| Nightwish – The Poet And The Pendulum Lyrics | 17 years ago |
|
Actually, Edgar Allan Poe's short story "The Pit and the Pendulum" was something more than just an inspiration to Tuomas. Sufficient to say that even the cover of the whole album "Dark Passion Play" is nothing but the blade-edged pendulum described in the story! I 'm surprized that only a few comments refer to it. "The Pit and the Pendulum" is a story about the psychological torments that endures a victim of the Spanish Inquisition. After being judjed guilty, the narrator is put into a completely dark room. He soon discovers it is full of traps which mean to end his life. Again and again he escapes, either by chance or by his clear thought, just to realise that yet another sadistic game awaits him. His feelings switch repeatedly from agony to hope for salvation through quick death or even to hope and the joy of escape. But in the end he realizes that every possible way leads him inevitably to a torturous death. He feels only pure despair and the empty feeling that he is but a puppet and not at all master of his fate. One of those sadistic games is a great pendulum with a blade-edge that slowly descends towards him while he is strapped helpless on a bed. Tuomas refers to it directly(as well as metaphorically) in the rhymes: The blade fell upon him ... For years I've been strapped unto this altar. Now I only have 3 minutes and counting. I just wish the tide would catch me first and give me a death I always longed for ... The blade will keep on descending Overall, in the song, the poet describes feelings similar to those of the narrator in the story, such as: -agony: "I'm afraid. I'm so afraid. Being raped again, and again, and again I know I will die alone." -hope hidden in this agony: "But loved." -hope for salvation through death: "I just wish the tide would catch me first and give me a death I always longed for " Another common topic between "The Poet and the Pendulum" and "The Pit and the Pendulum" is the escape in the world of dreams. In "the Pit", E.A.Poe makes a beautiful analysis about the state of mind and soul during their return from the dream world to the cruel reality. And sleep is the only way for his hero to cheat reality even for a few moments. In the song Tuomas seeks also a hideout into the dreams: "Getaway, runaway, fly away Lead me astray to dreamer's hideaway" That is not something new in his songs. Dreams, fantasy and escape from reality have always been key features in Nightwish songs. And I believe that this is exactly what makes Nightwish songs so touching and beautiful. It is well known that Tuomas has been greatly inspired by authors of fantasy books, such as J.R.R. Tolkien, or composers of monumental and epic music, such as Hans Zimmer or Vangelis. Now he enlists along with them Edgar Allan Poe, the birthgiver of horror, crime and detective fiction. What is the common fraction of them all? It is that their mind children touch directly our soul, generating various feelings. This is what Tuomas recognized in their works and this is what he is doing through his songs. |
|
* This information can be up to 15 minutes delayed.