"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 album's third single, following its inclusion on the soundtrack to the film Daredevil. The song was written by singer and pianist Amy Lee and guitarist Ben Moody when they were 15. Several versions were recorded, with the earliest in 1997. Wind-up used the recording from their 2000 demo CD on Fallen against Lee's wishes, which featured Lee's demo vocals and a MIDI keyboard. Strings from Daredevil composer Graeme Revell were added during the production of Fallen. The single, dubbed "band version", is the re-recording Lee and Moody made for Fallen, featuring guitar, drums and bass after the bridge and a string arrangement by David Campbell. An alternative version of the song appears on the band's fourth studio album Synthesis (2017).
"My Immortal" is a piano power ballad, with fictional lyrics about a lingering spirit that haunts someone. The song received generally positive reviews. It was commercially successful, peaking within the top ten in over 10 countries. It charted at number seven on the US Billboard Hot 100 and topped the charts in Canada, Greece and Portugal, as well as on the Billboard Adult Pop Songs chart. The single was certified gold in the US and platinum in Australia. In 2005, it received a nomination for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals at the 47th Grammy Awards. The music video directed by David Mould was filmed in black-and-white in Gothic Quarter, Barcelona. The video was nominated for the MTV Video Music Award for Best Rock Video.
Composition
The song's words were originally written by Moody from fiction, and its composition made by Lee and Moody. They wrote the song when they were 15, and the bridge was later added by Lee. The lyrics of the song refer to a spirit that haunts the memory of a grieving loved one, according to MTV. Lee considers it Moody's song as he wrote the lyrics. Lee contributed "a little bit" to the lyrics, but does not connect with the song as it does not have personal meaning to her.
The earliest known demo of the song was a home-recording by Lee and Moody that solely featured Lee's vocals and piano and slightly different lyrics. It was intended to be included on their 1998 Evanescence EP but was cut before the EP's release. The song was re-recorded for their 2000 demo album, Origin. A version of the song is also featured on the 2003 EP, Mystary.
"My Immortal" is a piano power ballad. John Bean of The Providence Journal called it a "gothic ballad". Michael Clark of the Houston Chronicle viewed it as "goth-meets-pop", and MTV described it as a "delicate, heartfelt ballad". A writer for IGN said "My Immortal" is thematically a song of pain and despair". Lee's vocals on the album song are accompanied by a simple piano and some "symphonic dressings". According to the sheet music published by Alfred Music Publishing on the website Musicnotes.com, the song is set in common time and performed in slow and free tempo of 80 beats per minute. Lee's vocal range for the song runs from the low musical note of A3 to the high note of C5.