Illume, Destiny Rules, and Stevie's 9/11 journals

[gypsy4life]

Originally Posted by louielouie2000

I think both songs deal with a loss of innocence. I also suspect they were both written in close succession. If you go back and watch Stevie's interviews pre 9/11 and compare them with interviews from the Say You Will era, Stevie seems to have hardened and become much wiser. I think one of the products of her being in NYC for 9/11 was her finally "growing up." I think she started to look at her life metaphorically in all senses following her 9/11 experiences. It was around this time that she realized Lindsey was gone for good, and their love affair was really over (because of the birth of Lindsey's children). I think during this time she was having sort of an existential awakening about life and love, and wanted to link the songs together because of that. The city of NY had lost it's innocence on 9/11 (hence Illume), and so had she (hence Destiny Rules). That's why I feel the songs are linked.

I agree. I think Stevie seemed hardened, in ways, after 9/11. She seems to have realized there was a mean world outside of her fantasy bubble.