I think this song, like many others by Nightwish, refers to the injustice of this world. It is special in the way that children in this one actually does mean children.
The first verse is about poor children fighting and dying to survive and especially about the children soldiers in some 3. world countries. And about the hopeless situation they are in. The song focuses on children but refers to all humans in this world who rejects unity. From the perspective of the song, just about everybody rejects unity.
Second verse ads power and feeling to the theme of the first verse.
third verse is a desire to be able to leave this world and its injustice and pain.
fourth verse: fighting continues, another war starts.
fifth verse: It is hopeless to challenge the gods (destiny) and hope/fight for a better world. The wanderer, who is one of the ideals in Nigthwish terminalogy, is a fool and is fighting for a lost cause.
sixth verse: It is everybody for himself, egoism rules the world, even love is too weak to fight it. The world is not worth preserving. "Mankind works in mysterious ways" refers to the meaninglessness of the world and the people in it at its current state.
This song is very special because it shows no hint of hope for this world. Nightwish songs almost always are about hope in some way or another, but this song is about pure despair.
I do not belive that religion has any place in this or just about any of the songs by Nightwish. Many of the songs use religious and mystical symbols and metaphors but are not themselves about religion. This has been confirmed by Nightwish upon many occasions.
I think this song, like many others by Nightwish, refers to the injustice of this world. It is special in the way that children in this one actually does mean children. The first verse is about poor children fighting and dying to survive and especially about the children soldiers in some 3. world countries. And about the hopeless situation they are in. The song focuses on children but refers to all humans in this world who rejects unity. From the perspective of the song, just about everybody rejects unity. Second verse ads power and feeling to the theme of the first verse. third verse is a desire to be able to leave this world and its injustice and pain. fourth verse: fighting continues, another war starts. fifth verse: It is hopeless to challenge the gods (destiny) and hope/fight for a better world. The wanderer, who is one of the ideals in Nigthwish terminalogy, is a fool and is fighting for a lost cause. sixth verse: It is everybody for himself, egoism rules the world, even love is too weak to fight it. The world is not worth preserving. "Mankind works in mysterious ways" refers to the meaninglessness of the world and the people in it at its current state. This song is very special because it shows no hint of hope for this world. Nightwish songs almost always are about hope in some way or another, but this song is about pure despair. I do not belive that religion has any place in this or just about any of the songs by Nightwish. Many of the songs use religious and mystical symbols and metaphors but are not themselves about religion. This has been confirmed by Nightwish upon many occasions.