Lose Control Lyrics
I don't really care
can we play the game your way?
can I really lose control?
I think it'd be nice
just to lose control- just once
with all the pretty flowers in the dust
his eyes black as coals
if we play very quiet, my lamb
Mary never has to know
I think it'd be nice
just to lose control- just once
I fear there will be nothing good left of you
I'm surprised no one has mentioned that it could be about childhood abuse. At least that's my interpretation. My examples as follows:
You don't remember my name I don't really care [( Could be talking to the abuser, showing strength and calling the abuser out for past misdeeds.)]
Can we play the game your way? [( Remembering as a child that there was no power. So in a sense, giving in to someone you thought you could trust.)]
Can I really lose control? [( Feeling like you are loosing it because of the past abuse, and don't know how to mend.)]
Just once in my life I think it'd be nice (Just to lose control, just once) [( Wanting to get control of the situation, because you felt so powerless. You so desire that freedom from the pain.)]
With all the pretty flowers in the dust [( Lost childhood and lost innocence, because of the suffering of child abuse.)]
Mary had a lamb His eyes black as coals If we play very quiet, my lamb Mary never has to know
[( Mary could be the mother that is naive towards what's happening. And the abuser's eyes are black as coals because he is just an evil person for causing the abuse as interpreted from a child's point of view. Also, the abuser doesn't want anyone to know and tells the child to not tell the mother.)]
Just once in my life I think it'd be nice (Just to lose control, just once) [( Begging to be released from the painful abuse and the past.)]
If I cut you down to a thing I can use I fear there will be nothing good left of you [( Realization that the child now adult doesn't have to make excuses for the abuse and the abuser has nothing good to give or nothing to help mend the past. Everything is rotten about the abuser and it's time to let go of that relationship.)]
Just to lose control, just once [( The child now adult realizes that he/she is not going crazy and is finally at peace with what happened. And is not longer that child who has to hide.)]
That's actually a very great interpretation :) A pedophile was the first thing I thought of when I heard it, actually. I imagined a pedophile (who must keep his/her desires under control at all times) singing to a child. How they wish they could lose control for once with all the "pretty flowers". Also, since the notes of the piano are always high, it gives it that childlike innocence feel, don't you think? Especially with the whole mary had a little lamb thing. At the "If I cut you down to a thing that I can use...." lines, I imagine...
That's actually a very great interpretation :) A pedophile was the first thing I thought of when I heard it, actually. I imagined a pedophile (who must keep his/her desires under control at all times) singing to a child. How they wish they could lose control for once with all the "pretty flowers". Also, since the notes of the piano are always high, it gives it that childlike innocence feel, don't you think? Especially with the whole mary had a little lamb thing. At the "If I cut you down to a thing that I can use...." lines, I imagine he/she looking in a mirror singing about how much they hate themselves for what they do. Just thinking out loud :)
Wow that just made me look totally differently on this song! Now it speaks to me so much more than it did before <3
Wow that just made me look totally differently on this song! Now it speaks to me so much more than it did before <3
Amy desrcibed this in a kerrang interview as the sexiest song on the album (or that it might be the kind of song people would have sex to.) That's all I know about what the song means to Amy.
To me I think it's about no strings attatched sex with a married man. "You don't remember my name, I don't really care" suggests to me that they are not in love, and in fact don't know each other that way. The pretty flowers in the dust are the kids from the man's marriage and Mary is the wife.
I have no idea what the last two lines mean though.
she is later saying if she treats him like an object and just uses him she may destroy him.
she is later saying if she treats him like an object and just uses him she may destroy him.
to me, i think flowers in the dust simply means, skip the romance, make it only about sex.
to me, i think flowers in the dust simply means, skip the romance, make it only about sex.
S&M
S&M
@Liquid-Spear-Waltz I don't know if it is with a married man, or simply sex with no strings attached (a married man would definitely be strings attached).
@Liquid-Spear-Waltz I don't know if it is with a married man, or simply sex with no strings attached (a married man would definitely be strings attached).
what i love so much about amy is she can write stuff like this without being at all slutty. usually we all see her as a pure broken angel, here she tells us that she's human at times and can still be a broken angel. i really like this album because it's a lot freer than fallen and she's not afraid to sing about sex and death alike.
I see this as a song about sex and submission. This person she is with is dominant, she is submissive. He doesn't remember her name because it'd not important. They're playing a game (maybe some sort of BDSM game) and she's asking if she can just lose control by playing to his rules.
Maybe she's been held down all her life by society, by having to keep control all the time in and out of public, so she's saying it would be wonderful to just lose control and have someone else control her. All the pretty flowers in the dust may be her former self; the proper, delicate "flower"-like person she's leaving behind.
But in the end, she's actually using him to get what she wants, but in the process, she's corrupting him by placing him with her in this act.
"Mary and the Lamb" is the part where I'm convinced she's with a man who is married or with someone. So perhaps the man she is losing control with is taken.
Thank you! How is it that we're the only one that interpreted this song this way? More importantly, it seems a bit topping-from-the-bottom. I agree with the addition that, over time, she's using his being dominance to in fact experience her 'submission' -- which isn't truly submitting, as she's still in control.
Thank you! How is it that we're the only one that interpreted this song this way? More importantly, it seems a bit topping-from-the-bottom. I agree with the addition that, over time, she's using his being dominance to in fact experience her 'submission' -- which isn't truly submitting, as she's still in control.
She might even be 'taken', too -- in a relationship with someone who doesn't understand her needs, for example.
She might even be 'taken', too -- in a relationship with someone who doesn't understand her needs, for example.
All of it rather ironic, I feel.
All of it rather ironic, I feel.
@breatheyouin4 , @mindhuntress - I also interpret this song as a dominance/submission situation, with an experienced dom and inexperienced sub. Maybe even a sub that was once dom, and they feel it's impossible to let control go to someone else, not really realizing that the sub always is the one in control. It's possible that the two folks playing are already taken by partners that don't understand the appeal of D/S relationships (sexual or otherwise), and they agree to play without telling anyone else. Or maybe they are ashamed of this and just don't want anyone to know...
@breatheyouin4 , @mindhuntress - I also interpret this song as a dominance/submission situation, with an experienced dom and inexperienced sub. Maybe even a sub that was once dom, and they feel it's impossible to let control go to someone else, not really realizing that the sub always is the one in control. It's possible that the two folks playing are already taken by partners that don't understand the appeal of D/S relationships (sexual or otherwise), and they agree to play without telling anyone else. Or maybe they are ashamed of this and just don't want anyone to know in general. It leaves a lot to interpretation, which is one reason I like her writing so very much. I also think there is an undertone of being strangers to one another, but possibly just a role play thing because the last two lines to me indicate that if she sees the partner in a new light of just using them, then she won't see what was good in them anymore.
Ok people I seriously doubt that a person such as Amy Lee would ever write about sex, much less cheating, since she is married. Although the line "if we play very quiet my lamb, mary never has to know" implies cheating, why do so many people jump to that conclusion? It's about betrayal of someone. Or doing something you know is wrong...why else would they "play very quiet". For all you know it's about stealing something and being quiet and sneaky. Or just letting go and having fun for once, not being so wary of everything. The betrayal aspect DOESN'T have to mean cheating, and cheating doesn't have to be the only explanation for this song okay? Seriously that's getting old.
@amber22 definitely comes across with a strong sexual undertone ... not sure if cheating per se, but I get a vibe that sometimes a one night stand could be just what she wants (no strings attached sex ... is it really that bad??)
@amber22 definitely comes across with a strong sexual undertone ... not sure if cheating per se, but I get a vibe that sometimes a one night stand could be just what she wants (no strings attached sex ... is it really that bad??)
You don't remember my name I don't really care Can we play the game your way? Can I really lose control? - Meaning her & the man shes having an affair with doesn't know each other on a personal level other then the relationship based on pleasure & sex. & she wants to play the game his way because he seems to know what he's doing. Possibly a older married man who does this very often.
Just once in my life I think it'd be nice (Just to lose control, just once) With all the pretty flowers in the dust - She's tired of always being a "good girl" & believes that by losing control she will find some comfort in being bad. To her its all a rush to be doing something she normally doesn't do.
Mary had a lamb His eyes black as coals If we play very quiet, my lamb Mary never has to know - & here again we see that the man shes having this Affair with is Married & that possibly when she says "his eyes are black as coals" that he has no shame in what he's doing, a cold hearted man.
Just once in my life I think it'd be nice (Just to lose control, just once) & again she says the same thing.
If I cut you down to a thing I can use I fear there will be nothing good left of you - Meaning that if she cuts him down to a play toy, than there's really nothing good left of him. To me she finally relizes that he's no good.
Just to lose control, just once
I agree totally with your interpretation.
I agree totally with your interpretation.
I always thought this song was simply what the title suggests- losing control. But now i can definately see where your coming from with the married man. It fits perfectly. Except i could never see Amy being that type. To me it definately seems to be about a loveless relationship though. No romance, just sex.
This song is so sexy. It's awesome. I love that Evanescence can take this route on board and yet still be themselves. Only worry is the piano through the whole song- if Amy is playing the piano during the song she won't be able to get into it as much which is a nessessity (sp?) with this one.
It's not about cheating - and if it is then it's about Mary cheating herself.
Scenario:
Mary converses with something devilish, yeah - maybe a demon.
She then says that she wants to lose control and "make it" with someone since she has been chaste, I guess.
Then a narrator says that Mary had a little lamb - i.e. boyfriend. And this boyfriend was evil because he had a black soul... black eyes...
The demonic thing approaches the little lamb and tells him lets trick Mary. "Let's me and you play." She, Mary, first approached the devilish thing and had many questions, no? Sure, that is exactly how it played out.
She didn't bite so now the demon moved onto her little lamb to persuade her and trick her (He, the lamb will even wait for her at school .... he is a wolf in sheeps clothing).
Mary once again contemplated whether to wreck her life.
Then she tells herself "if I cut you down to a thing I can use I fear there will be nothing good left of you"
So she doesn't defile, debase or deflower herself - she doesn't want to be left sullied.
Way to go Mary.
It's the typical struggle that young people have to maintain their self respect.
You all know those stories of the guy or gal that goes to that party... Stay away from those parties...
The common and predicitable result is that you'll get PWNED!
If you do decide to go then Sit!
You been owned and taken advantage of....
I also think this song can be about someone who was abused, but rather in a meaning they just take the revenge on their oppressor. This is what I think about it:
"You don't remember my name, I don't really care"
- it could man she was just one of many people (children, I guess) who were abused by the same person and she wants to take the revenge on behalf of all their victims.
"can we play the game your way?"
- it could mean the roles got reversed - she's been destroyed by them for a long time, I think, and now she's gonna play the game in their way - simply by destroying them. "can I really lose control?"
- maybe she wonders if she's really able to do something like that. Maybe sh's asking herself if she's strong enough to face her tormentor once again just to give them what they deserve. "Just once in my life I think it'd be nice just to lose control - just once"
- this is simple. Dspite her doubts, she's really determined to take the revenge and she's gonna do anything to achieve her goal and feel valuable and significant at least for one time (like in the way "I'm a victim, I'm worthless, I was only born to fail" and she wants to stop feeling this way if she achieves her goal). "with all the pretty flowers in the dust"
- it makes me think about all abused children and again, I feel she's gonna take her revenge on behalf of them all and herself, of course. "Mary had a lamb his eyes black as coals"
- doesn't it refer to the popular song for children? Maybe the oppressor was someone whom she knows very well, maybe she trusted them before they started to harm her. It hurts even more if you get harm by someone who seemed to be your friend or even guardian. "if we play very quiet, my lamb Mary never has to know"
- this speaks for itself. Abusers often tell their victims not to tell anybody what's going on with them, for many reasons - nobody's gonna believe them, they will hurt others by saying it (like it was a lie, something that the child just imagined), or whatever. Or rather it's something like "It's our sweet mystery and nobody needs to know it except us". "if I cut you down to a thing I can use I fear there will be nothing good left of you"
- and this part. Seems to say that the speaker's revenge can bring a chaos to the life of a person who used to harm her, it can destroy their life. Maybe she's gonna reveal the secret, she wants to tell everyone wha's the true self of a person who abused her and others. I guess this person can be someone of high social position, maybe someone who is engaged in charity, perhaps, or someone who works with children, or something like this, so that nobody could ever suppose that they might be able to do something such awful as child abuse. Revealing this is a straight way to ruin the whole life if such person, to degrade them, it makes everyone to lose their trust in them forevermore. I must admit my interpretation is slightly based on my own personal experience, but somehow I can relate to this song.
I saw this song about escaping so far into your imagination and hiding it to be what's considered, “normal.”
“You don't remember my name, I don't really care.” I've had many experiences of people forgetting my name. The feeling of being over looked becomes a belief that you truly are forgettable and people knowing you becomes less of a desire. You don't care anymore because you've been so alone that you're too deep inside your mind. “Can we play the game your way?” I took this very literally. As a lonely child, your imagination is what you rely on. Playing games with other children can be different since you have this intricate imagination and everyone playing make believe tends to turn to you to keep the game up and you just want to lose yourself in the imagination with everyone instead of holding the game up. “Can I really lose control?” About wanting to lose yourself in the imagination. I felt the chorus was like wanting to break your reality and just let the imaginary world consume you. Doing all the things you imagined but never had the chance to do because you were so isolated. Keeping an entire imaginary reality inside yourself is a borderline tormenting experience. “Mary had a lamb, his eyes black as coal.” As a child with a different mind, your imagination can be very dark and twisted, especially if it's based on wanting to feel the emotions you're not allowed to. You are drawn to dark stories and twist the stories everyone expects you to be drawn to at your age; instead of seeing the innocence of the white wool, you see the darkness of the eyes. “If we play very quiet, my lamb, Mary never has to know.” About hiding what goes on inside your mind. The fantasies, the games with the figments of your imagination. You start to become ashamed of playing games as you get older. You try to hide your imagination, because it's freakish. “If I cut you down down to a thing I can use, I fear they'd be nothing good left you.” At the time people start to reach out to you, wanting you to open up to them, you've spent so much time inside her mind. You think too much about everything, sometimes you think you're actually insane. Because you were so isolated, you don't connect to people the same way. I've always imagined Amy singing this to someone who wants to get to know her, but she's afraid that if she let them in, made them understand, they would be ruined by it. This whole song is just about that feeling of just wanting to break free, even if it makes you considered crazy, or evil, or disgusting, or sinful. About imagining breaking free. I absolutely love this song to death.