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"Everybody's Fool" is the third track on Evanescence's first studio album, Fallen. It was released as the album's fourth single on 19 April 2004.
After the success of "My Immortal", Lee stated that "Imaginary" would become the band's next and final single from the album.[1] However, the release of "Imaginary" was scrapped and "Everybody's Fool" was released instead.
Background[]
"Everybody's Fool" was written by Amy Lee, Ben Moody and David Hodges and produced by Dave Fortman. The Millennium Choir performed background vocals for the song, which was arranged by Lee.[2] According to Lee, the song talks about celebrities who have completely false images.[3] She was inspired to write it after one of her sisters, who was 8 years old at the time, was obsessing over the life of pop stars of the time,[4] such as Britney Spears.[3] When asked about it in a 2016 interview for "Wikipedia: Fact Or Fiction?”, Lee declined to name the celebrities that they specifically wrote the song about as it would sound “so finger-pointy”.[5] In a 2016 Songfacts interview, Lee said she disconnected from the song, saying:[6]
It's interesting to write songs when you're in high school and then have them become your most famous songs, because you're stuck singing the stuff you were hung up on when you were in high school when you're 34. And I'm not really hung up about that so much anymore. I always seemed so preachy about someone else's life. I think there are a lot of ways to look at it. The thing I thought I knew then that I know better now is that you never know what's going on inside anybody, no matter what they seem like. Even if they're the bully. Even if they're the Becky – that's such a funny word. I can't believe I just used that in an interview – even if they're the popular kid. You never know, inside, what kind of struggle they might be going through, the pain they may be suffering and how their outer image is oftentimes a coping mechanism to that.
The final demo, dated October 3, 2002, was officially released on a cassette tape with unreleased demos as part of Fallen 20th Anniversary Super Deluxe Edition Box Set in March 2024.
Composition[]
According to the sheet music published by Alfred Music Publishing at the website Musicnotes.com, "Everybody's Fool" is written in the key of F major. It is set in a time signature of common time and performed in a tempo of 92 beats per minute. Lee's vocals in the song range from the note of A3 to the note of D5.
Music video[]
An accompanying music video for "Everybody's Fool" was directed by Philipp Stölzl and was filmed in Los Angeles, California in mid-April 2004.[7] The video features Amy playing as a superstar model who is contracted to a company that sells Lies products (pizza, energy drinks and dolls). As the video progresses, it becomes more apparent that she is unhappy with the way she is portrayed in the media.
Reception[]
Johnny Loftus of Allmusic classified "Everybody's Fool" as a nu metal song. Adrien Begrand of PopMatters concluded that the song "take[s] things to a more over-the-top, theatrical level." Scott Juba of The Trades rated the song with A, and wrote: "As far as the band's single, 'Everybody's Fool', is concerned, it is a song about the stinging betrayal of deception and the refusal to become blinded by deceit any longer. There is a defiance in Lee's voice that gives the track a bold edge, and the song's heavy drums and soaring guitars further enhance the strong sound. The band surely has another chart topping hit on their hands." Simon Cusens of ABC Online gave the song 3 out of 5 stars calling it "a cold, sad and angry song that I would only like to listen to without it being repeated again." Joe D'Angelo of MTV News wrote that "rolling acoustic guitar and billowing synthesizers pave the way for the harsh power chords that open the song" adding that Lee's voice was "disembodied" in the opening lines "Perfect by nature/ Icons of self-indulgence/ Just what we all need/ More lies about a world that/ Never was and never will be."
The song peaked at number 36 on Billboard's Alternative Songs chart on May 8, 2004. On June 13, 2004, "Everybody's Fool" debuted at number 23 on the Australian Singles Chart which later became its peak position. It spent five weeks on the chart appearing at number 42 in its last week on July 11, 2004. On the UK Singles Chart, "Everybody's Fool" debuted at number 24 on June 12, 2004 which later became its peak position. The next week, it fell at number 40 and it was last seen on the chart on June 26 at number 49. It also charted in other European countries upon its release.
Credits[]
- Amy Lee – writing, piano, keyboards, vocals, choir arrangement
- Ben Moody – writing, producing, guitars, percussion
- David Hodges – writing, piano, keyboards, additional string arrangements
- Francesco DiCosmo – bass guitar
- David Campbell – string arrangements
- Dave Fortman – producer, mixer
- Jeremy Parker – engineer
- Graeme Revell – string arrangements, orchestral conduction
- The Millennium Choir; Beverly Allen, Dwight Stone, Eric Castro, Geri Allen, Joanne Paratore, Karen Matranga, Lesley Paton, Melanie Jackson, Rick Stubbs, Susan Youngblood, Talaya Trigueros – background vocals
Lyrics[]
Fallen version[]
Perfect by nature Never was and never will be Look, here she comes now Never was and never will be Without the mask, where will you hide? I know the truth now, I know who you are It never was and never will be It never was and never will be |
Demo version[]
Perfect by nature Never was and never will be Look, here she comes now Never was and never will be The dynamic of symmetrical social riots Never was and never will be It never was and never will be |
References[]
- ↑ Wiederhorn, Jon (December 23, 2003). "Evanescence Soldier On Without Ben Moody, Look Forward To Recording". MTV News.
- ↑ Fallen (2003), liner notes.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Evanescence looks to future". The Age. July 29, 2004.
- ↑ Moss, Corey (June 10, 2004). "Evanescence's Amy Lee Hopes To Get Into Film, Rages Against Cheesy Female Idols". MTV News.
- ↑ Hartmann, Graham (October 26, 2016). "Evanescence's Amy Lee Plays 'Wikipedia: Fact or Fiction?'". Loudwire.
- ↑ MacIntosh, Dan (October 13, 2016). "Amy Lee of Evanescence : Songwriter Interviews". Songfacts.
- ↑ D'Angelo, Joe (May 11, 2004). "Evanescence Eviscerate Consumer Culture in Dramatic New Video". MTV News.