Rock Poetry Line by Line

"Tourniquet"

“Tourniquet” from Fallen, by Evanescence, 2003.

Songwriters:  Amy Lee, Ben Moody, David Hodges, Rocky Gray.

Song for a February afternoon

I have for you today.

Hear Amy Lee croon;

Listen to Evanescence play.

These lyrics dark and deep:

Ease the pain, stem the blood let;

To God they speak and weep.

Faith applies the tourniquet.

“Tourniquet”

I tried to kill my pain
But only brought 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 me salvation)
(return to me salvation)

Fallen, the double Grammy Award winning album by Evanescence,

was originally promoted on Christian rock radio stations.  The band

members disagreed about what image they wanted to project.  Fallen

contains only one piece that mentions God at all, the hard rock song,

“Tourniquet,” though several others certainly can be interpreted to fit

within the spiritual genre. “Tourniquet” is one of the most powerful

songs on the album, the lyrics dark, bloody, questioning, begging. It

was not a hit record, but a deep track that moves me every time I hear it.

The speaker tried to kill the pain, but only “brought so much more; "lay

 there dying, “pouring crimson regret and betrayal.” The speaker is

“praying, bleeding, screaming,” Asking God “am I too lost to be saved?”

The chorus is a prayer: “my God, my tourniquet, return to me salvation.”

The second verse is touching; the speaker is humbly asking God, “Do you

remember me, lost for so long? Will you be on the other side, or will you

forget me?”  Again, the speaker is dying, praying, bleeding, and screaming

in despair, calling upon God to be the tourniquet to ease the pain and “return

 to me salvation.”

.

In the bridge of the song, the speaker considers suicide, whispering

“I want to die.” The speaker begs to die; “My wounds cry for the

grave, my soul cries for deliverance.” But the speaker is tormented

at the thought of suicide, because it is prohibited by the Christian faith.

“Will I be denied Christ, tourniquet, my suicide. Return me to salvation.”

Sometimes dark poetry can be enlightening, make us appreciate the

blessings we have been granted.  “Tourniquet,” a dark poem in the

form of a stirring Goth rock song, has that affect on me whenever I

hear it.