Covid Island Discs

Day 371: Lithium, Evanescence

Another classic from Evanescence. This song kind of reminds me of my father because lithium is the main drug they use to treat bipolar disorder. Lithium is a mood stabiliser removing both the highs of hypomania and the lows of depression in bipolar disorder. This song of course piqued my curiosity so I did a search on the meaning behind the song and this is what came up from the website songfacts.com

Amy Lee has been quoted saying the song is about losing the comfort of sorrow. Lithium is a mood stabilizer that would take away the sorrow that the writer holds inside and she is not ready to let go of it. She has lived with sorrow so long that losing it now would be like losing a part of herself. That is what the whole refrain is about: “Lithium, Don’t want to lock myself up inside, Lithium, Don’t want to forget what it feels without, Lithium, I want to stay in love with my sorrow.” Lee’s lyrics are often metaphorical and the words consist of double meanings. It’s about her inner feelings toward herself.

One thing that fascinates me about very arty and successful people is how much they suffer in terms of their mental health. It appears to be part and parcel often with a strong gift in a particular area.