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"Never Go Back"
Released October 11, 2011 (Evanescence)
November 10, 2017 (Synthesis)
Length 4:27 (Evanescence)
4:50 (Synthesis)
Producers Nick Raskulinecz (Evanescence)
Will Hunt, Amy Lee (Synthesis)
Label Wind-up Records
Chronology
"Oceans" "Never Go Back" "Swimming Home"

"Never Go Back" is the eleventh track on American band Evanescence's self-titled third album. An alternate, stripped-down version of the song is also included on Synthesis.

Background[]

In an interview with MTV News, Amy Lee revealed that the song is about the 2011 Tōhoku disasters in Japan: "Never Go Back was actually inspired by the earthquakes and tsunami in Japan. While we were writing a bunch of music at pre-production that was going on. And I just remember, you know, we were just watching the news and looking at all these pictures on the internet, and just like... I was just inspired and feeling a lot of feelings, just of empathy and sympathy, and just sort of like 'wow, what would that be like'... you know. Putting myself in the situation in my head. Sort of accidentally I guess, when I do the thing where I go home and do my homework, and work on the lyrics. I just sort of was writing without thinking about why and after a minute I was like 'oh okay, I'm thinking about Japan, and I'm singing about Japan'. Like, why not just let this song be that story. So, it's about losing everything, you know, and about life beyond your control."[1][2]

The song was chosen to be reworked on the 2017 orchestral album Synthesis. Amy explained why this song was chosen:[3]

We were writing the song as the 2011 earthquake and tsunami was hitting Tohoku, Japan. We needed some lyrics for a very dramatic, very heavy-sounding song. Watching those images on the news, we had this empathy, so those feelings just came out of me, wondering what I would feel like in that position. The reason it’s on this album is because of its nature. That bridge piano part is one of the most dramatic classical elements in our music, and I always visualized it as a piece. To take it, accentuate it, and go all the way with that idea was really satisfying. We took that piano bridge part and used it as the intro to this new version, then allowed the orchestra to really take over, just as I always heard it in my head. It wasn’t supposed to be the first song on the album, but I realized using that one piano note was the simplest place to start. It gave the album so much room to grow, sonically and musically. And the vocal, singing from a dark place, leading to the light, was exactly the right way to start. That was a last-minute choice, instead of what we’d planned originally, using the Unraveling intro into Imaginary.

Bring Me the Horizon's credit[]

When Bring Me the Horizon released "Nihilist Blues" featuring Grimes off their sixth album amo in 2019, people noticed a similiarity of the vocal melody of the song to that of "Never Go Back".[4][5] Bring Me The Horizon then gave songwriting credits to Evanescence on "Nihilist Blues".[6]

Singer Oliver Sykes commented on this on their song "Underground Big" off their 2019 EP:

Like, like, uh, "nihilist blues", that melody
Someone said, "Oh, that's like Evanescence"
I'm like, "Yeah, must have been"
Must have, we fuckin' subconsciously ripped it off
It's not like, I'm like not a fucking genius whatsoever
Just gettin' on and feel stuff and vibe

Amy confirmed that Bring Me the Horizon contacted her about the similarity to the song and offered Evanescence a writing credit, which she had not asked them for and susprised her. Their conversation led to their wanting to collaborate together on a song, which later became Bring Me the Horizon's 2020 song "One Day the Only Butterflies Left Will Be in Your Chest" featuring Amy.[7]

Lyrics[]

Everything is so dark, and I know there's something wrong
But I can't turn the light on
In that split second change, when you knew we couldn't hold on
I realized I live to love you

Save yourself, don't look back
Tearing us apart until it's all gone
The only world I've ever known sleeps beneath the waves
But I remember

I won't give up on you, I can feel you in my heart
Just show me the way, I don't belong here alone
I can still see your face where it's burned into my mind
I die every time
I close my eyes, you're always there

Save yourself, don't look back
Tearing us apart until it's all gone
The only world I've ever known sleeps beneath the waves
But I'm the one who's drowning
Without your love, I am lost
And I can never go back home

All across the ocean
We are calling, calling
Are, are you there?
Nothing left for me 'til I find you

Because it's all gone
The only world I've ever known
Sleeps beneath the waves
But I'm the one who's drowning
Without your love I am lost
And I can never go back, ah
I can never go back home

References[]


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