I often think about Hans Christian Anderson when I listen to this song. The only way to know for sure what this song is about, of course, is to ask Tuomas Holopainan himself, but I would not be surprised to learn that the mermaids are meant to be a reference to Anderson. Tuomas has revealed in numerous interviews that he is often inspired by children's literature and films. On the other hand, the lyrics do seem to indicate that this song may be about mortality. I can't think of a connection between the two other than the mermaid's sacrifice in the original The Little Mermaid by Hans Christian Anderson, and her death is the wrong sort of mortality. She is a young martyr, while this song appears to be about the end of a very long and full life. What do you think?
I often think about Hans Christian Anderson when I listen to this song. The only way to know for sure what this song is about, of course, is to ask Tuomas Holopainan himself, but I would not be surprised to learn that the mermaids are meant to be a reference to Anderson. Tuomas has revealed in numerous interviews that he is often inspired by children's literature and films. On the other hand, the lyrics do seem to indicate that this song may be about mortality. I can't think of a connection between the two other than the mermaid's sacrifice in the original The Little Mermaid by Hans Christian Anderson, and her death is the wrong sort of mortality. She is a young martyr, while this song appears to be about the end of a very long and full life. What do you think?