What does Tourniquet mean?

Evanescence: Tourniquet Meaning

Album cover for Tourniquet album cover

Tourniquet Lyrics

I tried to kill my pain
but only brought more.
(so much more)
I lay dying
and i'm pouring crimson regret and betrayal.
I'm dying, praying, bleeding and screaming!
Am i too lost to be saved?
Am i too lost?

My God my tourniquet
return to...

  1. anonymous
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    Feb 2nd 2009 !⃝

    Can anyone think of a way to interpret this without suicide or self-inflicted pain? My mom kinda freaked when she heard this song.

  2. asterodera
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    Jan 11th 2009 !⃝

    This song is very deep, Takes a looing into beyond face value.
    Indeed it is a song about self harm/destruction however the one who's cut themselves, shows signs of regret once doing so and turns to god as her tourniquet, her last resort but she fears that she's too lost to be saved.
    Very sad song to say the least, but very deep.

  3. savant
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    Jan 5th 2009 !⃝

    I don't think Amy Lee wrote this song. I think it's about a Christian who just wants to die, but suicide is a sin against God, so she's asking for forgivness. The "will you be on the other side or will you forget me" kind of asks will God accept me into heaven or will he forget about me. "I tried to kill the pain" could be interpreted in a few different ways, but I think that it was probably she tried to stop getting hurt but couldn't control it, so she ended up getting more hurt than before, hence "but only brought more." Just a thought.

  4. anonymous
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    Nov 21st 2008 !⃝

    this is simply a song about someone who has attempted suicide but soon regrets their actions and hopes they will not be punished . . if punishment there is.

  5. xemoskatergirlx
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    Nov 16th 2008 !⃝

    "i tried to kill the pain" meaning that she tried to stop cutting herself but, in the end couldn't. she ends up cutting herself and the first time she says "im dying praying bleeding and screaming" saying, the slit hit something big, praying meaning hoping to die, and screaming because..obiously..shes screaming because it hurts. "am i too lost to be saved" is because she has fallen into darkness and cant get out, a common feeling. "my God, my tourniquet"a tourniquet is used to stop massive bleeding, in this case its like a mental state to make her stop bleeding from the inside because it hurts. in the end, the cut kills her meaning, she commited suiside.

  6. famciliari
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    Nov 14th 2008 !⃝

    I believe this song is not purely about suicide. It's saying "I want to live a righteous life, I'm trying to, except that its really hard, suicide is the easy way out, but I won't do that"

    I tried to kill the pain
    But only brought more (so much more)
    I lay dying
    And I'm pouring crimson regret and betrayal

    she tries to live right,not committing sins,etc but only brought more pain,sufferings,etc,
    I lay dying=since I changed my lifestyle,its really hard,so I compare the pain to a dying person's pain
    And I'm pouring crimson regret and betrayal=i wish I didn't choose to live right, but I have to

    Am I too lost to be saved?
    Am I too lost?
    im very very lost before, now that I'm trying to find my way back,can I still be saved? its not a negative statement at all

    Do you remember me?
    Lost for so long
    Will you be on the other side?
    Will you forget me?

    maybe she's like,addressing this to God
    she was good when she was a child, for many years she lost her way, so she's asking God if He remembers her after those many years


    My God, my tourniquet
    Return to me salvation
    My God, my tourniquet
    Return to me salvation

    this is pretty interesting
    God is the tourniquet

    i actually had experience of being in a tourniquet
    its really really painful,
    when you're in a tourniquet, youll suffer so much pain, but you'll live
    when you don't apply one, youll still suffer, but not as much pain as in a tourniquet, but you may die

    comparing this to the song
    when you use God as your tourniquet in life, youll suffer the pain of living a righteous life, not being able to "sin",but you'll go to heaven
    when you don't have a tourniquet, you'll just enjoy the sinful pleasures of life, but you'll rot in hell


    [I want to die]

    Back to my experience, I was complaining how painful it was, I also said many times that I want to remove it,

    Putting it in the context of the song, its also like saying, the tourniquet really hurts, I want to die, to end the pain in this life,

    Take note that she says "I want" not I need, not I will
    so the desire to die is just in her thoughts, she really won't commit suicide at all

  7. hay34sow
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    Aug 25th 2008 !⃝

    First things first, it is not right to commit suicide. That is our flesh. I believe this song talks a lot about choice. Choosing to die or choosing everlasting life through the Saviour. I lay dying and I'm pouring crimson regret and betrayal. At this point she could mad at herself, the blood being the crismson regret and betrayal meaning she betrayed everything she believed in...God. I'm dying, praying bleeding and screaming. If you think about this...this is a very ugly situation to where you finally did what you wanted to do and took it too far and now your praying that because you did it there's not a lot of time now and you wish you could get it back. Am I too lost to be saved? Am I too lost? At this point, she knows that she is lost and a sinner and she is bound for Hell because of that. My God, My tourniquet, return to me salvation. She is asking for forgiveness. She is asking God to come into her heart and bring salvation. Now, she is saying return to me salvation. So I'm not sure if she was doubting her salvation-going down a broken path in her life...or if she meant 'God come into my heart so that I may be saved.' That can be taken many ways. Yes, committing suicide is a sin. But if you have been saved by the grace of God than he doesn't see that sin. Therefore if you are saved and you commit suicide you are not bound for Hell. Just like it's not right to murder someone but if you asked the Lord to forgive you of your sins...you are going to heaven. But it's our flesh and the rotten devil that make us think sad, crazy thoughts about ourself and we might always make the right decisions. The Devil plays off of feelings..he puts thoughts in your head and watches you react to those feelings...most of the they are bad feelings. Suicide is a form of self-pity. Just like depression is. I suffer it when I think it, but I can't just sit there in my self-pity. It's time to make something of my life. But I wouldn't be anywhere without God. I highly suggest if you are unsure that you are saved..it's best that you drop to your knees and ask God forgiveness and for salvation. It is very important to know where you are spending eternity.

  8. anonymous
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    Jul 8th 2008 !⃝

    Amy lee (lead singer) sings about suicide in "tourniquet". when she says "I tried to kill the pain but only brought more" it means she cut her wrist and thought it would stop her pain but now her pain hurts even more than it did. and when she says " my god my tourniquet return to me salvation" she is saying god be my tourniquet and save me from the road to hell and place my feet on the road to salvation (heaven). for those of you who don't know what a tourniquet is it is when your bleeding to death and you use a bandanna or a belt to tightly wrap around the upper part of your arm to block the blood from draining.

  9. anonymous
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    May 27th 2008 !⃝

    Once again, another Evanescence song about self-injury.

    This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
  10. anonymous
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    Apr 12th 2008 !⃝

    I saw this fan-made music video with this song and I think I agree with their interpretation. (luvs vid) XP

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rr4p89NXsfs

  11. deadcalm
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    Dec 27th 2007 !⃝

    A suicide song. Hurting yourself on the outside to kill what's on the inside. wanting to die but looking for redemption at the same time.

  12. x_lily_x
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    Sep 13th 2007 !⃝

    Whatever a tourniquet is... This song is about suicide.

  13. Fallenbat
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    Aug 29th 2007 !⃝

    She refers to God as a tourniquet- something that will save her. Basically, she's bleeding to death and she's wondering what will happen to her- if she accepts God, will she go to Hell anyway, or will He understand and save her- from Hell, not from death. She doesn't want to be saved from death- "Will I be denied, Christ, tourniquet, my suicide"- when she asks for help, will God make her live as His way of saving her? She doesn't want that.

  14. anonymous
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    Apr 21st 2007 !⃝

    I agree with the previous comment,although just partly.The girl is suicidal and often cuts herself so she needs a tourniquet.She pleads for salvation because she konws that it's an act against Christ who had died for her as well as for all other people.She wonders if she will be denied by God if she comittes suicide.

  15. anonymous
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    Apr 16th 2007 !⃝

    Suicide may be sin, but God forgives all sins. Anyway, yes it is about suicide and that person asking God to forgive her.

    This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway



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