I agree that the song is about someone about to die but i think that the singer has had a long full life. I haven't seen anyone else with my interpretation.
The First verse is clearly about childhood imagination, wonder, and innocents, all are common Nightwish themes.
The Second verse strikes me as remembering his wife and how they fell in love
The Third is saying goodbye to said loved one.
The Forth verse is what really makes me think I'm onto something
"the forever call" is likely Death, as other have said.
"The mermaid grace," I think this "mermaid" represents his wife and "Beauty in spyglass on an old man's porch" is how he views her or the other "Mermaids"
but the last line is most importation
"The mermaids you turn loose brought back your tears" Note the use of "Mermaids" rather then the singular "Mermaid" I think this line is referring to man's children rather then wife. That these people and memory's are the "Relics of a life long lived" mentioned in the chorus.
Thinking about the chorus like that didn't really add any new meaning to the chorus. "The end of the river" is death, and "The sundown beams" is the sun setting on his life for the last time.
All in all, the song is simple and lovely. This just shows that even Nightwish's more average songs still have a deeper meaning if you look.
I agree that the song is about someone about to die but i think that the singer has had a long full life. I haven't seen anyone else with my interpretation.
The First verse is clearly about childhood imagination, wonder, and innocents, all are common Nightwish themes.
The Second verse strikes me as remembering his wife and how they fell in love
The Third is saying goodbye to said loved one.
The Forth verse is what really makes me think I'm onto something "the forever call" is likely Death, as other have said. "The mermaid grace," I think this "mermaid" represents his wife and "Beauty in spyglass on an old man's porch" is how he views her or the other "Mermaids"
but the last line is most importation "The mermaids you turn loose brought back your tears" Note the use of "Mermaids" rather then the singular "Mermaid" I think this line is referring to man's children rather then wife. That these people and memory's are the "Relics of a life long lived" mentioned in the chorus.
Thinking about the chorus like that didn't really add any new meaning to the chorus. "The end of the river" is death, and "The sundown beams" is the sun setting on his life for the last time.
All in all, the song is simple and lovely. This just shows that even Nightwish's more average songs still have a deeper meaning if you look.