Evanescence comenzó a cuajarse en Little Rock, Arkansas, cuando el joven guitarrista Ben Moody y la cantante Amy Lee se conocieron en un campamento de adolescentes al que los dos habían acudido.
Fué Ben Moody quien le propuso a Amy Lee formar un grupo.
Comenzaron a componer canciones de forma conjunta, como "Solitude", "Understanding", y "Give unto me". Evanescence empezó a darse a conocer através una emisora local de radio que comenzó a emitir sus canciones. A medida que su popularidad crecía, se les ofreció la posibilidad de tocar en directo, con la ayuda de Will Boyd, John Lecomp y Rocky Gray.
En 1998, grabaron su primer sencillo, con una tirada de 100 ejemplares, que se agotaron prácticamente al momento, gracias a la incipiente popularidad del grupo. El título de este primer sencillo era, precisamente, "Evanescence".
En el mes de Noviembre del 2000, editaron su primer álbum, "Origin", gracias al apoyo de una discográfica local. Las 5000 copias iniciales se agotaron en pocos días y se tuvo que sacar una nueva tirada.
En la discográfica Wind-up, editan su segundo álbum, "Fallen".
El tema principal del disco, "Bring me to Life", fué interpretado para la ocasión a duo por Amy Lee y el cantante de "12 Stones", Paul McCoy. El tema resultó un gran éxito entre los fans y el álbum alcanzó el quinto puesto en la lista Billboard.
Evanescence ha colaborado también con dos temas en la banda sonora de la película "Daredevil".
Letras del disco Origin
Whisper
Catch me as I fall
Say you're here and it's all over now
Speaking to the atmosphere
No one's here and I fall into myself
This truth drives me
Into madness
I know I can stop the pain
If I will it all away
Don't turn away
(Don't give in to the pain)
Don't try to hide
(Though they're screaming your name)
Don't close your eyes
(God knows what lies behind them)
Don't turn out the light
(Never sleep never die)
I'm frightened by what I see
But somehow I know
That there's much more to come
Immobilized by my fear
And soon to be
Blinded by tears
I can stop the pain
If I will it all away
Don't turn away
(Don't give in to the pain)
Don't try to hide
(Though they're screaming your name)
Don't close your eyes
(God knows what lies behind them)
Don't turn out the light
(Never sleep never die)
Fallen angels at my feet
Whispered voices at my ear
Death before my eyes
Lying next to me I fear
She beckons me
Shall I give in
Upon my end shall I begin
Forsaking all I've fallen for
I rise to meet my end
Don't turn away
(Don't give in to the pain)
Don't try to hide
(Though they're screaming your name)
Don't close your eyes
(God knows what lies behind them)
Don't turn out the light
(Never sleep never die)
Imaginary
Swallowed up in the sound of my screaming
Cannot cease for the fear
Of silent nights
Oh how I long for the deep sleep dreaming
The goddess of imaginary light
In my field of paper flowers
And candy clouds of lullaby
I lie inside myself for hours
And watch my purple sky fly over me
I linger in the doorway
Of alarm clock screaming monsters
Calling my name
Let me stay
Where the wind will whisper to me
Where the raindrops as they're falling tell a story
If you need to leave the world you live in
Lay your head down and stay a while
Though you may not remember dreaming
Something waits for you to breathe again
My Inmortal
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
When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears
When you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears
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
When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears
When you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears
I held your hand through all of these years
But you still have
All of me
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
When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears
When you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears
I held your hand through all of these years
But you still have
All of me
Where will you go
You’re too important for anyone
There’s something wrong with everything you see
But I, I know who you really are
You’re the one who cries when you’re alone
But where will you go
With no one left to save you from yourself
You can’t escape
You can’t escape
You think that I can’t see right through your eyes
Scared to death to face reality
No one seems to hear your hidden cries
You’re left to face yourself alone
Where will you go
With no one left to save you from yourself
You can't escape the truth
I realize you’re afraid
But you can’t abandon everyone
You can’t escape
You don’t want to escape
I’m so sick of speaking words that no one understands
Is it clear enough that you can’t live your whole life all alone
I can hear you in a whisper
But you can’t even hear me screaming
Where will you go
With no one left to save you from yourself
You can't escape the truth
I realize you’re afraid
But you can’t reject the whole world
You can’t escape
You won’t escape
You can’t escape
You don’t want to escape
Field of Innocense
I still remember the world
From the eyes of a child
Slowly those feelings
Were clouded by what I know now
Where has my heart gone
An uneven trade for the real world
I want to go back to
Believing in everything and knowing nothing at all
I still remember the sun
Always warm on my back
Somehow it seems colder now
Where has my heart gone
Trapped in the eyes of a stranger
I want to go back to
Believing in everything
Even in death
Give me a reason to believe that you're gone
I see your shadow so I know they're all wrong
Moonlight on the soft brown earth
It leads me to where you lay
They took you away from me but now I'm taking you home
I will stay forever here with you, my love
The softly spoken words you gave me
Even in death our love goes on
Some say I'm crazy for my love, oh my love
But no bonds can hold me from your side, oh my love
They don't know you can't leave me
They don't hear you singing to me
I will stay forever here with you, my love
The softly spoken words you gave me
Even in death our love goes on
And I can't love you, anymore than I do
Anywhere
Dear my love, haven't you wanted to be with me
And dear my love, haven't you longed to be free
I can't keep pretending that I don't even know you
And at sweet night, you are my own
Take my hand
We're leaving here tonight
There's no need to tell anyone
They'd only hold us down
So by the morning light
We'll be half way to anywhere
Where love is more than just your name
I have dreamt of a place for you and I
No one knows who we are there
All I want is to give my life only to you
I've dreamt so long I cannot dream anymore
Let's run away, I'll take you there
We're leaving here tonight
There's no need to tell anyone
They'd only hold us down
So by the morning light
We'll be half way to anywhere
Where love is more than just your name
Forget this life
Come with me
Don't look back you're safe now
Unlock your heart
Drop your guard
No one's left to stop you
Forget this life
Come with me
Don't look back you're safe now
Unlock your heart
Drop your guard
No one's left to stop you now
We're leaving here tonight
There's no need to tell anyone
They'd only hold us down
So by the morning light
We'll be half way to anywhere
Where love is more than just your name
Lies
Bound at every limb by my shackles of fear
Sealed with lies through so many tears
Lost from within, pursuing the end
I fight for the chance to be lied to again
You will never be strong enough
You will never be good enough
You were never conceived in love
You will not rise above
They'll never see
I'll never be
I'll struggle on and on to feed this hunger
Burning deep inside of me
But through my tears breaks a blinding light
Birthing a dawn to this endless night
Arms outstretched, awaiting me
An open embrace upon a bleeding tree
Rest in me and I'll comfort you
I have lived and I died for you
Abide in me and I vow to you
I will never forsake you
They'll never see
I'll never be
I'll struggle on and on to feed this hunger
Burning deep inside of me
They'll never see
I'll never be
I'll struggle on and on to feed this hunger
Burning deep inside of me
Rest in me and I'll comfort you
I have lived and I died for you
Abide in me and I vow to you
I will never forsake you
They'll never see
I'll never be
I'll struggle on and on to feed this hunger
Burning deep inside of me
Away from me
I hold my breath as this life starts to take its toll
I hide behind a smile as this perfect plan unfolds
But oh, God, I feel I've been lied to
Lost all faith in the things I have achieved
And I
I've woken now to find myself
In the shadows of all I have created
I'm longing to be lost in you
(away from this place I have made)
Won't you take me away from me
Crawling through this world as disease flows through my veins
I look into myself, but my own heart has been changed
I can't go on like this
I loathe all I've become
I've woken now to find myself
In the shadows of all I have created
I'm longing to be lost in you
(away from this place I have made)
Won't you take me away from me
Lost in a dying world I reach for something more
I have grown so weary of this lie I live
I've woken now to find myself
In the shadows of all I have created
I'm longing to be lost in you
(away from this place I have made)
Won't you take me away from me
I've woken now to find myself
In the shadows of all I have created
I'm lost in shadows of my own
I'm longing to be lost in you
Away from me
Letras de fallen
Going Under
Now i will tell you what i've done for you
fifty thousand tears i've cried
screaming deceiving and bleeding for you
and you still won't hear me
don't want your hand this time i'll save myself
maybe i'll wake up for once
not tormented daily defeated by you
just when i thought i'd reached the bottom
i'm dying again
I'm going under
drowning in you
i'm falling forever
i've got to break through
i'm going under
Blurring and stirring the truth and the lies
so i don't know what's real and what's not
always confusing the thoughts in my head
so i can't trust myself anymore
i'm dying again
I'm going under
drowning in you
i'm falling forever
i've got to break through
So go on and scream
scream at me i'm so far away
i won't be broken again
i've got to breathe i can't keep going under
Bring me to life
How can you see into my eyes like open doors
leading you down into my core
where i've become so numb
without a soul
my spirit sleeping somewhere cold
until you find it there and lead it back home
(CORO
(Wake me up) wake me up inside
(Can't wake up) wake me up inside
(Save me) call my name and save me from the dark
(Wake me up) bid my blood to run
(Can't wake up) before i come undone
(Save me) save me from the nothing i've become
Now that i know what i'm without
you can't just leave me
breathe into me and make me real
bring me to life
(CORO)
Bring me to life
Bring me to life
Frozen inside without your touch without your love
darling only you are the life among the dead
All this time I can't believe I couldn't see
kept in the dark but you were there in front of me
I've been sleeping a thousand years it seems
got to open my eyes to everything
Without a thought without a voice without a soul
don't let me die here
There must be something more
Bring me to life
(CORO)
Bring me to life
Bring me to life
Everybody´s Fool
Perfect by Nature
Icons of Self indulgence
Just what we all need
More lies about a world that
Never was and never will be
have you no shame dont you see me
You know you've got everybody fooled
Look here she comes now
Bow down and stare in wonder
Oh how we love you
No flaws when your pretending
but know i know she
Never was and never will be
You dont know how you've betrayed me
and somehow you've got everybody fooled
Without the mask where will you hide
Can't find yourself lost in your lie
I know the truth now
I know who you are
and I dont love you anymore
It never was a never will be
you're not real and you cant save me
somehow now you're everybody's fool
My Inmortal
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
When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears
When you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears
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
When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears
When you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears
I held your hand through all of these years
But you still have
All of me
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
When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears
When you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears
I held your hand through all of these years
But you still have
All of me
Haunted
No lost words, whisper slowey, to me
Still can't find what keeps me here
And all this time I've been so hollow, inside
(I know your still there)
Watching me
Wanting me
I can feel you haunt me down
Fearing you
Loving you
I know I'll find you somehow
Haunting you, I can smell you, a ???
Your heart pounding in my head !
Wanting me
Fearing me
I won't let you haunt me down
Deciving me
Bringing me
Watching me !
Watching me
Haunting me
I can fear you haunt me down
Fearing you
Loving you
I won't let you haunt me down
Watching me
Wanting me
I can feel you haunt me down
Fearing you
Loving you
I won't let you haunt me down
Tourniquet
I tried to kill the pain
But only brought more
(So much more)
I'm dying
And I'm pouring, crimson regret, and betrayal
I'm dying
Praying
Bleeding
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 ?
Will you forgive me ?
I'm dying
Praying
Bleeding
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
Imaginary
I linger in the doorway
Of alarm clock screaming monsters
Calling my name
Let me stay
Where the wind will whisper to me
Where the rain drops as they're falling tell a story
In my field of paper flowers
And candy clouds of lullaby
I lie inside myself for hours
And watch my purple sky fly over me
Don't say I'm not uptight
With this rampent chaos
Your reality
I know well what lies beyond my sleeping refuge
But when I'm there I fill my own world today
In my field of paper flowers
And candy clouds of lullaby
I lie inside myself for hours
And watch my purple sky fly over me
Swallowed up in the sound of my screaming
Cannot cease for the fear
Of silent nights
Oh how I long for the deep sleep dreaming
The goddess of imaginary light
In my field of paper flowers
And candy clouds of lullaby
I lie inside myself for hours
And watch my purple sky fly over me
Taking over me
You don't remember me
But I remember you
I lie awake and try so hard
Not to think of you
But who (who) can (can) decide
What they dream ?
And dream I do...
I believe in you
I'll give up everything just to find you
I have to be with you, to live, to breathe
You're taking over me
Have you forgotten all I know
And all we had ?
You saw me mourning my love for you
And touched my hand
I knew you loved me then
I believe in you
I'll give up everything just to find you
I have to be with you, to live, to breathe
You're taking over me
I look in the mirror and see your face
If I look deep enough
So many things inside that are just like you are taking over
I believe in you
I'll give up everything just to find you
I have to be with you, to live, to breathe
You're taking over me (x2)
(You're taking over me),You're taking over me
(Taking over me), Taking over me
Hello
Playground schoolbell rings, again
Rainclouds come to play, again
Has no one told you she's not breathing ?
Hello, I'm your mind, giving you someone to talk to...Hello...
If I smile and don't believe
Soon I know I'll wake from this dream
Don't try to fix me
I'm not broken
Hello, I'm the lie living for you so you can hide...
Don't cry...
Suddenly I know I'm not sleeping
Hello, I'm still here, all that's left
Of yesterday...
My Last Breath
Hold on to me now
You know I can't stay long
All I wanted to say was I love you
And I'm not afraid (Ahhh)
Can you hear me?
Can you feel me in your arms?
Holding my last breath
Safe inside myself
Are all my thoughts of you?
Sweet ruptured light
It ends here tonight
I miss the winter
A world of fragile peace
Look for me in the white forest
Hiding in a hollowed tree (and find me)
I know you hear me
I can taste it in your tears
Holding my last breath
Safe inside myself
Are all my thoughts of you?
Sweet ruptured light
It ends here tonight
Losing your eyes to fear
You free your dreams, but leave you here
But still you wait, to know the truth
No ones there!
Safe inside myself
Don't be afraid
Calling me
Calling me
As you fade to black
Sacred, holding my last breath (don't be afraid)
Safe inside myself (calling me)
Are all my thoughts of you?
Sweet ruptured light
It ends here tonight
Holding My Last Breath
Safe inside myself
Are all my though of you?
Sweet ruptured light
It ends here tonight
Holding My Last Breath
Whisper
Catch me as I fall
Say you're here and it's all over now
Speaking to the atmosphere
No one's here and I fall into myself
This truth drives me into madness
I know I can stop the pain if I will it all away
Don't turn away
Don't give in to the pain
Don't try to hide
Though they're screaming your name
Don't close your eyes
God knows what lies behind them
Don't turn out the light
Never sleep never die
I'm frightened by what I see
But somehow I know that there's much more to come
Immobilized by my fear
And soon to be blinded by tears
I can stop the pain if I will it all away
Don't turn away
Don't give in to the pain
Don't try to hide
Though they're screaming your name
Don't close your eyes
God knows what lies behind them
Don't turn out the light
Never sleep never die
Fallen angels at my feet
Whispered voices at my ear
Death before my eyes
Lying next to me I fear
She beckons me shall I give in
Upon my end shall I begin
Forsaking all I've fallen for I rise to meet the end