"By the Sword" is a charity single released by

Emilie Autumn Emilie Autumn Liddell (born September 22, 1979) is an American singer-songwriter, poet, author and violinist. Autumn's musical style is described by her as "Fairy Pop", "Fantasy Rock" or "Victoriandustrial". It is influenced by glam rock and ...

in response to the events of September 11, 2001. All proceeds from the sales for the release were donated to

AmeriCares Americares is a global non-profit organization focused on health and development that respond to individuals affected by poverty, disaster, or crisis. The organization addresses poverty, disasters, or crises with medicine, medical supplies and h ...

and the

American Red Cross The American Red Cross (ARC), also known as the American National Red Cross, is a non-profit humanitarian organization that provides emergency assistance, disaster relief, and disaster preparedness education in the United States. It is the desi ...

. The single was released on Autumn's own label, Traitor, which no longer exists. All songs can be found on other releases: "By the Sword" and "I Know It's Over" are featured on '' A Bit o' This & That'', "Castle Down" is found on '' Enchant'', and "Willow" is on ''

Laced/Unlaced ''Laced/Unlaced'' is a two-disc instrumental album by Emilie Autumn, released in 2007 by Trisol Music Group. Disc one, "Laced", is a re-release of '' On a Day...'', Autumn's fledgling record, with the addition of several previously unreleased liv ...

.''

Concept and recording

Autumn described the concept for the title track as everyday heroes who fight for what is right joining together, explaining, "When I talk about the Round Table and such, I'm speaking metaphorically of course. It's like, after 9/11, you might have gone into a shelter where an old woman was helping to feed parentless children, and for one moment, you might have looked at her and seen her in a breastplate with a sword hanging by her side. The sword is symbolic. It doesn't mean violence. It means strength." She said the process of writing and recording the song, which was done the same day as the September 11 attacks, was "instinctual", stating "I felt I needed to help before I could allow myself the luxury to grieve."

Concept and recording

Track listing

Personnel

References