Bring Me To Life(Thousand Foot Krutch)
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

"Bring Me to Life" is the debut single by American rock band
Evanescence Evanescence is an American rock band founded in Little Rock, Arkansas in 1995 by singer and musician Amy Lee and guitarist Ben Moody. After recording independent EPs as a duo in the late 90's, and a demo CD, Evanescence released their debut ...
from their debut studio album, ''
Fallen Fallen may refer to: People * Carl Fredrik Fallén (1764–1830), Swedish botanist and entomologist * Gabriel Toledo (born 1991), known as FalleN, Brazilian ''Counter-Strike'' player Arts, entertainment, and media Fictional entities * Fallen ...
'' (2003).
Wind-up Wind-up or windup may refer to: * Windup, a pitching position in baseball * "Wind Up", a 1971 song from ''Aqualung'' (Jethro Tull album) * "Wind Up", a 1997 song by Foo Fighters from ''The Colour and the Shape'' * "Wind Up", a 2001 song by Thursda ...
released it as the album's lead single on April 7, 2003. The song was written by Amy Lee when she was 19, after an exchange with an acquaintance during a time she was in relationship turmoil; the song is about having been desensitized and realizing all the things she had been missing in life. Guitarist
Ben Moody Benjamin Robert Moody II (born January 22, 1981) is an American guitarist, songwriter and record producer. He is best known as co-founder, former guitarist and co-songwriter of rock band Evanescence from its inception in 1995 to his departure in ...
and
David Hodges David Hall Hodges (born December 5, 1978) is an American songwriter and record producer from Little Rock, Arkansas. He was a studio contributor to the rock band Evanescence from 2000–2002. He has since had success co-writing and co–produci ...
also have songwriting credit on the song, which features guest vocals from Paul McCoy of the band
12 Stones 12 Stones is an American hard rock band, formed in 2000 in Mandeville, Louisiana, and currently consisting of Paul McCoy, Eric Weaver and Sean Dunaway. History The band members met in Mandeville, Louisiana, a small city north of New Orleans, ...
. Produced by
Dave Fortman Dave Fortman (born July 11, 1967) is an American record producer and musician. He is the guitarist for rock band Ugly Kid Joe, and has worked with bands such as Superjoint Ritual, Snot, Atomship, Eyehategod, Mudvayne, Otep, Slipknot (on the ...
, "Bring Me to Life" is a
nu metal Nu metal (sometimes stylized as nü-metal, sometimes called aggro-metal) is a subgenre of that combines elements of heavy metal music with elements of other music genres such as hip hop, alternative rock, funk, industrial, and grunge. Nu met ...
and
goth metal Gothic metal (or goth metal) is a fusion genre combining the aggression of heavy metal with the dark atmospheres of gothic rock. The music of gothic metal is diverse with bands known to adopt the gothic approach to different styles of heavy meta ...
crossover song. The male vocal-rap was forced by the label against Lee's wishes, in order to market it in the musical landscape of the time. The critical response to the song was generally positive, with critics praising its melody and Lee's vocals. Following its inclusion in a scene of the film ''
Daredevil Daredevil may refer to: * A stunt performer Arts and media Comics * Daredevil (Lev Gleason Publications), a fictional 1940s superhero popularized by writer-artist Charles Biro * Daredevil (Marvel Comics character), a Marvel comic book superhero ...
'' and its
soundtrack A soundtrack is recorded music accompanying and synchronised to the images of a motion picture, drama, book, television program, radio program, or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrac ...
, "Bring Me to Life" became a commercial success, topping the charts in Australia, the UK and Italy, and charting in the top ten of over 15 countries, including the US, Argentina, Germany and New Zealand. The song's lyrics were initially interpreted by some to be religious, which led it to chart on the
Christian rock Christian rock is a form of rock music that features lyrics focusing on matters of Christian faith, often with an emphasis on Jesus, typically performed by self-proclaimed Christian individuals. The extent to which their lyrics are explicitly C ...
charts. "Bring Me to Life" was certified triple-platinum in 2019 by the
Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/ ...
(RIAA). "Bring Me to Life" won the
Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance The Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance was an award presented to recording artists at the Grammy Awards until 2011. The academy recognized hard rock music artists for the first time at the 31st Grammy Awards (1989). The category was ori ...
at the
46th Grammy Awards The 46th Annual Grammy Awards were held on February 8, 2004 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California honoring the best in music for the recording of the year beginning from October 1, 2002 through September 30, 2003. They recognized ...
, where it was also nominated for
Best Rock Song The Grammy Award for Best Rock Song is an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for quality songs in the rock music genre. Honors in several ...
. Directed by
Philipp Stölzl Philipp Stölzl (born 1967 in Munich) is a German director. He began to direct music videos in the mid-1990s and directed his first feature film in 2002. Life and career Philipp Stölzl was trained as a set and costume designer at the Münchner ...
, the accompanying music video shows Lee singing and climbing on a skyscraper while having nightmares in her room. "Bring Me to Life" became one of the band's most commercially successful songs. It served as the official theme song for WWE's 2003 No Way Out event. The song was re-arranged and re-recorded for Evanescence's
orchestral An orchestra (; ) is a large instrumental ensemble typical of classical music, which combines instruments from different families. There are typically four main sections of instruments: * bowed string instruments, such as the violin, viola, ce ...
-
electronica Electronica is both a broad group of electronic-based music styles intended for listening rather than strictly for dancing and a music scene that started in the early 1990s in the United Kingdom. In the United States, the term is mostly used to ...
fourth studio album, ''
Synthesis Synthesis or synthesize may refer to: Science Chemistry and biochemistry * Chemical synthesis, the execution of chemical reactions to form a more complex molecule from chemical precursors **Organic synthesis, the chemical synthesis of organ ...
'' (2017).


Composition and recording

Lee wrote "Bring Me To Life" at age 19, after a then-acquaintance looked her "dead in the eye" and asked her if she was happy; Lee was in an abusive relationship at the time and in turmoil, and was shocked the person saw through her facade as she felt she "was completely outwardly acting normal". "I felt like he could just see straight into my soul. That inspired the whole song", she explained. Lee later confirmed that person was Josh Hartzler, a therapist who became a close friend and she married in 2007. The song is about "open-mindedness", Lee said. "It's about waking up to all the things you've been missing for so long." After the moment that inspired her to write the song, Lee "realized that for months I'd been numb, just going through the motions of life." Lee said that she generally writes songs alone first on the piano or on acoustic guitar, and for ''Fallen'' she would write a song and work with Moody to "take it to the finish line." Moody and David Hodges also share writing credits on the track. In 2004, Lee expressed that the making of ''Fallen'' was stressful because "we had to remember at least one big single had to be totally radio-friendly. And I'm really ready not to think that way." Recording work for ''Fallen'' began at
Ocean Studios Ocean Productions, Inc., is a Canadian media production and voice acting company based in Vancouver, British Columbia, that is part of the Ocean Group of businesses. Ocean Group is involved in intellectual property acquisition and development, ...
in
Burbank, California Burbank is a city in the southeastern end of the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Located northwest of downtown Los Angeles, Burbank has a population of 107,337. The city was named after David Burbank, who ...
, where most of "Bring Me to Life" was recorded, prior to full album production. The song was mixed by
Jay Baumgardner Jay Baumgardner is an American record producer, engineer and mixer. He has worked on albums by The Regulators, Seether, Superheist, Ugly Kid Joe, Bush, Helmet, Sevendust, Papa Roach, Endwell, Coal Chamber, Drowning Pool, Godsmack, Three Days G ...
in his studio,
NRG Recording Studios NRG Recording Studios is a recording facility located in North Hollywood, California, that was created by producer and mixer Jay Baumgardner in 1992. Facilities The facility consists of three studio consoles: *Studio A console: custom vintage ...
in
North Hollywood North Hollywood is a neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, located in the San Fernando Valley. The neighborhood contains the NoHo Arts District, the El Portal Theatre, several art galleries, and the Academy of TV Arts and Sciences. The North ...
, on an SSL 9000 J. A 22-piece string section was recorded in Seattle by Mark Curry. "Bring Me to Life" was mixed at the Newman Scoring Stage and Bolero Studios, both in Los Angeles. David Campbell provided the song's strings, an "expense" Lee fought for. "Bring Me to Life" is stylistically a
nu metal Nu metal (sometimes stylized as nü-metal, sometimes called aggro-metal) is a subgenre of that combines elements of heavy metal music with elements of other music genres such as hip hop, alternative rock, funk, industrial, and grunge. Nu met ...
- rap rock song, which Lee disliked as the label forced them to add the male rapping vocal to make it marketable, or the song and the album would not be released. During an interview, Lee stated: "It was presented to me as, 'You're a girl singing in a rock band, there's nothing else like that out there, nobody's going to listen to you. You need a guy to come in and sing back-up for it to be successful.'" Lee wrote Paul McCoy's part. On the chorus, Lee sings the lines "'Call my name and save me from the dark' over "surging guitars", and McCoy raps the lines "Wake me up/ I can't wake up/ Save me!". According to the sheet music published by
Alfred Music Publishing Alfred Music is an American music publishing company. Founded in New York in 1922, it is headquartered in Van Nuys, California, with additional branches in Miami, New York, Germany, Singapore, and the United Kingdom. History In New York Cit ...
on the website Musicnotes.com, the song is set in
common time The time signature (also known as meter signature, metre signature, or measure signature) is a notational convention used in Western musical notation to specify how many beats (pulses) are contained in each measure (bar), and which note val ...
and performed in a moderate
tempo In musical terminology, tempo ( Italian, 'time'; plural ''tempos'', or ''tempi'' from the Italian plural) is the speed or pace of a given piece. In classical music, tempo is typically indicated with an instruction at the start of a piece (ofte ...
of 95 beats per minute. It is written in the key of E minor and Lee's vocal range for the song runs from the low note of A3 to the high note of D5. ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...
''s Kirk Miller said that the song is stylistically a "case of mistaken identity", dooming the band to Linkin Park comparisons "thanks to tsdigital beats, clean metal-guitar riffs, scattered piano lines and all-too-familiar mix of rapping and singing." Blair R. Fischer of MTV called it a "ubiquitous rap-rock confection". Richard Harrington from ''
The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...
'' described its sound as "crunching metallic".
Ann Powers Ann K. Powers (born February 4, 1964) is an American writer and pop music critic. She is a music critic for NPR and a contributor at the ''Los Angeles Times'', where she was previously chief pop critic. She has also served as pop critic at ''The ...
from the '' Milwaukee Journal Sentinel'' said that "with its lyrical drama and crunchy guitars, he songbranded the band as overdone
nu-metal Nu metal (sometimes stylized as nü-metal, sometimes called aggro-metal) is a subgenre of that combines elements of heavy metal music with elements of other music genres such as hip hop, alternative rock, funk, industrial, and grunge. Nu m ...
." "Bring Me To Life" has also been classified as hard rock,
alternative rock Alternative rock, or alt-rock, is a category of rock music that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1970s and became widely popular in the 1990s. "Alternative" refers to the genre's distinction from mainstream or commerci ...
, and ''Blender'' writer Nick Catucci described it as a "crossover
goth-metal Gothic metal (or goth metal) is a fusion genre combining the aggression of heavy metal with the dark atmospheres of gothic rock. The music of gothic metal is diverse with bands known to adopt the gothic approach to different styles of heavy met ...
smash". Nick Catucci of ''
The Village Voice ''The Village Voice'' is an American news and culture paper, known for being the country's first alternative newspaper, alternative newsweekly. Founded in 1955 by Dan Wolf (publisher), Dan Wolf, Ed Fancher, John Wilcock, and Norman Mailer, th ...
'' wrote that "piano tinkles, Lee's breathless keen, dramatic pauses, guitars like clouds of locusts, ndMcCoy's passing-12-kidney-stones guest vocals" characterize the song, which "sounds like church-burning, brain-eating European dark metal." Vik Bansal of musicOMH said the track contains "Lee's temptress vocals, pseudo-electronic beats à la Linkin Park, understated but menacing metallic riffs in the background, and a ripping, radio-friendly rock chorus." MTV described it as "an unrelenting paean that begins as hauntingly delicate before piling on crumpled guitar lines and a rap" while "Lee's vocals soar above the whole sludgy mixture".


Release

Evanescence were initially promoted in Christian stores until the band made it clear they did not want to be considered part of the
Christian rock Christian rock is a form of rock music that features lyrics focusing on matters of Christian faith, often with an emphasis on Jesus, typically performed by self-proclaimed Christian individuals. The extent to which their lyrics are explicitly C ...
genre. In April 2003, Wind-up Records chairman,
Alan Meltzer Alan Meltzer (1944 – October 31, 2011) was an American businessman and poker player who founded Wind-up Records along with his ex-wife Diana Meltzer. Record company Meltzer owned Titus Oaks Records, four record stores in New York and Co ...
, wrote to Christian radio and retail outlets to explain that, despite the "spiritual underpinning that ignited interest and excitement in the Christian religious community", Evanescence are "a secular band, and as such view their music as entertainment", adding that Wind-Up "strongly feels that they no longer belong in Christian markets." Soon after, many Christian radio stations removed "Bring Me to Life" from their playlists. Terry Hemmings, CEO of Christian music distributor Provident, expressed puzzlement at the band's about-face, saying: "They clearly understood the album would be sold in these hristian musicchannels." In 2003, Lee said she had always opposed Evanescence being identified as a Christian band while Moody supported it, stating in 2006: "I fought that from the beginning; I never wanted to be associated with it. It was a Ben thing. It's over. It's a new day." She said that Evanescence was not a Christian band and lyrically never had a religious affiliation. "Bring Me to Life" first appeared in a scene of the film ''
Daredevil Daredevil may refer to: * A stunt performer Arts and media Comics * Daredevil (Lev Gleason Publications), a fictional 1940s superhero popularized by writer-artist Charles Biro * Daredevil (Marvel Comics character), a Marvel comic book superhero ...
'' and was included on the film's soundtrack, released in February 2003. The song was released as ''Fallen''s first single on April 7, 2003. Wind-up Entertainment president Ed Vetri revealed that when the label introduced the song to radio, radio programmers rejected it, saying, "A chick and a piano? Are you kidding? On rock radio?" However, after the song was released on the ''Daredevil'' soundtrack, listeners began demanding air play for it. On the worldwide success of the song, Lee said: The single includes "Farther Away" as a B-side. The first pressing of the Australian single contained the track "Missing" as a B-side, but this was omitted from later pressings and later released as a bonus track on the band's first live album, ''
Anywhere but Home ''Anywhere but Home'' is the first live album and concert DVD release by American rock band Evanescence. It was released on November 23, 2004, by Wind-up Records. It includes a recording of a concert at Le Zénith in Paris, an hour of behind th ...
''. An acoustic version was recorded and released on the "Bring Me to Life" DVD. Several other versions of the track have been released, such as remixes, acoustic and altered versions.


Reception and accolades

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databa ...
's Johnny Loftus called the song "misleading" due to the vocal duet but "flawless".
Kelefa Sanneh Kelefa T. Sanneh (born 1976) is an American journalist and music critic. From 2000 to 2008, he wrote for ''The New York Times'', covering the rock and roll, hip-hop, and pop music scenes. Since 2008 he has been a staff writer for ''The New Yorke ...
of ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...
'' said that "Bring Me to Life" "floats like a butterfly, stings like a bee and then hits like a brick." Writing for '' Milwaukee Journal Sentinel'',
Ann Powers Ann K. Powers (born February 4, 1964) is an American writer and pop music critic. She is a music critic for NPR and a contributor at the ''Los Angeles Times'', where she was previously chief pop critic. She has also served as pop critic at ''The ...
wrote that it is a "mix of voluptuous singing and metallic guitar (the latter enhanced by McCoy's rap-rock declamations)". Joe D'Angelo of MTV said the song is an "unrelenting paean that begins as hauntingly delicate before piling on crumpled guitar lines and a rap" and Lee's "vocals soar above the whole sludgy mixture to keep it from sinking into tired mediocrity." Adrien Bengrad from ''
PopMatters ''PopMatters'' is an international online magazine of cultural criticism that covers aspects of popular culture. ''PopMatters'' publishes reviews, interviews, and essays on cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, fi ...
'' called it a "quality single" although hearing it more led him to find it "nothing more than a bombastic distraction from the usual dreck" despite "the refreshing dose of melody". Christopher Gray of ''
The Austin Chronicle ''The Austin Chronicle'' is an alternative weekly newspaper published every Thursday in Austin, Texas, United States. The paper is distributed through free news-stands, often at local eateries or coffee houses frequented by its targeted demogr ...
'' deemed it "one of the more curious offerings to be had on the airwaves right now and lingers in the memory like the remnants of a particularly vivid nightmare". Bryan Reeseman of '' Mix'' described "Bring Me to Life" as "grandiose and moody". Nick Catucci of ''
The Village Voice ''The Village Voice'' is an American news and culture paper, known for being the country's first alternative newspaper, alternative newsweekly. Founded in 1955 by Dan Wolf (publisher), Dan Wolf, Ed Fancher, John Wilcock, and Norman Mailer, th ...
'' deemed it a "fabulous breakthrough single" that sounds like "church-burning, brain-eating European dark metal." John Hood of the '' Miami New Times'' said it is a "huge, heavy, and mightily histrionic" track that pits Lee's "soaring voice both with and against the rap-infused gruff of McCoy". In his review of Evanescence's second album, Don Kaye of
Blabbermouth.net Blabbermouth.net is a website dedicated to heavy metal and hard rock news, as well as album and music DVD reviews. Blabbermouth.net was founded and is run by Borivoj Krgin. The first version of the website was launched in March 2001; in Octob ...
criticized the song for containing "annoying faux-rapping" as a "key component". Melissa Maerz of '' Spin'' said that Lee thematically tackles death on the song with "grandeur". ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...
'' called it "haunting, moody and cinematic". "Bring Me to Life" won the
Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance The Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance was an award presented to recording artists at the Grammy Awards until 2011. The academy recognized hard rock music artists for the first time at the 31st Grammy Awards (1989). The category was ori ...
at the
46th Grammy Awards The 46th Annual Grammy Awards were held on February 8, 2004 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California honoring the best in music for the recording of the year beginning from October 1, 2002 through September 30, 2003. They recognized ...
, where it was also nominated in the category
Best Rock Song The Grammy Award for Best Rock Song is an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for quality songs in the rock music genre. Honors in several ...
. At the 2003 MTV Video Music Awards the band was nominated in the category for
Best New Artist The Grammy Award for Best New Artist has been awarded since 1959. Years reflect the year in which the Grammy Awards were handed out, for records released in the previous year. The award was not presented in 1967. The official guidelines are as ...
for "Bring Me to Life". The song received a nomination at the
2003 MTV Europe Music Awards The 2003 MTV Europe Music Awards were held in Western Harbour in Edinburgh, Scotland. The awards ceremony was held in a 6,000-capacity big top arena constructed specifically for the main event. On the night, Justin Timberlake notably received a ...
for Best Song. At the 14th annual ''Billboard'' Music Awards, it won the award for Soundtrack Single of the Year. "Bring Me to Life" ranked number 69 on VH1's 100 Greatest Songs of the 2000s.


Chart performance

"Bring Me to Life" peaked within the top 10 of more than 15 countries, and within the top 20 of several other countries, making it the band's most successful single to date. It was certified
Platinum Platinum is a chemical element with the symbol Pt and atomic number 78. It is a dense, malleable, ductile, highly unreactive, precious, silverish-white transition metal. Its name originates from Spanish , a diminutive of "silver". Pla ...
in 2003 for selling more than one million copies in the United States. It topped the '' Billboard'' Alternative Songs and
Pop 100 The Pop 100 was a songs chart that debuted in February 2005 and was released weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine in the United States until its discontinuation in 2009. It ranked songs based on airplay on Mainstream Top 40 radio stations, singles sa ...
charts and peaked at number five on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. It also peaked at number four on the
Adult Pop Songs The Adult Pop Airplay (formerly known as Adult Pop Songs and Adult Top 40) chart is published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine and ranks "the most popular adult top 40 as based on radio airplay detections measured by Nielsen Broadcast Data Systems ...
chart. The song initially peaked within the
Christian rock Christian rock is a form of rock music that features lyrics focusing on matters of Christian faith, often with an emphasis on Jesus, typically performed by self-proclaimed Christian individuals. The extent to which their lyrics are explicitly C ...
charts as well, because its lyrics were interpreted as a call for new life in Jesus Christ by several listeners. "Bring Me To Life" charted at number 73 on ''Billboard''s Best of the 2000s Rock Songs Chart, the only song by a female-led band on that chart. The song topped the charts of Australia, Belgium, Italy and the United Kingdom. It peaked within the top 5 of Austria, Canada, France, Ireland, Germany, New Zealand, Norway, Netherlands, and Sweden. On the ARIA Singles Chart, "Bring Me to Life" peaked at number one where it stayed for six weeks. "Bring Me to Life" charted within the top 20 of every other country of its release. In the United Kingdom, the song spent four weeks at the top of the
UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...
, which in turn helped ''Fallen'' peak at the top of the
UK Albums Chart The Official Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales and (from March 2015) audio streaming in the United Kingdom. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the Official Charts ...
. The song also topped the European Hot 100 chart. On June 4, 2011, the song returned to the top of the UK Rock & Metal Singles Chart, eight years after its original release, remaining at number one for two weeks, on June 11, 2011, to June 25, 2011. It fell to number two, remaining there for three weeks, and on July 17, 2011, "Bring Me to Life" returned to number one again and remained there for three weeks. The song remained within the top 10 into October 2011. , the song has sold more than 745,000 copies in the United Kingdom.


Music video

The accompanying music video for "Bring Me to Life" was directed by
Philipp Stölzl Philipp Stölzl (born 1967 in Munich) is a German director. He began to direct music videos in the mid-1990s and directed his first feature film in 2002. Life and career Philipp Stölzl was trained as a set and costume designer at the Münchner ...
. Talking about the video, Stölzl said: "On the one hand, it brings out the most catchy part of the song, the bridge, the duet with the male and female vocals. On the other hand, it reflects the soundtrack background of the song. I did not know if I would have to use a
stunt double In filmmaking, a double is a person who substitutes FOR another actor such that the person's face is not shown. There are various terms associated with a double based on the specific body part or ability they serve as a double for, such as stunt ...
for most of the angles, which would have restricted me a lot, but then it turned out that Amy did everything herself, hanging on Paul's arm for hours without getting tired. In the end, she is the one who made that shot strong." On February 1, 2022, the video for "Bring Me to Life" surpassed 1 billion views on YouTube, becoming the first Evanescence song to reach this milestone. As of October 2022, the music video has over 1.1 billion views on YouTube. According to Joe D'Angelo of MTV News, Lee's "teetering on a ledge" in the video shows a "distressed and emotionally wrought heroine." MTV's Gil Kaufman described the scenes of the video: "Lee dreams that she has super Spidey powers, climbs up the outside of a building, spies on her creepy neighbors, then plunges into the abyss." Corey Moss of MTV felt that "as intense as a superhero movie, the sequence also gives a nice visual to the song's most memorable lyric, 'Save me.'" John Hood of ''Miami New Times'' wrote that the "gothopolis backdrop" in the video "would make
Tim Burton Timothy Walter Burton (born August 25, 1958) is an American filmmaker and animator. He is known for his gothic fantasy and horror films such as '' Beetlejuice'' (1988), '' Edward Scissorhands'' (1990), '' The Nightmare Before Christmas'' (1993 ...
green with envy".
Ann Powers Ann K. Powers (born February 4, 1964) is an American writer and pop music critic. She is a music critic for NPR and a contributor at the ''Los Angeles Times'', where she was previously chief pop critic. She has also served as pop critic at ''The ...
from the ''Milwaukee Journal Sentinel'' wrote: "You might not immediately recognize Amy Lee's name, but you would know her if she plummeted past you from the top floor of a tenement building." The music video was nominated at the 2003 MTV Video Music Awards for Best Rock Video, but lost to Linkin Park's "
Somewhere I Belong "Somewhere I Belong" is a song by American rock band Linkin Park. It was released to US radio on February 24, 2003, as the first single from their second studio album, ''Meteora'' (2003), and is the album's third track. It entered the top ten ...
".


Live performances

Evanescence performed "Bring Me to Life" as part of the set-lists of the ''Fallen'' and ''
The Open Door ''The Open Door'' is the second studio album by American rock band Evanescence, released on September 25, 2006, by Wind-up Records. The record symbolizes a new beginning for the band, with Amy Lee in full creative control, incorporating new ele ...
'' tours, during which guitarist John LeCompt performed McCoy's vocal parts. A live performance from the tour filmed at Le Zénith in Paris is included on the band's concert CD and DVD ''
Anywhere but Home ''Anywhere but Home'' is the first live album and concert DVD release by American rock band Evanescence. It was released on November 23, 2004, by Wind-up Records. It includes a recording of a concert at Le Zénith in Paris, an hour of behind th ...
'' (2004). The live recording contains a piano and vocal solo before the song's intro. Evanescence performed the song at their War Memorial Auditorium concert in
Nashville, Tennessee Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the seat of Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the most populous city in the state, 21st most-populous city in the U.S., and ...
on August 17, 2011, in promotion of their third album, ''
Evanescence Evanescence is an American rock band founded in Little Rock, Arkansas in 1995 by singer and musician Amy Lee and guitarist Ben Moody. After recording independent EPs as a duo in the late 90's, and a demo CD, Evanescence released their debut ...
'' (2011). They also performed the song during the 2011 Rock in Rio festival on October 2, 2011. On February 16, 2020, Lee performed "Bring Me to Life" with Japanese band Wagakki Band at
Osaka-jō Hall is a multi-purpose arena located in the Kyōbashi area of Osaka, Japan. The hall opened in 1983 and can seat up to 16,000 people. Built on a site area of 36,351 square meters, part of its form uses stone walls, modeled after those of the Cast ...
, in
Osaka is a designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the third most populous city in Japan, following Special wards of Tokyo and Yokohama. With a population of ...
, Japan.


2017 Synthesis arrangement

In 2017, a rearranged version of the song was recorded for the band's fourth studio album ''
Synthesis Synthesis or synthesize may refer to: Science Chemistry and biochemistry * Chemical synthesis, the execution of chemical reactions to form a more complex molecule from chemical precursors **Organic synthesis, the chemical synthesis of organ ...
''. The new version was made available for digital download and streaming on August 18, 2017; it was also made available for instant download for concertgoers who purchased tickets for the band's Synthesis Tour. The ''Synthesis'' version of "Bring Me to Life" replaces the drums and guitar from the ''Fallen'' version with string arrangements accompanied by crashing cymbals, "tension-building" timpani drums and various electronic elements throughout. It also removes Paul McCoy's vocal feature. Several critics have described its new arrangement as "dramatic", with ''Billboard''s Sadie Bell deeming it "just as rich" as the original and ''Rolling Stone''s Brittany Spanos calling it a "cinematic take". Lee has described the song as "new" to her again due to the fact that she incorporated musical elements and vocals which she had "heard in erhead" since its release.


Credits and personnel

Credits are adapted from ''Fallen'' liner notes. *
Amy Lee Amy Lynn Hartzler (; born December 13, 1981) is an American singer-songwriter and musician. She is the co-founder, lead vocalist, and lead songwriter of the rock band Evanescence. Alongside her contributions with the band, Lee has also particip ...
– writing, keyboards, vocals *
Ben Moody Benjamin Robert Moody II (born January 22, 1981) is an American guitarist, songwriter and record producer. He is best known as co-founder, former guitarist and co-songwriter of rock band Evanescence from its inception in 1995 to his departure in ...
– writing, guitar *
David Hodges David Hall Hodges (born December 5, 1978) is an American songwriter and record producer from Little Rock, Arkansas. He was a studio contributor to the rock band Evanescence from 2000–2002. He has since had success co-writing and co–produci ...
– writing, keyboards * Josh Freese – drums * Francesco DiCosmo – bass guitar * David Campbell – string arrangements *
Graeme Revell Graeme Revell (born 23 October 1955) is a New Zealand musician and composer. He came to prominence in the 1980s as the leader of the industrial/electronic group SPK. Since the 1990s he has worked primarily as a film score composer. Some of ...
– orchestral conduction *
Paul McCoy 12 Stones is an American hard rock band, formed in 2000 in Mandeville, Louisiana, and currently consisting of Paul McCoy, Eric Weaver and Sean Dunaway. History The band members met in Mandeville, Louisiana, a small city north of New Orleans, ...
– guest vocals *
Dave Fortman Dave Fortman (born July 11, 1967) is an American record producer and musician. He is the guitarist for rock band Ugly Kid Joe, and has worked with bands such as Superjoint Ritual, Snot, Atomship, Eyehategod, Mudvayne, Otep, Slipknot (on the ...
– producing


Track listings

* European CD single # "Bring Me to Life" – 3:56 # "Bring Me to Life" (Bliss Mix) – 3:59 * European maxi-CD # "Bring Me to Life" – 3:56 # "Bring Me to Life" (Bliss Mix) – 3:59 # "Farther Away" – 3:58 # "Bring Me to Life" (music video) – 4:14 * Australian CD single # "Bring Me to Life" – 3:56 # "Bring Me to Life" (Bliss Mix) – 3:59 # "Farther Away" – 3:58 # "Missing" – 4:15 * French CD single # "Bring Me to Life" – 3:56 # "Bring Me to Life" (Bliss Mix) – 3:59 * Subsequent pressings single # "Bring Me to Life" – 3:56 # "Bring Me to Life" (Bliss Mix) – 3:59 # "Farther Away" – 3:58 # "Bring Me to Life" (music video) – 4:14 * International DVD # "Bring Me to Life" (video) # "Bring Me to Life" # "Bring Me to Life" (live acoustic version) # "
My Immortal "My Immortal" is a song by American rock band Evanescence from their debut studio album, ''Fallen'' (2003). It was released by Wind-up Records on December 8, 2003, as the third single from the album. An alternative version appears on the band's ...
" (Live acoustic version) # Interview footage * UK cassette single # "Bring Me to Life" – 3:56 # "Farther Away" – 3:58 # "Bring Me to Life" (Bliss Mix) – 3:59


Charts


Weekly charts


Year-end charts


Decade-end charts


All-time charts


Certifications and sales


Release history


Katherine Jenkins cover

Welsh classical singer Katherine Jenkins recorded a cover version of "Bring Me to Life" on her 2009 album '' Believe''. Jenkins said: "I'd mentioned that I wanted to try Evanescence's Bring Me to Life and David oster/nowiki> said 'you can't sing that'. I came out there questioning my vocal abilities. I'm just not used to being told that. I went home that night and I just thought to myself 'you have to pull yourself together, he's worked with so many incredible artists you have to step up the plate.' I did talk myself round and I went in there the next day on a mission. It's good to be pushed sometimes – and I proved him wrong!" Jenkins decided to change the guitar-led and percussive original version and instead, "make it more orchestral with the percussion coming from the strings." Alfred Hickling of ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
'' gave a mixed review of Jenkins' cover, calling it "histrionic." However, a writer of
BBC Online BBC Online, formerly known as BBCi, is the BBC's online service. It is a large network of websites including such high-profile sites as BBC News and BBC Sport, Sport, the on-demand video and radio services branded BBC iPlayer and BBC Sounds, t ...
chose her version of the song as a highlight on the album. On October 23, 2009, the song was available for digital download as the second single from ''Believe''. On November 23, 2011, Jenkins sang the song live at the Leicester Square station in London.


Track listing


Weekly charts


See also

* List of number-one singles of 2003 (Australia) *
List of number-one hits of 2003 (Italy) This is a list of the number-one hits of 2003 on Federation of the Italian Music Industry, FIMI's Italian Singles and Albums Charts. See also *2003 in music *List of number-one hits in Italy External linksFIMI archivesList of UK Singles Chart number ones of the 2000s The UK Singles Chart is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC) on behalf of the British record industry. In the 2000s the chart week ran from Sunday to Saturday, and the top 40 singles were revealed each Sunday on BBC Radio 1. Before the ...
*
List of Billboard number-one alternative singles of the 2000s Alternative Airplay is a record chart published by the music industry magazine '' Billboard'' that ranks the most-played songs on American modern rock radio stations. It was introduced by ''Billboard'' in September 1988. During the 2000s, the cha ...
* List of Billboard Mainstream Top 40 number-one songs of 2003 *
List of UK Rock Chart number-one singles of 2003 The UK Rock & Metal Singles Chart is a record chart which ranks the best-selling rock and heavy metal songs in the United Kingdom. Compiled and published by the Official Charts Company, the data is based on each track's weekly physical sales, ...
*
List of UK Rock Chart number-one singles of 2011 The UK Rock & Metal Singles Chart is a record chart which ranks the best-selling rock and heavy metal songs in the United Kingdom. Compiled and published by the Official Charts Company, the data is based on each track's weekly physical sales, ...


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bring Me To Life Daredevil (film series) 2000s ballads Evanescence songs 2003 debut singles 2002 songs Number-one singles in Australia European Hot 100 Singles number-one singles Number-one singles in Italy Number-one singles in Scotland Number-one singles in Spain UK Singles Chart number-one singles Songs written by Ben Moody Songs written by David Hodges Songs written by Amy Lee Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance American alternative rock songs Gothic metal songs Rap rock songs Wind-up Records singles Epic Records singles Katherine Jenkins songs