The story of Ethel Cain is a story of reality for a confused and trauma-ridden girl who just wanted the comfort of being loved. Ethel Cain is not a real person – she was made up by a musician named Hayden Silas Anhedönia. That is what makes this album and the character Ethel Cain so extraordinary.
The Early Life of Ethel Cain:
Every song is a part to her story. “Family Tree Intro,” her first song on her album, “Preacher’s Daughter,” is where the listeners get their first look into Ethel Cain’s life. This menacing song shows there is darkness to come for her. The second song on Anhedönia’s album is titled “American teenager.” Although the song is happy and upbeat, to symbolize the positive feelings of Ethel’s teenage years, the lyrics share a different story. The lyrics show that Ethel is truly struggling with growing up, as well as losing her faith in God.
“A House in Nebraska,” the third song on the album, symbolizes the pain Ethel feels while reflecting on her first love, who seemingly skipped town before the start of the album. She describes the love they shared, as well as her guilt in losing her first love and the loneliness that consumes her.
The Fall of Ethel Cain:
The fourth song of the album, “Western Nights,” introduces a new lover. The two become very similar to Bonnie and Clyde as they commit petty crimes around the town. This song shows how relationships can turn unsafe very quickly. It also shows Cain’s oblivion to this feeling of love, giving Ethel her first taste of escape from her family.
The fifth song of the album, “Family Tree,” takes place after her lover in “Western Nights” is murdered by the police. This triggered Cain’s generational trauma as she starts to realize that she is not the innocent girl her town knew her to be. This lyrics tell of violence she experienced throughout her life as she compares it to the violence she is facing now and will face in the future.
The deeply emotional “Hard Times” shows Ethel reflecting on her family as she comes to terms with the sexual abuse she endured in her youth. She begins to lose all faith in her religion and starts to question where true goodness comes from. During this, she comes to the revelation that she must leave her town behind in order to find true happiness.
“Thoroughfare,” is a very optimistic song, reflecting the way Ethel feels as she runs away to start her new life. She meets a new lover, and begins to fall in love. Although Ethel thought she was safe, she begins to slip deeper into her darkness. “Gibson Girl,” explores Ethel going from one form of abuse into another, steering away from her beliefs even more. She began to sell her body, and develops a dependency on drugs. This song reflects how the male gaze can affect a vulnerable woman.
“Ptolemea,” is a song inspired by the story of Dante’s inferno. This story is incredibly dark, as it follows Ethel after she reaches her breaking point and begins hallucinating past traumas.
“August Underground” is about the last moments of Ethel’s life before her lover kills her. It is a truly haunting piece, bringing forth the emotional trauma of Ethel during her final moments.
The Death of Ethel Cain:
“Televangelism” is another instrumental track on the album meant to represent the feeling that Ethel experiences on the way to Heaven. She is troubled by her passing but is finding peace with her death. At the end of the song there is the sound of a camera shutting off, which fans speculate to be her lover recording her death.
“Sun Bleached Flies” is a song from Ethel’s perspective after death as she recounts her life and the trauma she experienced while trying to find peace. She soon finds her way back to God at the end of the song and sings about her first love in “A House in Nebraska,” showing that He was a big aspect of peace in her rocky life.
“Strangers,” is a very dark yet layered song. It’s revealed that Ethel’s ex-lover consumed her after her death, which can be seen as both a metaphor for undying love or a heinous act. At the start of the song, Ethel is confused, but ends with her mocking the man that did this to her, hoping that he feels sick after consuming her. The song ends with a message from Ethel to her mother telling her that she is at peace now.
The tragic yet beautiful story of Ethel Cain is an album everyone should listen to at least once in their lives, because no matter a person’s background, it is guaranteed there is at least a tiny part of Ethel’s story that resonates with every person. That is the beauty of Ethel Cain.
by Anna Corcoran