This song is about Tuomas's pain in letting Tarja go from the band. The pendulum represents the day he fired her.... it was always coming, closer and closer, and he knew the ultimate pain would happen eventually.
"For years, I have been strapped unto this altar."
The widowed writer line refers to a writer that has lost something, e.g. a wife or a muse, i.e. Tarja.
"Oh Christ, how I hate what I have become
Take me home."
He wants to forget all about these troubles and just fade away back into his childhood (the 'dreamer's hideaway').
I think The Pacific represents the doubt - the blind eye he turned to the friction with Tarja all thoe years. Everything is perfect, the turquoise waterfalls. He wants to be tucked in beneath blue, the pain and the rain (all representingso he won't have to see it and he can pretend it's not there.
The 'blue' doesn't have a capital B like in Dark Chest of Wonders, where it's referred to as a good thing. In this song there is no capital B, and so it refers to sadness, for example, "I'm feeling blue."
His lullaby is the swaying blade. The problem is always lingering above him, even though he is tucked beneath it. Late at night he knows it draws near.
"On the shore we sat and hoped."
This is possibly a direct reference to Tarja. He invited her into his world and - his oceans - and hoped with her that the pale moon - his music - would keep them together just as it keeps the fans together
"Whose guiding light chose you, chose you all."
Then the music changes and the fear kicks in once again.
"2nd robber to the right of Christ."
In the bible, two robbers were crucified next to Jesus Christ. The first one mocked and condemned him. The second robber defended Christ, proclaiming him to be innocent and indeed the son of God. Jesus then allows this second robber to be the first soul to join him in Heaven.
Tuomas refers to himself as this second robber, perhaps because he believed until the end that Nightwish could live on with Tarja. But it was not to be. He is torn in half and so comes the death of his inner infant, his beliefs and his innocence.
The crows represent everyone in the world who think they have a right to judge him. They take advantage of his suffering.
He views himelf as having a "heart of stone". He feels that he should go to Hell for doing what he did, and that everyone would be glad for it.
"Slain by the bell tolling for his farewell."
This line refers to the pendulum, which he always knew would ultimately bring about his farewell.
"The Year of Our Lord" is the year that Jesus was born. Perhaps 2005 was a kind of anniversary... I'm not quite sure. This possibly hints that even though Tuomas has died, there is a coming rebirth as he is "called from the cares of the world".
He lies with a "smile on his face" (more positivity).
However, the "1000 pages of erased text" represents everything he has ever written and worked for in his life. As Tarja leaves it is all gone, and all his pages of hopeful poetry are rendered meaningless.
"Save me!"
In the end, Tuomas's soul is revived thanks to the love and support from his parents. They see that he has become cold, and warn him that "the blade will keep on descending". There will always be problems in life.
They warm his heart and bring him back to life by reassuring him that he will alway have their love.
@Dark Artist . Thank you for the analysis. I liked it very much. I'd like to make a question: English is a foreigner language for me, so I got so difficulties in understand some parts of the lyric. First one: "I cannot cry cause the shoulder cries more" - Does it means that if he starts to cry he would not be able to hide that he's crying, because his sholders would shake? Second: "I cannot die, I, a whore for the cold world". Why he wrote that, instead of "I'm a whore for the cold world". I...
@Dark Artist . Thank you for the analysis. I liked it very much. I'd like to make a question: English is a foreigner language for me, so I got so difficulties in understand some parts of the lyric. First one: "I cannot cry cause the shoulder cries more" - Does it means that if he starts to cry he would not be able to hide that he's crying, because his sholders would shake? Second: "I cannot die, I, a whore for the cold world". Why he wrote that, instead of "I'm a whore for the cold world". I understand this part as if he say: Despite been very ill-treated in this world (a cold world), I don't want ot leave it (I don't wann die), so I'm a whore.
I cannot die, I, a whore for the cold world. What does "child in time" means? I've just found references to the Deep Purple's song. Last (it is not about english): What does "I'm afraid, so afraid, of being raped Again and again and again" means? Is ti possible that Tuomas has suffered abuse on his childhood? I asking because I could not think in a connection with the rest of the lyric. I'd be very glead if you can answer my questions. Thank you.
@Dark Artist The 2005 line is about an event, but not an anniversary so to speak. October 2005 marked the end of the Once Upon A Tour supporting the previous album "Once". Immediately after the end of the show, the band handed Tarja the letter stating that she had been fired. Interestingly the demo version of this song had the year as 2007, the same year this album was released.
@Dark Artist The 2005 line is about an event, but not an anniversary so to speak. October 2005 marked the end of the Once Upon A Tour supporting the previous album "Once". Immediately after the end of the show, the band handed Tarja the letter stating that she had been fired. Interestingly the demo version of this song had the year as 2007, the same year this album was released.
I think you have the ending wrong. The parents always loving Tuomas indicates to God and Mother Mary. Because at the end, nobody loves you more than God. He sacrificed his only Son for our sins.
I think you have the ending wrong. The parents always loving Tuomas indicates to God and Mother Mary. Because at the end, nobody loves you more than God. He sacrificed his only Son for our sins.
Okay... I'm going to do my best with this one.
This song is about Tuomas's pain in letting Tarja go from the band. The pendulum represents the day he fired her.... it was always coming, closer and closer, and he knew the ultimate pain would happen eventually.
"For years, I have been strapped unto this altar."
The widowed writer line refers to a writer that has lost something, e.g. a wife or a muse, i.e. Tarja.
"Oh Christ, how I hate what I have become Take me home."
He wants to forget all about these troubles and just fade away back into his childhood (the 'dreamer's hideaway').
I think The Pacific represents the doubt - the blind eye he turned to the friction with Tarja all thoe years. Everything is perfect, the turquoise waterfalls. He wants to be tucked in beneath blue, the pain and the rain (all representingso he won't have to see it and he can pretend it's not there. The 'blue' doesn't have a capital B like in Dark Chest of Wonders, where it's referred to as a good thing. In this song there is no capital B, and so it refers to sadness, for example, "I'm feeling blue."
His lullaby is the swaying blade. The problem is always lingering above him, even though he is tucked beneath it. Late at night he knows it draws near.
"On the shore we sat and hoped." This is possibly a direct reference to Tarja. He invited her into his world and - his oceans - and hoped with her that the pale moon - his music - would keep them together just as it keeps the fans together "Whose guiding light chose you, chose you all."
Then the music changes and the fear kicks in once again.
"2nd robber to the right of Christ." In the bible, two robbers were crucified next to Jesus Christ. The first one mocked and condemned him. The second robber defended Christ, proclaiming him to be innocent and indeed the son of God. Jesus then allows this second robber to be the first soul to join him in Heaven. Tuomas refers to himself as this second robber, perhaps because he believed until the end that Nightwish could live on with Tarja. But it was not to be. He is torn in half and so comes the death of his inner infant, his beliefs and his innocence.
The crows represent everyone in the world who think they have a right to judge him. They take advantage of his suffering.
He views himelf as having a "heart of stone". He feels that he should go to Hell for doing what he did, and that everyone would be glad for it.
"Slain by the bell tolling for his farewell." This line refers to the pendulum, which he always knew would ultimately bring about his farewell.
"The Year of Our Lord" is the year that Jesus was born. Perhaps 2005 was a kind of anniversary... I'm not quite sure. This possibly hints that even though Tuomas has died, there is a coming rebirth as he is "called from the cares of the world".
He lies with a "smile on his face" (more positivity). However, the "1000 pages of erased text" represents everything he has ever written and worked for in his life. As Tarja leaves it is all gone, and all his pages of hopeful poetry are rendered meaningless.
"Save me!"
In the end, Tuomas's soul is revived thanks to the love and support from his parents. They see that he has become cold, and warn him that "the blade will keep on descending". There will always be problems in life. They warm his heart and bring him back to life by reassuring him that he will alway have their love.
And so... The beginning...
I believe this is over 100% correct. Thank you for this interpretation.
I believe this is over 100% correct. Thank you for this interpretation.
@Dark Artist . Thank you for the analysis. I liked it very much. I'd like to make a question: English is a foreigner language for me, so I got so difficulties in understand some parts of the lyric. First one: "I cannot cry cause the shoulder cries more" - Does it means that if he starts to cry he would not be able to hide that he's crying, because his sholders would shake? Second: "I cannot die, I, a whore for the cold world". Why he wrote that, instead of "I'm a whore for the cold world". I...
@Dark Artist . Thank you for the analysis. I liked it very much. I'd like to make a question: English is a foreigner language for me, so I got so difficulties in understand some parts of the lyric. First one: "I cannot cry cause the shoulder cries more" - Does it means that if he starts to cry he would not be able to hide that he's crying, because his sholders would shake? Second: "I cannot die, I, a whore for the cold world". Why he wrote that, instead of "I'm a whore for the cold world". I understand this part as if he say: Despite been very ill-treated in this world (a cold world), I don't want ot leave it (I don't wann die), so I'm a whore. I cannot die, I, a whore for the cold world. What does "child in time" means? I've just found references to the Deep Purple's song. Last (it is not about english): What does "I'm afraid, so afraid, of being raped Again and again and again" means? Is ti possible that Tuomas has suffered abuse on his childhood? I asking because I could not think in a connection with the rest of the lyric. I'd be very glead if you can answer my questions. Thank you.
@Dark Artist The 2005 line is about an event, but not an anniversary so to speak. October 2005 marked the end of the Once Upon A Tour supporting the previous album "Once". Immediately after the end of the show, the band handed Tarja the letter stating that she had been fired. Interestingly the demo version of this song had the year as 2007, the same year this album was released.
@Dark Artist The 2005 line is about an event, but not an anniversary so to speak. October 2005 marked the end of the Once Upon A Tour supporting the previous album "Once". Immediately after the end of the show, the band handed Tarja the letter stating that she had been fired. Interestingly the demo version of this song had the year as 2007, the same year this album was released.
I think you have the ending wrong. The parents always loving Tuomas indicates to God and Mother Mary. Because at the end, nobody loves you more than God. He sacrificed his only Son for our sins.
I think you have the ending wrong. The parents always loving Tuomas indicates to God and Mother Mary. Because at the end, nobody loves you more than God. He sacrificed his only Son for our sins.