I'm your Opheliac
I've been so disillusioned
I know you'd take me back
But still I feigned confusion
I couldn't be your friend
My world was too unstable
You might have seen the end

But you were never able
To keep me breathing
As the water rises up again
Before I slip away

You know the games I play
And the words I say
When I want my own way
You know the lies I tell
When you've gone through hell
And I say I can't stay
You know how hard it can be
To keep believing in me
When everything and everyone
Becomes my enemy and when
There's nothing more you can do
I'm gonna blame it on you
It's not the way I want to be
I only hope that in the end you will see
It's the Opheliac in me
It's the Opheliac in me

I'm your Opheliac
My stocking prove my virtues
I'm open to attack
But I don't want to hurt you
Whether I swim or sink
That's no concern of yours now
How could you possibly think

You had the power to know how
To keep me breathing
As the water rises up again
Before I slip away

You know the games I play
And the words I say
When I want my own way
You know the lies I tell
When you've gone through hell
And I say I can't stay
You know how hard it can be
To keep believing in me
When everything and everyone
Becomes my enemy and when
There's nothing more you can do
I'm gonna blame it on you
It's not the way I want to be
I only hope that in the end you will see
It's the Opheliac in me
It's the Opheliac in me

Studies Show...
Intelligent girls are more depressed
Because they know
What the world is really like
Don't think for a beat it makes it better
When you sit her down and tell her
Everything's gonna all right
She knows in society she either is
A devil or an angel with no in between
She speaks in third person
So she can forget that she's me

Doubt thou the stars are fire
Doubt thou the sun doth move
Doubt truth to be a liar
But never doubt

Doubt thou the stars are fire
Doubt thou the sun doth move
Doubt truth to be a liar
But never doubt

Doubt thou the stars are fire
Doubt thou the sun doth move
Doubt truth to be a liar
But never doubt I love

You know the games I play
And the words I say
When I want my own way
You know the lies I tell
When you've gone through hell
And I say I can't stay
You know how hard it can be
To keep believing in me
When everything and everyone
Becomes my enemy and when
There's nothing more you can do
I'm gonna blame it on you
It's not the way I want to be
I only hope that in the end you will see
But never doubt

You know the games I play
And the words I say
When I want my own way
You know the lies I tell
When you've gone through hell
And I say I can't stay
You know how hard it can be
To keep believing in me
When everything and everyone
Becomes my enemy and when
There's nothing more you can do
I'm gonna blame it on you
It's not the way I want to be
I only hope that in the end you will see



Lyrics submitted by Sparkle_motion, edited by Shalott

Track duration: 05:34

"Opheliac" as written by Emilie Autumn

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group

Lyrics powered by LyricFind


Opheliac song meanings
Add your thoughts

39 Comments

sort form View by:
  • 0
    General Comment:I'm no expert, but I would say this isn't a cry for help or someone trying to be pompous. This is the anthem of someone hoping others might understand her. She tells the listeners what she does and what she feels in hopes that people will understand her more even as they judge her. She's trying to describe what it's like to live with what some call a mental illness. It's quite a beautiful song in sound and in message.

    If you've been blessed to not have a mental illness, be happy for that. People should not pretend to have one or even identify themselves as suffering from depression for feeling down for a week.

    I know it's hard to understand, but those with these actual illnesses have to fight themselves every single day. Every day starts with trying to find a reason to live and to keep going on. That might sound easy to some, but if you're bi-polar or actually suffer from depression, it is hard to remember anything good that has not been twisted in some way or another. Your own happy memories become rotten caricatures so that you're only left with the worst things you've experienced. Try going through life only feeling the worst the world has to offer? These things are lifelong, you don't just one day get better. There is no break, there is no cure, there is only enduring and taking a lot of pills.

    So when I hear the line:
    There's nothing more you can do
    I'm gonna blame it on you
    It's not the way I want to be
    I only hope that in the end you will see
    It's the Opheliac in me

    I don't see some mean girl lashing out for no reason, I don't see some manipulative person, I don't see any malice at all. I see someone who is fighting for their life, sees that they are doing wrong to someone, but can't find a way to prevent that while living. It's an apology, and one with a full explanation, not an excuse.
    Flag nesossin06on May 01, 2013   Link
  • +1
    My Interpretation:I believe this song is about a woman that has phsyciatrical problems, and is "opheliac" that is self-destructive and suicidial but also depressive and maniac, like bipolar disorder...
    She is in love with someone that is always by her side and she feeld guilt that she can't be normal for him. Sometimes she is depressed and he tries to keep her up or she is maniac and blames him for everything but he is still there though he can't truly "keep her breathing", keep her happy... She knows that she would never truly hurt him but she is afraid that he will leave her for believing that, that's why she says "It is the opheliac in me", I only destroy myself, not others...
    A touching story that makes you see through the heart of a mentally ill in love
    Flag AngelicMoonon February 11, 2012   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:In the companion album she said it herself she dislikes people who use their disease as an excuse to get away with something, and that the song was ironic of that because that's what she did.

    It's supposed to be about a girl who pretty much got ruined by her last relationship (i.e. her apparent shitastic ex boyfriend) and it's an advanced apology to the next guy to come around.
    She said it was rather sympathetic in nature...

    Idk, just saying what it said.
    Flag Seijihimeon March 18, 2011   Link
  • 0
    My Interpretation:(Urrgh, damn enter key.)

    I love this line, because the lines preceding..
    "Don't think for a beat it makes it better
    When you sit her down and tell her
    Everything gonna be all right
    She knows in society she either is
    A devil or an angel with no in between"

    ...leads you to believe she's talking about something else, but she's just a depressed girl trying to forget that she's herself.
    I thought it was cute, in a morbid sense. XD
    Flag DoeADeeron February 20, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:"She speaks in the third person
    So she can forget that she's me."

    Lol! I
    Flag DoeADeeron February 20, 2011   Link
  • 0
    My Interpretation:well personally iv always felt that i sort of relate to that song when i was feeling like that a while ago.

    i feel that its about a girl whos depressed. all her friends are her enemies so she feels like shes living in hell. " you know how hard it can be to keep believing in me when everything and everyone becomes my enemy." shes drowning in sadness, and the people who love her don't want her to be sad and are trying to help her. but she won't let them because shes drowning herself and its hard to swim back up. " Weather i swim or sink, thats no concern of yours now. how could you possibly think, you'd have the power to know how to keep me breathing as the water rises up again, before i slip away..." she says that this is the opehliac in her. maybe the madness in her? something inside of her that causes her to be like this. she must contemplate life a lot and think about the negativity of life a lot. " Studies show intelligent girls are more depressed because they know what the world is really like. don't think for a beat that whens you says everythings gona be better that every things gona be alright. she knows in society shes ether a devil or an angel with no inbetween, she speaks in third person so she can forget she is me."
    Flag emilieautumnon September 13, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I think
    it's about an internet stalker
    Flag Matt Holckon March 25, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I have to say, I sort of agree with StrictlyWicket. I relate alot to this song, for reasons I'm now quite ashamed of. I've been a card-carrying crazy person for a number of years, and when I was first diagnosed, I felt I had carte blanche to do some nasty, vile things, all in the name of my illness. I was angry with the world, upset I had no say over my mental health, and took it out on the people closest to me, and one in particular, then getting angrier when they couldn't help me or make me feel better, pander to what I thought I needed. I almost lost the one person I cared most about, he couldn't cope with my anger, and I hated him for being so weak. It was only when I thought I *did* lose him that I began to realise I had to face up to my actions and take responsibility for what I chose to to. Realising I had an illness was not the same as letting it rule my life. It stopped being a reason for my behaviour and became an excuse, a copout. It's difficult sometimes, even now, to deal with the swings, but I'm in a more balanced frame of mind just for accepting responsibility. And I didn't lose my best friend, after a time. He's still very much part of my life, and I'll never stop trying to make up for what I put him through, even though, as he is the way he is, he's already forgiven me.
    Flag Mizspoilton March 12, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:In her book, emilie autumn states the she "tried to pull an ophelia" by drowning herself in the lake behind her boyfriends house.
    Flag ShadeRaveron February 24, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Let me just say that I adore Emilie Autumn and that this song is one of my favourites on the album. StickityWicket had a point that the album may come off as "pompous, manipulative and arrogant". Yet if you go with what he said, that she is basically telling the listener what she is like, and that she'll keep doing it, with no attempt at finding help – the song, in that sense could be a cry for help. Basically saying: "Well you can see how I am, why not try and help me. I can't do it myself – I need your help" This could be easily argued, and cogently as well, yet there ha to be more than one reading to any song, or text for that matter.

    The whole album is testament to psychological dissonance, confusion, manipulation and self-loathing as well as self-loving. When looking at it like this, the term Opheliac could be used to describe the host of problems that she has, acting together to make her insane, something that she cannot escape and through this album, the music, she is crying out for help. A kleptomaniac cannot help but steal, someone with OCD cannot help but do certain things over and over and over again, and like these disorders, she can't help but manipulate, lie, deceive, and harm herself.

    Like StickityWicket said, it isn't/shouldn't be an anthem for girls (or guy for that matter, let us not be sexist here), more of a way to give people an approach/understanding of some of the craziness and chaos in the world, or in your own head. Musically the song is captivating and different, lyrically is a masterpiece, but not something that one wants to identify with too easily.

    Just my 2 cents on the matter.
    Flag Ahamkaraon December 15, 2009   Link

Add your thoughts

Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.

Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!

Back to top
explain