chronological novel in C. S. Lewis's children's epic fantasy series, The Chronicles of...
, but was not included because of its dark sound. The producers of Narnia, however, rebutted her claim, stating this information was "news to them" and that no Evanescence music had been planned for inclusion in the soundtrack. The song was part of the setlist during their The Open Door Tour. The title of the track, lacrymosa, means "related to sadness."
Background and recording
"Lacrymosa" was written by Amy LeeAmy Lee
Amy Lynn Hartzler , best known as Amy Lee, is an American singer-songwriter and classically trained pianist. She is co-founder and lead vocalist of the rock band Evanescence. She cites influences ranging from classical musicians such as Mozart to modern artists Björk, Tori Amos, Danny Elfman and...
and Terry Balsamo
Terry Balsamo
Terry Balsamo , is an American guitarist. He is the former guitarist of the alternative metal band Cold and the current guitarist of Evanescence.-Early projects and Cold:...
and produced by Dave Fortman
Dave Fortman
Dave Fortman is the guitarist for the band Ugly Kid Joe. He currently is an American music producer. He has worked with bands such as Superjoint Ritual, Watership Down, Eyehategod, Mudvayne, Otep, Slipknot on their new fourth studio album titled All Hope Is Gone, and Simple Plan, as well as on both...
. David Campbell, who has previously arranged music for the band and worked with them at the Billboard Music Awards, led a 22-piece orchestra for the song. The Millennium Choir performed the Lacrimosa sequence ("Lacrimosa dies illa Qua resurget ex favilla Judicandus homo reus. Huic ergo parce, Deus: Pie Jesu Domine, Dona eis requiem. Amen.") and backing vocals throughout the song. It was recorded in a chapel near Seattle, Washington. In a number of interviews, Lee revealed that everyone asked about a collaboration between her and Mozart. She further stated that she always wanted to make Lacrimosa from Mozart's Requiem a metal song, later adding that The Open Door was "the time for that, for trying things I hadn't been brave enough to try before." In an interview with VH1 News, Lee further explained the inspiration behind the song
"I saw AmadeusAmadeus (film)Amadeus is a 1984 period drama film directed by Miloš Forman and written by Peter Shaffer. Adapted from Shaffer's stage play Amadeus, the story is based loosely on the lives of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Antonio Salieri, two composers who lived in Vienna, Austria, during the latter half of the...
when I was nine years old and fell in love with Mozart. The part of Mozart's Requiem called "Lacyrmosa" [sic] is my favorite piece of music ever. I always wished we could cover it, but with programming and guitars and make it cool. It's our moment to try all the things I wanted to and couldn't, so I started messing with it in ProtoolsPro ToolsPro Tools is a digital audio workstation platform for Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X operating systems, developed and manufactured by Avid Technology. It is widely used by professionals throughout the audio industries for recording and editing in music production, film scoring, film, and television...
. Terry wrote some riffRIFFThe Resource Interchange File Format is a generic file container format for storing data in tagged chunks. It is primarily used to store multimedia such as sound and video, though it may also be used to store any arbitrary data....
s and turned it into this awesome metal epic."
Composition, music and lyrics
According to the sheet music published by Alfred Publishing on musicnotes.com, "Lacrymosa" is an alternative metalAlternative metal
Alternative metal is a genre of alternative rock and heavy metal that gained popularity in the early 1990s. Most notably, alternative metal bands are characterized by heavy guitar riffs and experimental approaches to heavy music.-Origins:...
, gothic rock
Gothic rock
Gothic rock is a musical subgenre of post-punk and alternative rock that formed during the late 1970s. Gothic rock bands grew from the strong ties they had to the English punk rock and emerging post-punk scenes...
and post-grunge
Post-grunge
Post-grunge is a subgenre of alternative rock that emerged in the mid-1990s as a derivative of grunge, using the sounds and aesthetic of grunge, but with a more commercially acceptable tone...
song set in a common time
Time signature
The time signature is a notational convention used in Western musical notation to specify how many beats are in each measure and which note value constitutes one beat....
and performed in slow tempo
Tempo
In musical terminology, tempo is the speed or pace of a given piece. Tempo is a crucial element of any musical composition, as it can affect the mood and difficulty of a piece.-Measuring tempo:...
of 48 beats per minute. Although the original Lacrimosa sequence was performed in D-minor, it was transposed into E-minor by Lee and Terry Balsamo. The instruments in the song are piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
, guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
s and drums
Drum kit
A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
. Lee's vocal range from the note of B3
B (musical note)
B, also known as H, Si or Ti, is the seventh note of the solfège. It lies a chromatic semitone below C and is thus the enharmonic equivalent of C-flat....
and E5
E (musical note)
E or mi is the third note of the solfège.When calculated in equal temperament with a reference of A above middle C as 440 Hz, the frequency of Middle E is approximately 329.628 Hz. See pitch for a discussion of historical variations in frequency.-Designation by octave:...
; the SATB
SATB
In music, SATB is an initialism for soprano, alto, tenor, bass, defining the voices required by a chorus or choir to perform a particular musical work...
choir ranges from the note of B2 to E4. "Lacrymosa" has a "violin intro, synth worth of a Nine Inch Nails
Nine Inch Nails
Nine Inch Nails is an American industrial rock project, founded in 1988 by Trent Reznor in Cleveland, Ohio. As its main producer, singer, songwriter, and instrumentalist, Reznor is the only official member of Nine Inch Nails and remains solely responsible for its direction...
album, and Omen-esque choral sections that are very haunting."
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
, in "Lacrymosa" Lee is "sobbing hysterically over a grand piano." According to the IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
reviewer, Ed Thompson, the song "takes the trademark Evanescence sound - Lee's celestial voice, and adds her brooding lyrics 'I can't change who I am, not this time, I won't lie to keep you near me and in this short life, there's no time to waste on giving up. My love wasn't enough'.". Danielle Baudhuin from The Oshkosh West Index stated that "Lee's astounding classical vocals are displayed with songs as the eerie 'Like You,' and 'Lacrymosa'." She said that these two songs feature slower beats, and are more "piano-themed melodies, followed shortly by the power guitar section of the song." But she said that the song was very similar to "Haunted" from Fallen adding, "creepy background choir vocals and violins send listeners into a gothic Cathedral-like setting." Jim Farber from nydailynews.com said that "Lacrymosa" will remind older listeners the '70s art-rock horror Renaissance
Renaissance (band)
Renaissance are an English progressive rock band, most notable for their 1978 UK top 10 hit "Northern Lights" and progressive rock classics like "Carpet of the Sun", "Mother Russia" and "Ashes Are Burning".-Original incarnation :...
. Andree Farias from Christianity Today
Christianity Today
Christianity Today is an Evangelical Christian periodical based in Carol Stream, Illinois. It is the flagship publication of its parent company Christianity Today International, claiming circulation figures of 140,000 and readership of 290,000...
said "[But] the song has nothing to do with Lucy
Lucy Pevensie
Lucy Pevensie is a fictional character in C. S. Lewis' The Chronicles of Narnia. She is the youngest of the four Pevensie children, and the first to find the Wardrobe entrance to Narnia in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Of all the Pevensie children, Lucy is the closest to Aslan...
and her escapades into the land of Aslan
Aslan
Aslan, the "Great Lion," is the central character in The Chronicles of Narnia, a series of seven fantasy novels for children written by C. S. Lewis. He is the eponymous lion of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, and his role in Narnia is developed throughout the remaining books...
. Rather, it's just another bitter break-up anthem: 'And you can blame it on me / Just set your guilt free, honey / I don't want to hold you back now love.'"
Critical reception
"Lacrymosa" received positive to mixed reviews from music critics. Bill Lamb from About.comAbout.com
About.com is an online source for original information and advice. It is written in English, and is aimed primarily at North Americans. It is owned by The New York Times Company....
put the song in the list of Top Tracks on The Open Door alongside with "Sweet Sacrifice
Sweet Sacrifice
"Sweet Sacrifice" is a song by American rock band Evanescence. It was released on May 25, 2007, as the third single from their second studio album, The Open Door. It was written by Amy Lee and Terry Balsamo while the production was handled by Dave Fortman. "All That I'm Living For" was initially...
", "Call Me When You're Sober
Call Me When You're Sober
"Call Me When You're Sober" is a song by American rock band Evanescence. The song was written by Amy Lee and Terry Balsamo and produced by Dave Fortman and it was included on their second studio album The Open Door. On July 30, 2006 several radio stations played the track before its official...
", "Your Star" and "Good Enough
Good Enough (Evanescence song)
"Good Enough" is a song by American rock band Evanescence. It was released in 2007 as the fourth single from their second studio album, The Open Door. The song was written by lead vocalist Amy Lee and produced by Dave Fortman. According to Lee it was written for her long-time friend and husband,...
". He added "Elements such as the connection of the song 'Lacrymosa' to the Mozart 'Requiem' movement of the same name, or intense exploration of the benefits and costs of 'Lithium
Lithium (Evanescence song)
Maxi 7" Vinyl Picture Disc-Chart performance:...
' give hints that Evanescence could add intellectual heft to their obvious command of emotion." Ed Thompson from IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
called "Lacrymosa" the "most memorable track" in the whole album. Don Kaye of the website Blabbermouth.net
Blabbermouth.net
Blabbermouth.net is a website dedicated to heavy metal and hard rock news, as well as album and music DVD reviews. Blabbermouth.net was founded and is run by Borivoj Krgin. The first version of the website was officially launched in March 2001...
said that while the song was an "interesting experiment" it came "across as more of a stab at artsiness with its strings and choirs than a real song."
An editor from The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
said that "Lacrymosa" is grandiose even by the album’s standards. Sputnikmusic
Sputnikmusic
Sputnikmusic, or simply Sputnik, is a music website offering music criticism and music news alongside features commonly associated with wiki-style websites...
said that the song is the best on the album and gave the song a grade of 4.5 along with "Good Enough", adding that on the last two songs the album stops to be boring because of the variations. Simon Cosyns from The Sun concluded that "song titles such as 'Weight of the World', 'Lose Control' and 'Lacrymosa' tell you it’s not a bed of roses, but there is a positive streak running through The Open Door". On Postmedia News it was stated that Lee "achieves stunning notes on 'Lacrymosa', which employs a haunting choir". Jordan Reimer from The Daily Princetonian
The Daily Princetonian
The Daily Princetonian is the daily independent student newspaper of Princeton University. It is published five days a week from September to May and three days a week during the University's Reading Period in January and May.- Finances :...
praised Lee's melodies and said that "Cloud Nine" and "Lacrymosa" were her best two arrangements. John Hood from Miami New Times
Miami New Times
The Miami New Times is a free weekly newspaper published in Miami and distributed every Thursday. It primarily serves the Miami area and is headquartered near Miami's Design District.-Overview:...
made a story, "'Call Me When You're Sober' sent a man away, 'Lacrymosa' kept him there, and 'Cloud Nine' told the clueless dolt why he would no longer ever be welcomed back. Joost Melis from the Dutch website FOK!
FOK!
FOK! is a Dutch website and virtual community, containing active content like news, reviews, columns and polls. It was founded by Danny Roodbol, and is one of the largest internet communities of the Netherlands. The forum's user group is diverse, though much of its content is targeted towards a...
compared "Lacrymosa" with song of the bands Within Temptation
Within Temptation
Within Temptation is a Dutch symphonic gothic metal/rock band founded in 1996 by vocalist Sharon den Adel and guitarist Robert Westerholt. Their music is described as symphonic metal, although their earlier material, such as Enter, was gothic metal. In an interview, Den Adel said they fell into a...
and Nightwish
Nightwish
Nightwish is a Finnish symphonic metal band from Kitee, Finland. Formed in 1996 by songwriter and keyboardist Tuomas Holopainen, guitarist Emppu Vuorinen, and former vocalist Tarja Turunen, Nightwish's current line-up has five members, although Tarja has been replaced by Anette Olzon and the...
. A writer of The Independent
The Independent
The Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
put the song on his list of "Download This" from The Open Door.
Brendan Butler from Cinema Blend
Cinema Blend
Cinema Blend is a website founded and run by Josh Tyler dedicated to news and reviews of upcoming and currently playing films, movie projects, Television Shows, and a newly founded Music section which covers album reviews, band interviews and daily news from the industry. It combines gossip from...
was critical saying that "the worst song on The Open Door, i[t’]s a toss up between 'Lacrymosa' with its abominable choir and the obnoxious 'Lose Control,' which features Amy crying for about five minutes." A reviewer from Altsounds noted that the weakest tracks on the album are "Snow White Queen", "Lacrymosa", "Like You", and "Lose Control" because "the vocal arraignments on those tracks just do not flow with the lyrics and music combined therefore making them annoying because [Lee's] voice gets a bit unsettling and can only be tolerable to a certain extent." Glenn Gamboa from The Providence Journal
The Providence Journal
The Providence Journal, nicknamed the ProJo, is a daily newspaper serving the metropolitan area of Providence, Rhode Island and is the largest newspaper in Rhode Island. The newspaper, first published in 1829 and the oldest continuously-published daily newspaper in the United States, was purchased...
concluded that "maybe the over-the-top dramatics of 'Lacrymosa' and piano ballad 'Your Star' will be seen as so-bad-they’re-good."
Live performances
The song was played live by the band during their tour for the promotion of The Open Door. On the concert which took place on November 17, 2007 in OremOrem, Utah
Orem is a city in Utah County, Utah, United States, in the north-central part of the state. It is adjacent to Provo, Lindon, and Vineyard and is about south of Salt Lake City. Orem is one of the principal cities of the Provo-Orem, Utah Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Utah and...
the band played "Lacrymosa". During the performance Lee was wearing a purple tank, black skirt and black boots. They also performed the song at Hammerstein Ballroom
Hammerstein Ballroom
The Hammerstein Ballroom is a two-tiered, 12,000 square feet ballroom located within the Manhattan Center Studios on 311 West 34th Street in Manhattan, New York City, New York, United States of America. It is known for its elegant appearance and excellent acoustical design...
in New York in 2006. Evanescence played the song live at their secret New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
gig which took place on November 4, 2009.
Controversy and usage in media
In a 2004 interview with MTV NewsMTV News
MTV News is the news division of MTV, one of the first and most popular music television network in the U.S., as well as some of MTV's related channels around the world. MTV News began in the late 1980s with the program The Week In Rock, hosted by Kurt Loder, the first official MTV News correspondent...
, Amy Lee revealed that she was composing music for the film, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is a 2005 epic fantasy adventure film directed by Andrew Adamson and based on The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, the first published and second chronological novel in C. S. Lewis's children's epic fantasy series, The Chronicles of...
. She also revealed that the producers of the movie offered her a small role, "They were like, 'Do you want to do a cameo?' And I was like, 'Hell yeah! Let me die. I want to be somebody who gets murdered.' So I don't think that's going to happen." She later revealed that "Lacrymosa" was originally written for the film, but was mysteriously not included. However, according to producers, neither Lee or the band were approached to compose music for the film. Another song was also written for the movie, but it was rejected because of its dark sound. Lee went on to state that it was just "more great stuff [for The Open Door]".
The word lacrymosa means "related to sadness". The track title is also the scientific name for a species of moth known as Catocala lacrymosa
Catocala lacrymosa
The Tearful Underwing is a moth of the Noctuidae family. It is found from Massachusetts and Connecticut south to Florida, west to Texas and eastern Oklahoma and north to Illinois and Michigan and into southern Ontario....
, also known as the 'Tearful Underwing'. The species of moth are featured throughout The Open Doors cover booklet and on the cover of the "Sweet Sacrifice
Sweet Sacrifice
"Sweet Sacrifice" is a song by American rock band Evanescence. It was released on May 25, 2007, as the third single from their second studio album, The Open Door. It was written by Amy Lee and Terry Balsamo while the production was handled by Dave Fortman. "All That I'm Living For" was initially...
" radio promo CD. A clip of "Lacrymosa" was used in the video teaser for The Open Door.
Credits and personnel
Credits adapted from The Open Door liner notes.- SongwritingSongwriterA songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
– Amy Lee, Terry Balsamo - ProductionRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
, mixingAudio mixing (recorded music)In audio recording, audio mixing is the process by which multiple recorded sounds are combined into one or more channels, most commonly two-channel stereo. In the process, the source signals' level, frequency content, dynamics, and panoramic position are manipulated and effects such as reverb may...
– Dave Fortman - InstrumentsInstrumentation (music)In music, instrumentation refers to the particular combination of musical instruments employed in a composition, and to the properties of those instruments individually...
– Amy Lee, Terry Balsamo - Background vocalsBacking vocalistA backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists...
– The Millenium Choir - ProgrammingProgramming (music)Programming is a form of music production and performance using electronic devices, often sequencers or computer programs, to generate music. Programming is used in nearly all forms of electronic music and in most hip hop music since the 1990s. It is also frequently used in modern pop and rock...
- DJ LethalDJ LethalLeor Dimant , better known as DJ Lethal, is a turntablist and producer and member of the bands Limp Bizkit, House of Pain and La Coka Nostra.-Early life:Leor Dimant was born in Riga, Latvia, when this country was still part of the Soviet Union... - EngineeringAudio engineeringAn audio engineer, also called audio technician, audio technologist or sound technician, is a specialist in a skilled trade that deals with the use of machinery and equipment for the recording, mixing and reproduction of sounds. The field draws on many artistic and vocational areas, including...
- Jeremy Parker - MasteringAudio masteringMastering, a form of audio post-production, is the process of preparing and transferring recorded audio from a source containing the final mix to a data storage device ; the source from which all copies will be produced...
- Ted Jensen
- VocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
, keyboardsMusical keyboardA musical keyboard is the set of adjacent depressible levers or keys on a musical instrument, particularly the piano. Keyboards typically contain keys for playing the twelve notes of the Western musical scale, with a combination of larger, longer keys and smaller, shorter keys that repeats at the...
– Amy Lee - Lead guitarLead guitarLead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure...
– Terry Balsamo - Rhythm guitarRhythm guitarRhythm guitar is a technique and rôle that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse in conjunction with singers or other instruments; and to provide all or part of the harmony, ie. the chords, where a chord is a group of notes played together...
– John LeComptJohn LeComptJohn Charles LeCompt is an American musician who has been part of the Little Rock heavy metal music scene since the mid-1990s. He has been associated with a great number of bands, ranging from the unknown and unsigned to multi-platinum sellers, most notably the alternative metal band Evanescence... - Bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
– Will Boyd - DrumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
– Rocky GrayRocky GrayWilliam "Rocky" Gray is a drummer and guitarist who has been part of the Arkansas metal scene since the early 1990s. He has an extensive career as a musician and is best known as the lead guitarist for Living Sacrifice and the drummer for We Are the Fallen...