Tourniquet - Evanesence

[Talin_Ronyo]

I don't understand what this song is supposed to be about. It's a secular band singing about Jesus and suicide in the same song... can anyone explain it to me?

Lyrics:
I tried to kill my pain
But only bought more...so much more
I lay dying and I'm pouring
Crimson regret and betrayal

I'm dying, praying
Bleeding and screaming
Am I too lost to be saved?
Am I too lost?

My God, my tourniquet
Return to me salvation!
My God, my tourniquet
Return to me salvation!

Do you remember me?
Lost for so long.
Will you be on the other side or will you forget me?

I'm dying, praying
Bleeding and screaming
Am I too lost to be saved?
Am I too lost?

My God, my tourniquet
Return to me salvation!
My God, my tourniquet
Return to me salvation!

(Return to me salvation...)

(I want to die!)

My God, my tourniquet
Return to me salvation!
My God, my tourniquet
Return to me salvation!

My wounds cry for the grave
My soul cries for deliverance.
Will I be denied?
Christ, tourniquet, my suicide.

(Return to my salvation...)

 

[mnmcandiez]

Soul Embraced=Chrisitan Band
Evenesance took thier song and redid it

 

[Sketcher]

Soul Embraced is Christian death metal, so they're not afraid to use such imagery in their lyrics. to help reach out to that crowd of people.

Probably this song is dealing with extreme shame and calling out to God, wondering if He'll answer.

 

[Talin_Ronyo]

Oh! That's cool. Thanks. So, how different is the Evanesence version from the Soul Embraced version? Are the lyrics the same?

 

[savvy]

I figured it was talking about someone attempting suicide and regretting it...and wondering if they'll get forgiven for it. Right?

 

[Talin_Ronyo]

Hm... I never thought of it that way, but that makes sense too.

/me is still waiting for his previous questions to be answered...*

 

[Qyöt27]

From allmusic.com (emphasis mine):

"Tourniquet" is an anguished, urgent rocker driven by chugging guitars and spiraling synths, with brooding lyrics that reference Evanescence's Christian values: "Am I too lost to be saved?/Am I too lost?/My God! My tourniquet/Return to me salvation." The song is Fallen's emotional center point and defines the band's sound.

and

The song's credits state that Amy Lee and Ben Moody co-wrote the song. Granted, this is taken from Evanescence's album credits, but I have no reason to believe they reworked some of the lyrics, considering Evanescence was considered to be a Christian band before the release of Fallen, and apparently many of the songs on one of Soul Embraced's CDs were co-written with them as well.

Here's a thread that was talking about Evanescence's Christian background in general. Look at TerraSin's post (you may have to scroll down a little; the direct link to the post doesn't go directly to it in Firefox, maybe it will with IE or some other browser). And 'Xian' and 'Christian' mean the same thing; it's just shorthand.
http://www.christianforums.com/showthread.php?p=2012747

And another allmusic.com entry, this time for the album Believe from the band Big Dismal:

Big Dismal is a Florida-based quartet with a straightforward post-grunge sound drawing equally from the formulaic rock of Creed and 3 Doors Down, as well as the Goo Goo Dolls and the band's strong Christian faith....

...with the charming chorus harmonies of Evanescence's Amy Lee on "Missing You" becoming the album's only left-hand turn.

If you check the release date of this album, it was several months after Evanescence's secular chart debut with Fallen. Here's the actual link to this review:
Big Dismal - Believe

Basically the division is that Evanescence is an example of a band whose lyrics are spiritual, and because the member(s) [or at least the focal member(s)] are Christian, that's where the spirituality is coming from. It doesn't mean they are a Christian band in the sense of what you'd find in a Christian bookstore (unless they carried more bands that were underground), only Christians in a band, and on top of that, that have become successful on the mainstream instead of being isolated to a single market.

 

[LiberatedChick]

I don't understand what this song is supposed to be about. It's a secular band singing about Jesus and suicide in the same song... can anyone explain it to me?

It'll no doubt be interpreted in a different way by different people but this is what I think it's trying to say...

I tried to kill my pain
But only bought more...so much more
I lay dying and I'm pouring
Crimson regret and betrayal

The first verse shows someone who's been experiencing a lot of pain either emotional or physical, maybe both. Because of what's been happening to them they've tried seeking a way out "I tried to kill my pain but it only brought more" to me shows that they've tried ending there life and are now experiencing the physical and emotional pain of there actions on top of the pain that caused their suicaide attempt in the first place. "I lay dying and I'm pouring crimson regret and betrayal" suggests to me that whatever they've done it involved cutting themselves and now they're bleeding as they die.

I'm dying, praying
Bleeding and screaming
Am I too lost to be saved?
Am I too lost?

As they die they're praying. They're wondering if it's too late to be saved and go to heaven. They're wondering if they're "too lost" to me this suggests they were a Christian, one of Jesus' flock, but they strayed away from God. They are now wondering if God will come and save them.

My God, my tourniquet
Return to me salvation!
My God, my tourniquet
Return to me salvation!

"My God, my tourniquet" They're screaming out to God. A tourniquet is a bandage that's wrapped tightly around a wound to stem the flow of the bleeding. They're hoping God will come and stop the pain and that He'll wrap them up safely and save them. "Return to me salvation" again suggests they were once Christian and strayed away from God.

Do you remember me?
Lost for so long.
Will you be on the other side or will you forget me?

Again suggesting they were once Christian. Someone who got lost from the flock and someone who once knew God and who God once knew. Thus asking if once they're dead will God be there waiting to save them or will they be forgotton.

My wounds cry for the grave
My soul cries for deliverance.
Will I be denied?
Christ, tourniquet, my suicide.

"My wounds cry for the grave" In other words, whatever they've done to themselves they're certain that it'll kill them. But their soul cries for deliverance, they want to be saved and they're crying out to the Lord in their dying moments to save them even though they strayed away and became "lost". So they wonder if God will save them or if they'll be forgotton and denied.

So yes, the song is talking about suicide and Jesus in the same song. Though I believe it to be about someone who was Christian but drifted away. They've attempted suicide and believe their wounds will kill them and as they die wonder if God will save them or if they've drifted so far away from the Lord that instead they'll be forgotton.

 

[JesusRox]

Sounds good starelda.

 

[wgjones3]

Keep in mind, Tourniquet was sold in Christian bookstores until the band requested that the label recall the "Fallen" CD from Christian bookstores because they didn't want to be labeled as a Christian band.

When I asked this same question on another forum, I was told that the lyrics mean--the person is trying to kill their sinful nature, not necessarily kill themselves. The tourniquet is to stop the bleeding of sinful behavior. Personally, I think that's reaching a bit, but it's still an awesome song.

 

[Talin_Ronyo]

Cool, thanks everyone!

 

[mnmcandiez]

yw