Tuomas wrote this song after they fired Tarja, the first leading singer. Tuomas got so much negative feedback from every direction, fans and people in general. Everyone blamed him on that insident. In one interview Tuomas said he killed himself through this song so he didn't have to do it in real life. This song must have been very painful for him to play, he also told he asked to cut off the mics from his inears. He didn't want to hear the lyrics. At the end of this song Emppu and Marko goes to Tuomas to support him even it's a long time since those dark days. The last section Mother and Father - there is hope fore the better. This is very emotional song even more when we understand the background of it. Every time this touches my heart.
I am 62 years old guy and a big Nightwish fan. I have heard this song like 20-30 times, and every time I watch this video I end up with tears in my eyes. Knowing the back story makes this masterpiece even more emotional. I also want to point out, that the music itself is also so beautiful and touching. Tuomas is a genius, the band is incredible and Floor just nails the whole thing together. Absolutely lovely piece of art.
So true, Tuomas' writing,scoring and arranging skills are off the hook! And I'm 75 and cant get enough of Nighjtwish and I was so fortunate to see them Like this year (2023) in Kitee Finland,such an amazing concert. I started following them about 2008-9 after watching Nightwish perform Phantom of the Opera with Tarja as lead vocalist but after she was fired from the band and most followers believe this is Toumas' self torture that he went through having to fire her over conditions that you can read about or better yet go and visit The Nightwish Museum in Kitee Finland.
Tuomas' most personal and heartfelt song to date, he was in a deep depression after firing Tarja and being attacked by many people and fans. It was a band call, but Tuomas took the brunt of it all. The words at the end were spoken to him by his mother. He said he killed himself in this song so he would not do it for real. Great reaction, and correct, masterpiece. I can see the pain in his face while he plays this and the concerned looks from his band members.
Now that you have watched the video, I urge you to do a little research into the meaning of the song, and the mindset of Tuomas when he wrote it. Then watch it again with lyrics. I think you will get an even more intense experience once you understand the context in which it was written. Just a suggestion. I really enjoy your videos. Keep on going. 😃❤️
Hi. A really nice reaction. My suggestion is to watch again the video on your own , after reading some comments here telling the back story of the song. You will see how painful it is for Tuomas. And also notice how Emppu and Marko interacts with Tuomas.
Most of us have been through situations like this. So "no idea" doesn't fit. You know the emotions, the feels. Thuomas made it understandable for everyone. Once you know it all it makes sense, that's true. So cudos to Thuomas =P
Both Tampere 2015 and Wembley 2015 versions are just great. I slightly prefer the Tampere version. Yesterday I saw a reaction to the Tampere version + reaction to the end part of the Wembley version, the speach given by Richard Dawkins. Nightwish has a concert in Tampere on December 29th 2021. Ticket sales started yesterday. There is a brand new Uros Live Arena in Tampere. It's capasity for concerts is 15 000.
Tuomas Suicid Song. He couldn't take his life in real life, so he did it on stage. You already said the song is perfection. But it is even more than you noticed. There is a spot in the song where the boy speaks for the second time and he says "3 minutes counting" until death. From this moment it takes exactly 3 minutes for Tuomas to commit suicide. This is the moment when he is shown and he makes the hand gesture as if he were cutting off his head.
Everything they do is intentional: every lyric, every chord, every key change, every vocal color, every riff, every move on stage, every dynamic. It is a perfect choreograph of creative genius, talent, charisma and execution of the highest order. They are magic and we all love them to pieces for it. Little known facts that seldom get mentioned: The opening section lead boy soprano was Guy Elliott; the spoken part about Tuomas erased text and 2nd boy soprano was Tom Williams, both courtesy of the Reigate St Mary's Choir School.
I've seen the birds fly on the video screen every time I've seen this masterpiece but it wasn't until today it hit me. They're ravens. Poe wrote "the pit and the pendulum" that inspired Tuomas to write this, but he also wrote "The Raven" Like you said, everything is intentional.
I find it amazing how Toumas composes. At 8.30/40 there is ‘ 3 minutes and counting ‘ then exactly 3 minutes later, he with the music, slits his troath ! And the music carries on with such beauty. It takes a truly wonderful musical talent to be able to plan an invigige that. It’s about the leaving of tarja and the infamous letter 😭
One of my favourite Nightwish performances. The "when did you become so cold" part makes me tear up every time. Also sad that Marko won't be performing this anymore with Nightwish, because he left the band, but I respect his decision. Great reactions.
I loved how Floor looked at Tuomas in the Mother Father section. I loved how Emppu and the end with both Marco and Emppu went to check on Tuomas. Those 3 were there . Floor's voice is just another instrument.
In part 3 the boy whispers "I only have 3 minutes and counting..." Exactly 3 minutes later in the song, the blade falls that is like the symbolic death of Tuomas in the song.
Fortunately Tuomas decided to continue. This is so personal for him. The grand story behind is the most important but will be easily left behind cause the music and performance is so great.
Hi Mat and Chels, if you like long multiple part epic masterpieces, check out this one from Epica, it's mind blowing, this is a cool lyric video on the 'stargazer' youtube channel, great sound quality: Epica - Kingdom of Heaven Part 3 - The Antediluvian Universe (+ lyrics)
I love how Tuomas borrowed from The Pit and The Pendulum, a short story written in 1842 by Edgar Allan Poe. The story deals with the psychological torment of a prisoner in the Spanish Inquisition who is about to be publicly tortured and executed for opposing the Catholic Church. He finds himself in a rat-infested, darkened room with slippery sloped floors leading to a Pit, with a swinging Pendulum above. The Pit signifies Death, the Pendulum represents Time and the sloped floors symbolise Fear and the inevitability of death. An awesome adaptation to music. Genius! The protagonist of the story opposed the Catholic Church as he raged a war against God for taking away his birth mother, adopted mother and wife with plague and disease. Perhaps Toumas felt he was being publicly tortured and executed by his fans for firing Tarja the way he did?
Enjoyed your reaction. There is a story based on this composition. My Army Nightwish brothers will inform you! I listened to this one, I think, a thousand times and it still gives me chills....
fyi Empathica not empathetica :) Nightwish is such an amazingly talented band and with Floor they are stratospheric ,the world needs to know this band !
BTW Mat & Chels, if you check that part where is that 1st whispered section and Boy's voice says in the end of that He has only 3 minutes and counting. Now check the time stamp of video there and see what happens exactly 3mins after. I just thought u would appreciate such precision in song writing.
Mat & Chels, it's written backwards, the end is at the beginning, the White Lands of Empathica are from a Steven King novel, it is a snowy tundra located in End-World. The residents of Empathica are known for their abilities to empathize and share other people's emotions. The whole title is a play on Edgar Alan Poe's "The Pit and the Pendulum", all Poe's stuff is very dark indeed. Keep in mind that boy, writer, poet, dreamer are all pseudonyms that Tuomas uses for himself. Marko's aggressive piece represents the backlash from the fans and press. You saw Emppu go to Tuomas very early on and just check he is holding up. The backlash and vilification from the firing was severe and unrelenting, even the Finnish PM made a comment, people have commented here that Marko and Emppu go and stand with Tuomas at the end to show and give support, and you have already done "Alpenglow" but not from Wembley where it was immediately before this; Floor went to Tuomas for the last chorus of that song and sang "conquering the darkest places" directly to him as she would know what was coming next. What a good thing Tuomas wrote his suicide rather that actually doing it for real.
I always loved that move by her ...think at Tampere she at least points to him as well (and I think he seems to reciprocate to her in regard to her burnout ...it really seems like they both have the utmost respect for each other.
Great reaction!! Notice how the band members takes turn in go to Tuomas, to check out if he is ok, as this song is very personal to him, they make sure he is ok the whole way through the song.. this is proberly my favorite NW live performance ever, because it do get my emotions each time i listen, and the face expression on especially Tuomas and Floor, shows how much emotion they are putting into performing this one..you just might did hit the peak of your NW jorney right here..lol just a amazing masterpiece yes!!
As others said, this song was written after Tarja was fired from the band. Since the entire band came from the same tiny town in Finland, the band members knew each other from kindergarden. Also Tarja was popular like royalty in Finland. Tuomas got a lot of negative shit from the press and fans when he fired her (being the band leader). This combination sent Tuomas into depression. He said in an interview: "I committed suicide in the The Poet And The Pendulum so I did not have to do it in real live". There are lots of interpretations out there of what the parts of the song mean, but I stick to this: The acts represent the fases in the mind of a suicidal person. Act I. White Lands Of Empathica --> this is about the traumatic loss of innocence. Act II. Home --> this part is about raging thoughts of self hatred and a feeling of being uprooted (longing for home even if you already are home) Act III. The Pacific --> this part is about romanticising death. How beautiful and peaceful it could be if you would just be dead. Act iV. Dark Passion Play --> this part is about raging thoughts of anticipation about actually committing suicide and what will happen after Act V. Mother and Father --> this part is about getting help and finding peace (without committing suicide) (Mostly this came from Jim Games Live)
Tuck me in beneath the blue.....Attack of the Onion Ninjas....every fu**in time I see this .......awesome....thanks for doing this ! This is a masterpiece. Even without doing reasearch about the background this one grabs you. All hail our Queen Floor !
I wish that for your sake you would have turned the captions on to follow when each act started and the words, especially the whispered and low voiced words. 🎶👱♀️👗👠👠💓
bravo for only pausing once, its an fn masterpiece, i'm 58 and lived all my years in central cali, i've seen over 150 bands live, none compare to nightwish live in any way, my dream is the coachella open air festival brings in nightwish nightwish in the cali desert nightsky with our weed=the perfect night, hell i'd kick paris hiltons skanky ass out the way to get up front, i would say to our valkyrie queen what would you have me do, and if i fail and die on my quest, i know she will take my soul to the halls of valhalla where the brave live forever
You should have done the leg work for this... I cannot believe people did not point this out to you before hand. Go read up on what this song is and what this song represents and listen to it again... And maybe dig out the lyrical video of the same performance so you can follow it more closely. This is a song from the edge of life and death... And the death is only avoided by putting the notes on the lines and pushing everything out of Tuomas to just allow him to keep on going... And it is a song that Tuomas has said they will never play live again... Well, I don't know about that, but it won't be a daily item on the Nightwish menu any time soon. It just takes too much out of them and especially the Metal Mozart to do again.
That was funny to watch. Guess that describes perfectly the experience everyone has when listening the first time without a f..king clue what the song is all about.
You guys should check out the band Ne Obliviscaris and their song "Painters of the Tempest". It's a full-on 23 minutes of pure progressive metal bliss that has so much technical and instrumental sequences that you'll just love to get lost in it.
I hope you watched this one again after knowing what the song is about. (Not gonna repeat the whole story that's already in the comments). It hits you way harder knowing it was Tuomas' way of dealing with depression and suicidal thoughts in a difficult time for the whole band.
Hi from the UK. You both looked totally entranced. Their music is epic and tells a compelling story told magnificantly by Floor. Great reaction to a emotional piece of music. Best wishes.
M & C...Wonderful reaction, thank you. You felt the emotion of Floor's story telling and the beauty of Tuomas' music. You almost teared up, a lot of use tear up every time because we know what the lyrics are about. I know many reactors don't like to do any back story research. On some songs it makes a world of difference, this is one. When you are aware of what the lyrics mean it goes from a beautiful song to a piece of art. If you have time, check it out. Then watch with the lyrics pulled up. It will be long sleeves and tissue time. Be well.
Well done the two off you 👌 it's a whole lot to take in hearing it the first time ! After see and hearing it for so many times the lyrics " I can not cry cause the shoulder cry's more " still makes me shiver 😓 . Also Marco , Floor and Empu sitting in front off the drums in the end makes me emotional . Looking forward to see the two off you react to The Greatest Show On Earth , please use the Tampere regristation 😍 !
The meaning of the song is very personal to Tuomas, that obviously doesn't take away from enjoying it but after you know about it it's even more impressive as a cathartic piece of art
A band for you to consider is Wishbone Ash and their song The King WIll Come from the album Argus. They are believed to be the first band to use a dual lead guitar and this prog album was released in 1972. I don't believe it has ever been remastered so you have the original compression to about 30 db of headroom but it is still a masterpiece.
Thanks for this! This is my favourite song in the whole world. And I don't say that lightly, been a metal fan since I was 9 years old and listening to my dad's vinyls of Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, Rainbow, and other rock and metal legends. But this song is something else. It's like a true experience, they take you on an emotional journey and you cannot let go. It is sad, it is angry, but yet there is a glimpse of hope. To be honest, I feel like calling it a song is selling it short.
Thanks Mat and Chels, great reaction! Yes, it is truly a masterpiece. The title of this song refers to a short story by Edgar Allan Poe "The Pit and the Pendulum" first published in 1842.
Tuomus's grand masterpiece. I have listened to this song at least 50X, and each damn time it brings tears to my eyes. Why do I do this to myself? Simple. Because it is one of the most beautiful songs ever written. Knowing the backstory of why this song was written in the first place gives more meaning to the intense emotions the song creates to listeners. Tuomus has said the song will never be performed again live.
I will give you a little more of the backstory you may be missing. Follow this in order some and read and watch in order. Tuomas-keyboards and composer, Emmpu-guitar, and Tarja-singer, were all childhood friends and created a special band together. The song is about the aftermath of Tarja's dismissal from the band. Before watching their greatest song, "The Poet and the Pendulum" you should have done this backstory research. It's okay you can do it now. Watch, from Tarja's last performance with Nightwish, that tour ending fateful night in Hartwell Arena with all the band knowing she was going to be fired right after the show but she did not know. This is, in my mind Marco's best performance of a lifetime. They have not performed this song since. She made it hers alone, watch "Phantom of the Opera": ruclips.net/video/tL25rbnvM4o/видео.html After the concert, the band let her go by handing her and posting on-line this termination letter right after the show in Hartwell Arena, Finland in 2005. Read it, it's not long: web.archive.org/web/20060410185248/nightwish.com/en/article/6 Second her response also posted in an open letter on-line: nightwish.fandom.com/wiki/Open_Letter_from_Tarja_Turunen The break-up with Tarja was very hard on Tuomas with lots of backlash directed at him personally. It almost ended the band... and him. Then watch "The Poet and the Pendulum", yes it is a reference to Edger Allen Poe's "The Pit and the Pendulum" the Torture story of a swinging pendulum with a sharp blade on the bottom meant to cut through a body strapped underneath it as it swings slowly, dropping a little every swing. Tuomas is killed metaphorically in the symbolic neck slashing motion. Also, the song is in reverse chronological order. It starts with "The End" and ends with "The Beginning". At the beginning they sing "The Songwriter's dead..." but he actually died later in the song. Watch for when the lyrics say he has three minutes left to live, it is exactly 3 minutes to his symbolic decapitation and heartbeat stopping. More evidence of Tuomas genius. Then follows the sad part of his depression that led to his death and then the hopeful kind words of his family where the song ends... at the beginning.
You guys really need to know the back story to this masterpiece and then watch it again with the lyrics on. Heads up: Tuomus said he killed himself in this song so he wouldn't have to do it in real life.
To understand the story you need to know the backstory. Nightwish was started by Tuomas, Emppu, and Tarja, their first singer. In 2005, after the recording of the "End of an era" dvd Tarja was fired thru a letter given to her by Tuomas, but it was a band decision. The letter was also posted on the bands homepage at the same time. Marko had told Tuomas "It's me or her". This song is about the aftermath thru Tuomas eyes. A piece in five parts. 1. White lands of Empathica.: Boy soprano (Guy Elliot). "The end, the songwriter's dead, the blade fell upon him" It's the end of an era, Tuomas feels dead inside, he was the one that handed Tarja the letter. The white lands of Emphatica is a place in Stephen Kings "Dark Tower" series. 2. Home: "A poet without a rime, a widowed writer torn apart by the chains of hell" Tuomas got writers block, he's lost his musical "wife", his muse, and was fighting depression and doubt. "My home was there and then, those meadows of heaven. Adventure filled days one with every smiling face" The bands beginning, before the troubles started. 3 The Pacific: "On the shore, se sat and hoped under the same pale moon who's guiding light chose you, chose you all" If I remember it right Tuomas, Emppu, and Tarja was having a barbecue at night when they decided to start a band together. The operatic part Floor sings was originally sung by the same boy soprano who sings the intro. When Floor joined she told Tuomas that she could sing that. He decided to keep the intro but let Floor sing that part. The spoken words are read by a boy named Tom Williams. Both him and Guy Elliot were members of Reigate St Mary's Choir School. 4. Dark passion play: This is about the reactions from fans and media where everyone blamed Tuomas even tho it was a band decision. He was ripped apart, even the Finnish prime minister had an opinion. 5. Mother and Father: Tuomas took refuge at his parents house for a while, these are some of the things they told him during that time. Tuomas was inspired by the short story "The pit and the pendulum" by Edgar Allen Poe when he wrote this masterpiece. The first words are "The end", the last words are "The beginning". It's the end of an era and the start of a new. When you see Marko and Emppu close to Tuomas at the end it's a thing they have thet started when this song was new. Tuomas feelings where still raw so they supported him at the end of the song. Tuomas had chosen to have Anettes song cut out of the mix in his earpiece at the shows. This was 11 years after the events, so he's mostly over it now
Now you need to react to "Master, Passion, Greed" which was written about the same time about Tarja leaving the band. That song though is a hate song against Tarja's husband who the band blamed for ripping her away. There is no live version and probably will never be a live version. It's off the same album, "Dark Passion Play".
Would love to see you two react to judas priest victim of changes live at seminole hard rock arena if youre brains can take that mutch rock 😄 lots of love from sweden 🙂
yep just enjoy it... every time a see/hear the song and the band /floor ... I feel .. sad ..glad ... agitated and I am again amazed ... every time .... the quality live is so high
Nice surprise for me! Long time since I saw you two react to Nightwish. Hope you don't get too bashed for not watching with lyrics and not having read up on the backstory. Much love!
*Since this is Tuomas' virtual commited suicide, you really should read the background story of this song and then watch it again. You will find then the things, that you may have not discovered the first time. Greetings & Stay safe.* 🎵🔥⚡🔥🎵💿🔊✅🤘😎👍
That was good, you got the overall feel for it, that’s for sure. Now that you know how Tuomas writes when he’s depressed, you may want to listen to how he writes when he’s angry and frustrated due to having writer’s block, it is said that he was so frustrated he managed to break a key on his keyboard from hitting it so hard, but I don’t know if it’s true or not. The song is called “Dead Gardens” and is on the “Once” album, Tarja’s last studio album with the band and Tuomas gave a big role to Emppu on this one, he really goes to town. ruclips.net/video/Yw55E0H65wc/видео.html
I see them live 2x this year....at Pinkpop festival in June and a full show in The Ziggodome in Amsterdam in Oktober. And i will see Rammstein too. In July in Nijmegen at the Goffert
We love your reactions to our favorite band and this was no exception. This truly is a masterpiece composition by Tuomas, and performed wonderfully by each member of the band and their production crew, especially given that is a live stage performance, not in the studio. Absolutely remarkable. Thank you so much and stay safe.
I haven't thought of it before, but those birds looks like ravens. And this song is inspired by Edgar Allan Poes "The pit and the pendulum". What else did Poe write? The Raven..
awesome reaction. This piece has a very special place in my life. I know the back story but this piece is also an anthem for those people with mental health issues such as depression with suicidal thoughts, Yep I am one of those! If I may I would like to give you my interpretation of the lyrics and what they mean to me. The first part, which you note starts with the words the end!! Is taken from Stephen Kings Tower series, the white lands were the home of a type of vampire that fed on emotions, (empathy), so a person left feeling nothing, empty and without emotion. In the second part, those lines expressing a feeling of futility, all same old same old yet, hating how you feel, then the verse seems to express the effort of trying to pretend to be ok, hence those two faces, one for everyone else and the real one that is private, no one to turn to for help as the people around you seem as upset as you so no shoulder to cry on so you just carry on pretending becoming that whore for the cold world. Then there is the remembering back to when all was good, yet you cannot get there despite everyone telling you “you are ok, it will be fine” till those words just sink you even further into the mess. Then we have the Pacific, oh wow, the wishing and planning stage, the beautiful sea, just wishing it was over, that you could be under the waves, beneath the pain tucked into that beauty., last goodnight kiss and a valentine that ends everything. Then that part that starts with being afraid, being raped, not in the traditional sense but feeling violated, alone and bloody scared, For Tuomas, feeling that those who he felt should have been there for him somehow betrayed him, a not uncommon feeling with severe depression, feeling that even life betrayed you, also again the mention of the tide and drowning, many see it as the perfect death! On a side note here, three minutes and counting, yep exactly three minutes to the point that Tuomas simulates the blade. Here also note how the music becomes chaotic, mirroring the thought process of someone planning their own death, no logic, well there is but only to the individual. Yet also a sense of excitement and of a journey, proceeding the calm. Then the passion play, traditionally passion plays were performed at Easter and were about the death of Christ, and Tuomas plays with us a little here, “second robber to the right of Christ! Well at the crucifixion there was only one robber either side of Christ but in the painting The Last Supper the person second to the right of Christ is Judas!!!!! Then of course the symbolic death and the slowing faltering heartbeat. The beginning or last part of the piece are the words that brought Tuomas back from the edge. In his case words from his parents but many of us will have people who were there at just the right time and who cared enough to be the rock and love us enough to hold on. If there is a message in this work surely it is to be kind, to look out for each other and if you can be there, you never know you may just save a person’s life. As someone did mine.
Yes a masterpiece well described such an emotional song for many reasons great reactions guys I'm going to see them at Wembley in December where this song was recorded thanks again guys 🔥🔥🔥
Check out Markos custom "Warwick" Bass guitar. He Drop tunes to the lower E. The guitar is about a foot longer for the last 3 frets When Marko goes low he goes low.
Oh no you didn't research the song!! People will get upset with you for that. I would definitely recommend looking into the song meaning nowe that you have heard it before listening again as it does add a lot of extra meaning but isn't essential for a first listen :D
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Tuomas wrote this song after they fired Tarja, the first leading singer. Tuomas got so much negative feedback from every direction, fans and people in general. Everyone blamed him on that insident. In one interview Tuomas said he killed himself through this song so he didn't have to do it in real life. This song must have been very painful for him to play, he also told he asked to cut off the mics from his inears. He didn't want to hear the lyrics. At the end of this song Emppu and Marko goes to Tuomas to support him even it's a long time since those dark days. The last section Mother and Father - there is hope fore the better. This is very emotional song even more when we understand the background of it. Every time this touches my heart.
I've seen this many times, and it always gives me chills. Knowing the backstory makes it even more epic. Nice reaction guys. Thank you.
Yes and also at 7 minutes in you hear "I have 3 minutes and counting" so when you go 3 minutes forward, you see the actual "suicide".
I am 62 years old guy and a big Nightwish fan. I have heard this song like 20-30 times, and every time I watch this video I end up with tears in my eyes. Knowing the back story makes this masterpiece even more emotional. I also want to point out, that the music itself is also so beautiful and touching. Tuomas is a genius, the band is incredible and Floor just nails the whole thing together. Absolutely lovely piece of art.
So true, Tuomas' writing,scoring and arranging skills are off the hook! And I'm 75 and cant get enough of Nighjtwish and I was so fortunate to see them Like this year (2023) in Kitee Finland,such an amazing concert. I started following them about 2008-9 after watching Nightwish perform Phantom of the Opera with Tarja as lead vocalist but after she was fired from the band and most followers believe this is Toumas' self torture that he went through having to fire her over conditions that you can read about or better yet go and visit The Nightwish Museum in Kitee Finland.
Tuomas' most personal and heartfelt song to date, he was in a deep depression after firing Tarja and being attacked by many people and fans. It was a band call, but Tuomas took the brunt of it all. The words at the end were spoken to him by his mother. He said he killed himself in this song so he would not do it for real. Great reaction, and correct, masterpiece. I can see the pain in his face while he plays this and the concerned looks from his band members.
Now that you have watched the video, I urge you to do a little research into the meaning of the song, and the mindset of Tuomas when he wrote it. Then watch it again with lyrics. I think you will get an even more intense experience once you understand the context in which it was written. Just a suggestion. I really enjoy your videos. Keep on going. 😃❤️
As a follow up to this song, you should listen to "Master Passion Greed".
That is such a great and heavy nightwish song 👍
And "Yours is an empty hope"
Absolutely. Remarkable song that will not be played live.
Hi. A really nice reaction. My suggestion is to watch again the video on your own , after reading some comments here telling the back story of the song. You will see how painful it is for Tuomas.
And also notice how Emppu and Marko interacts with Tuomas.
Are you ready for The greatest show on earth? Live at Tampere please😊 the best version
Eventhou you have no idea what this song is about you still get some of the emotions. So cudos for that.
Most of us have been through situations like this. So "no idea" doesn't fit. You know the emotions, the feels. Thuomas made it understandable for everyone.
Once you know it all it makes sense, that's true.
So cudos to Thuomas =P
Glad you guys liked it... some people find it overwhelming which is understandable . You basically just have to let it envelope you and go with it . 🤟
Read about what the song is about, read the open letters, then listen again, WHOLE different experience.
with Lyrics too.
Is it "The Greatest Show On Earth" next? Great reaction guys. Stay safe 🤘✌
Both Tampere 2015 and Wembley 2015 versions are just great. I slightly prefer the Tampere version. Yesterday I saw a reaction to the Tampere version + reaction to the end part of the Wembley version, the speach given by Richard Dawkins.
Nightwish has a concert in Tampere on December 29th 2021. Ticket sales started yesterday. There is a brand new Uros Live Arena in Tampere. It's capasity for concerts is 15 000.
@Tampere... Absolutely! And to the very ending. 🤘🇫🇮🤘
#NWA #SELF
@@Idefixu I agree with you
Tuomas Suicid Song. He couldn't take his life in real life, so he did it on stage.
You already said the song is perfection. But it is even more than you noticed. There is a spot in the song where the boy speaks for the second time and he says "3 minutes counting" until death. From this moment it takes exactly 3 minutes for Tuomas to commit suicide. This is the moment when he is shown and he makes the hand gesture as if he were cutting off his head.
Since you didn't know the backstory it probably would've helped using the version with the subtitles, but nevertheless, good reaction
Everything they do is intentional: every lyric, every chord, every key change, every vocal color, every riff, every move on stage, every dynamic. It is a perfect choreograph of creative genius, talent, charisma and execution of the highest order. They are magic and we all love them to pieces for it. Little known facts that seldom get mentioned: The opening section lead boy soprano was Guy Elliott; the spoken part about Tuomas erased text and 2nd boy soprano was Tom Williams, both courtesy of the Reigate St Mary's Choir School.
I've seen the birds fly on the video screen every time I've seen this masterpiece but it wasn't until today it hit me. They're ravens. Poe wrote "the pit and the pendulum" that inspired Tuomas to write this, but he also wrote "The Raven"
Like you said, everything is intentional.
As you said, MASTERPIECE in capilar letters
Tuomas is genious. How much I...okay. NW 🤘
Fact I am really impressed about:
8:38 Now I only have three minutes ....
11:41 *ching*
I find it amazing how Toumas composes. At 8.30/40 there is ‘ 3 minutes and counting ‘ then exactly 3 minutes later, he with the music, slits his troath ! And the music carries on with such beauty.
It takes a truly wonderful musical talent to be able to plan an invigige that.
It’s about the leaving of tarja and the infamous letter 😭
One of my favourite Nightwish performances. The "when did you become so cold" part makes me tear up every time. Also sad that Marko won't be performing this anymore with Nightwish, because he left the band, but I respect his decision. Great reactions.
This exact line sends chills across my spine every single time!
Markos harmony on "Search for beauty..." is what does it for me.
7:20 "I might cry" , don't worry you will at the end. Listen to this at least 10 times.
Only one of my favorites from NIGHTWISH. Always good to see your reactions.
I loved how Floor looked at Tuomas in the Mother Father section. I loved how Emppu and the end with both Marco and Emppu went to check on Tuomas. Those 3 were there . Floor's voice is just another instrument.
When Floor sings, even Stonehenge cries.
The way Tuomas shouts "try to save them all" gets me so emotional every time I watch this video
Greatest show on earth , live TAMPERE . great reaction .
Floor looks so magnificent in this tall, stong and warrior like
In part 3 the boy whispers "I only have 3 minutes and counting..." Exactly 3 minutes later in the song, the blade falls that is like the symbolic death of Tuomas in the song.
Looking forward to this! All the best from the UK! 🤘🏼
Fortunately Tuomas decided to continue. This is so personal for him. The grand story behind is the most important but will be easily left behind cause the music and performance is so great.
Hi Mat and Chels, if you like long multiple part epic masterpieces, check out this one from Epica, it's mind blowing,
this is a cool lyric video on the 'stargazer' youtube channel, great sound quality:
Epica - Kingdom of Heaven Part 3 - The Antediluvian Universe (+ lyrics)
I love how Tuomas borrowed from The Pit and The Pendulum, a short story written in 1842 by Edgar Allan Poe. The story deals with the psychological torment of a prisoner in the Spanish Inquisition who is about to be publicly tortured and executed for opposing the Catholic Church. He finds himself in a rat-infested, darkened room with slippery sloped floors leading to a Pit, with a swinging Pendulum above. The Pit signifies Death, the Pendulum represents Time and the sloped floors symbolise Fear and the inevitability of death. An awesome adaptation to music. Genius!
The protagonist of the story opposed the Catholic Church as he raged a war against God for taking away his birth mother, adopted mother and wife with plague and disease.
Perhaps Toumas felt he was being publicly tortured and executed by his fans for firing Tarja the way he did?
Great reaction guys, you only missed Floor's angelic "Thank-you" at the end.
Enjoyed your reaction. There is a story based on this composition. My Army Nightwish brothers will inform you! I listened to this one, I think, a thousand times and it still gives me chills....
fyi Empathica not empathetica :) Nightwish is such an amazingly talented band and with Floor they are stratospheric ,the world needs to know this band !
floor's strongest talent is her story telling. the merryl streep pf metal.
BTW Mat & Chels, if you check that part where is that 1st whispered section and Boy's voice says in the end of that He has only 3 minutes and counting. Now check the time stamp of video there and see what happens exactly 3mins after. I just thought u would appreciate such precision in song writing.
Mat & Chels, it's written backwards, the end is at the beginning, the White Lands of Empathica are from a Steven King novel, it is a snowy tundra located in End-World. The residents of Empathica are known for their abilities to empathize and share other people's emotions. The whole title is a play on Edgar Alan Poe's "The Pit and the Pendulum", all Poe's stuff is very dark indeed.
Keep in mind that boy, writer, poet, dreamer are all pseudonyms that Tuomas uses for himself.
Marko's aggressive piece represents the backlash from the fans and press.
You saw Emppu go to Tuomas very early on and just check he is holding up.
The backlash and vilification from the firing was severe and unrelenting, even the Finnish PM made a comment, people have commented here that Marko and Emppu go and stand with Tuomas at the end to show and give support, and you have already done "Alpenglow" but not from Wembley where it was immediately before this; Floor went to Tuomas for the last chorus of that song and sang "conquering the darkest places" directly to him as she would know what was coming next.
What a good thing Tuomas wrote his suicide rather that actually doing it for real.
I always loved that move by her ...think at Tampere she at least points to him as well (and I think he seems to reciprocate to her in regard to her burnout ...it really seems like they both have the utmost respect for each other.
Great reaction!! Notice how the band members takes turn in go to Tuomas, to check out if he is ok, as this song is very personal to him, they make sure he is ok the whole way through the song..
this is proberly my favorite NW live performance ever, because it do get my emotions each time i listen, and the face expression on especially Tuomas and Floor, shows how much emotion they are putting into performing this one..you just might did hit the peak of your NW jorney right here..lol
just a amazing masterpiece yes!!
As others said, this song was written after Tarja was fired from the band.
Since the entire band came from the same tiny town in Finland, the band members knew each other from kindergarden. Also Tarja was popular like royalty in Finland. Tuomas got a lot of negative shit from the press and fans when he fired her (being the band leader). This combination sent Tuomas into depression. He said in an interview: "I committed suicide in the The Poet And The Pendulum so I did not have to do it in real live".
There are lots of interpretations out there of what the parts of the song mean, but I stick to this:
The acts represent the fases in the mind of a suicidal person.
Act I. White Lands Of Empathica --> this is about the traumatic loss of innocence.
Act II. Home --> this part is about raging thoughts of self hatred and a feeling of being uprooted (longing for home even if you already are home)
Act III. The Pacific --> this part is about romanticising death. How beautiful and peaceful it could be if you would just be dead.
Act iV. Dark Passion Play --> this part is about raging thoughts of anticipation about actually committing suicide and what will happen after
Act V. Mother and Father --> this part is about getting help and finding peace (without committing suicide)
(Mostly this came from Jim Games Live)
Tuck me in beneath the blue.....Attack of the Onion Ninjas....every fu**in time I see this .......awesome....thanks for doing this ! This is a masterpiece.
Even without doing reasearch about the background this one grabs you.
All hail our Queen Floor !
"Be still, my son, you're home. Oh, when you did become so cold..." get's me every f*****g time. 😭😭😭
and ..you had such oceans within...
Its better to wear socks; and there wil not be cold
@@fixxa6455 Haha!😅👍
Nightwish kicks me emotionally again and again in the ass.Greetings from germany!
It took me about 100 reactions to finally hear what I've always thought but could never put into words. "Unratable song."
I wish that for your sake you would have turned the captions on to follow when each act started and the words, especially the whispered and low voiced words. 🎶👱♀️👗👠👠💓
bravo for only pausing once, its an fn masterpiece, i'm 58 and lived all my years in central cali, i've seen over 150 bands live, none compare to nightwish live in any way, my dream is the coachella open air festival brings in nightwish nightwish in the cali desert nightsky with our weed=the perfect night, hell i'd kick paris hiltons skanky ass out the way to get up front, i would say to our valkyrie queen what would you have me do, and if i fail and die on my quest, i know she will take my soul to the halls of valhalla where the brave live forever
You should have done the leg work for this... I cannot believe people did not point this out to you before hand. Go read up on what this song is and what this song represents and listen to it again... And maybe dig out the lyrical video of the same performance so you can follow it more closely. This is a song from the edge of life and death... And the death is only avoided by putting the notes on the lines and pushing everything out of Tuomas to just allow him to keep on going...
And it is a song that Tuomas has said they will never play live again... Well, I don't know about that, but it won't be a daily item on the Nightwish menu any time soon. It just takes too much out of them and especially the Metal Mozart to do again.
Another great reaction never seen you two so quite what I could see my eyes were leaking a lot keep them reactions coming 👍🤘🤘🇬🇧
That was funny to watch. Guess that describes perfectly the experience everyone has when listening the first time without a f..king clue what the song is all about.
You guys should check out the band Ne Obliviscaris and their song "Painters of the Tempest". It's a full-on 23 minutes of pure progressive metal bliss that has so much technical and instrumental sequences that you'll just love to get lost in it.
I hope you watched this one again after knowing what the song is about. (Not gonna repeat the whole story that's already in the comments). It hits you way harder knowing it was Tuomas' way of dealing with depression and suicidal thoughts in a difficult time for the whole band.
Hi from the UK. You both looked totally entranced. Their music is epic and tells a compelling story told magnificantly by Floor. Great reaction to a emotional piece of music. Best wishes.
This is serious song. He commited suicide in the song. It would be nice to read the background of the story. Floor's hair doesn't matter in this case.
This song requires reading the story before listening too.
Lyrics are just awesome
M & C...Wonderful reaction, thank you. You felt the emotion of Floor's story telling and the beauty of Tuomas' music. You almost teared up, a lot of use tear up every time because we know what the lyrics are about. I know many reactors don't like to do any back story research. On some songs it makes a world of difference, this is one. When you are aware of what the lyrics mean it goes from a beautiful song to a piece of art. If you have time, check it out. Then watch with the lyrics pulled up. It will be long sleeves and tissue time. Be well.
Well done the two off you 👌 it's a whole lot to take in hearing it the first time !
After see and hearing it for so many times the lyrics " I can not cry cause the shoulder cry's more " still makes me shiver 😓 .
Also Marco , Floor and Empu sitting in front off the drums in the end makes me emotional .
Looking forward to see the two off you react to The Greatest Show On Earth , please use the Tampere regristation 😍 !
So ready for this💥👍😁
The meaning of the song is very personal to Tuomas, that obviously doesn't take away from enjoying it but after you know about it it's even more impressive as a cathartic piece of art
The Siren call at the end is almost as drawing as the lyrics "Be still my son...your home"
A band for you to consider is Wishbone Ash and their song The King WIll Come from the album Argus. They are believed to be the first band to use a dual lead guitar and this prog album was released in 1972. I don't believe it has ever been remastered so you have the original compression to about 30 db of headroom but it is still a masterpiece.
Thanks for this! This is my favourite song in the whole world. And I don't say that lightly, been a metal fan since I was 9 years old and listening to my dad's vinyls of Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, Rainbow, and other rock and metal legends. But this song is something else. It's like a true experience, they take you on an emotional journey and you cannot let go. It is sad, it is angry, but yet there is a glimpse of hope. To be honest, I feel like calling it a song is selling it short.
Thanks Mat and Chels, great reaction! Yes, it is truly a masterpiece. The title of this song refers to a short story by Edgar Allan Poe "The Pit and the Pendulum" first published in 1842.
I was wondering if it was referencing Poe. - Mat
Tuomus's grand masterpiece. I have listened to this song at least 50X, and each damn time it brings tears to my eyes. Why do I do this to myself? Simple. Because it is one of the most beautiful songs ever written.
Knowing the backstory of why this song was written in the first place gives more meaning to the intense emotions the song creates to listeners. Tuomus has said the song will never be performed again live.
And you have NO idea of what this song is about ;)
You should have researched what the song is about
Omg😢😭totally cried!
Now imagine if you knew and understood the meaning and significance of this song...
Everything you felt would've been multiplied by a hundred.
I will give you a little more of the backstory you may be missing. Follow this in order some and read and watch in order. Tuomas-keyboards and composer, Emmpu-guitar, and Tarja-singer, were all childhood friends and created a special band together. The song is about the aftermath of Tarja's dismissal from the band. Before watching their greatest song, "The Poet and the Pendulum" you should have done this backstory research. It's okay you can do it now.
Watch, from Tarja's last performance with Nightwish, that tour ending fateful night in Hartwell Arena with all the band knowing she was going to be fired right after the show but she did not know. This is, in my mind Marco's best performance of a lifetime. They have not performed this song since.
She made it hers alone, watch "Phantom of the Opera": ruclips.net/video/tL25rbnvM4o/видео.html
After the concert, the band let her go by handing her and posting on-line this termination letter right after the show in Hartwell Arena, Finland in 2005.
Read it, it's not long:
web.archive.org/web/20060410185248/nightwish.com/en/article/6
Second her response also posted in an open letter on-line:
nightwish.fandom.com/wiki/Open_Letter_from_Tarja_Turunen
The break-up with Tarja was very hard on Tuomas with lots of backlash directed at him personally. It almost ended the band... and him.
Then watch "The Poet and the Pendulum", yes it is a reference to Edger Allen Poe's "The Pit and the Pendulum" the Torture story of a swinging pendulum with a sharp blade on the bottom meant to cut through a body strapped underneath it as it swings slowly, dropping a little every swing. Tuomas is killed metaphorically in the symbolic neck slashing motion.
Also, the song is in reverse chronological order. It starts with "The End" and ends with "The Beginning". At the beginning they sing "The Songwriter's dead..." but he actually died later in the song. Watch for when the lyrics say he has three minutes left to live, it is exactly 3 minutes to his symbolic decapitation and heartbeat stopping. More evidence of Tuomas genius. Then follows the sad part of his depression that led to his death and then the hopeful kind words of his family where the song ends... at the beginning.
You guys really need to know the back story to this masterpiece and then watch it again with the lyrics on. Heads up: Tuomus said he killed himself in this song so he wouldn't have to do it in real life.
😊🇫🇮🤘❤️🎶🎹🎸🥁✨👍👍
To understand the story you need to know the backstory.
Nightwish was started by Tuomas, Emppu, and Tarja, their first singer. In 2005, after the recording of the "End of an era" dvd Tarja was fired thru a letter given to her by Tuomas, but it was a band decision. The letter was also posted on the bands homepage at the same time. Marko had told Tuomas "It's me or her". This song is about the aftermath thru Tuomas eyes. A piece in five parts.
1. White lands of Empathica.: Boy soprano (Guy Elliot). "The end, the songwriter's dead, the blade fell upon him" It's the end of an era, Tuomas feels dead inside, he was the one that handed Tarja the letter. The white lands of Emphatica is a place in Stephen Kings "Dark Tower" series.
2. Home: "A poet without a rime, a widowed writer torn apart by the chains of hell" Tuomas got writers block, he's lost his musical "wife", his muse, and was fighting depression and doubt. "My home was there and then, those meadows of heaven. Adventure filled days one with every smiling face" The bands beginning, before the troubles started.
3 The Pacific: "On the shore, se sat and hoped under the same pale moon who's guiding light chose you, chose you all" If I remember it right Tuomas, Emppu, and Tarja was having a barbecue at night when they decided to start a band together. The operatic part Floor sings was originally sung by the same boy soprano who sings the intro. When Floor joined she told Tuomas that she could sing that. He decided to keep the intro but let Floor sing that part.
The spoken words are read by a boy named Tom Williams. Both him and Guy Elliot were members of Reigate St Mary's Choir School.
4. Dark passion play: This is about the reactions from fans and media where everyone blamed Tuomas even tho it was a band decision. He was ripped apart, even the Finnish prime minister had an opinion.
5. Mother and Father: Tuomas took refuge at his parents house for a while, these are some of the things they told him during that time.
Tuomas was inspired by the short story "The pit and the pendulum" by Edgar Allen Poe when he wrote this masterpiece.
The first words are "The end", the last words are "The beginning". It's the end of an era and the start of a new.
When you see Marko and Emppu close to Tuomas at the end it's a thing they have thet started when this song was new. Tuomas feelings where still raw so they supported him at the end of the song. Tuomas had chosen to have Anettes song cut out of the mix in his earpiece at the shows. This was 11 years after the events, so he's mostly over it now
Now you need to react to "Master, Passion, Greed" which was written about the same time about Tarja leaving the band. That song though is a hate song against Tarja's husband who the band blamed for ripping her away. There is no live version and probably will never be a live version. It's off the same album, "Dark Passion Play".
Would love to see you two react to judas priest victim of changes live at seminole hard rock arena if youre brains can take that mutch rock 😄 lots of love from sweden 🙂
An absolutely gorgeous fuckin song. Wet eyes every single time for me... no joke
🤘😎 cheers guys great reaction
Yeah getting chills is normal, im listening for a million time and still got them ; this will never stop on this song
yep just enjoy it... every time a see/hear the song and the band /floor ... I feel .. sad ..glad ... agitated and I am again amazed ... every time .... the quality live is so high
Nice surprise for me!
Long time since I saw you two react to Nightwish.
Hope you don't get too bashed for not watching with lyrics and not having read up on the backstory.
Much love!
🤘🤘❤🤘🤘 So happy ya'll finally did this one!!!! 🤗❤✌
Loved the reaction. Keep on Nightwishing on. 🤘😜🤘
🤩👍💥💯🎼
"The end............ The beginning"
And Helluwa Lot in between!
🤘😎 🇫🇮💙
Underwhelming. Absolutely below standard. This was one of the greats. And...... ya didn't get that.
*Since this is Tuomas' virtual commited suicide, you really should read the background story of this song and then watch it again. You will find then the things, that you may have not discovered the first time. Greetings & Stay safe.*
🎵🔥⚡🔥🎵💿🔊✅🤘😎👍
You may like Shudder before the Beautiful...and Weak Fantasy. Gidday from New Zealand.
That was good, you got the overall feel for it, that’s for sure. Now that you know how Tuomas writes when he’s depressed, you may want to listen to how he writes when he’s angry and frustrated due to having writer’s block, it is said that he was so frustrated he managed to break a key on his keyboard from hitting it so hard, but I don’t know if it’s true or not. The song is called “Dead Gardens” and is on the “Once” album, Tarja’s last studio album with the band and Tuomas gave a big role to Emppu on this one, he really goes to town. ruclips.net/video/Yw55E0H65wc/видео.html
Birds = a murder of crows! Well done! Such a masterpiece.
I see them live 2x this year....at Pinkpop festival in June and a full show in The Ziggodome in Amsterdam in Oktober. And i will see Rammstein too. In July in Nijmegen at the Goffert
Yeah, musical perfection and so lyrically profound 🤘
Notice that after the lyric say's 3 minutes and counting it is exactly 3 minutes later that Tuomas acts out committing suicide. Brilliant composition!
We love your reactions to our favorite band and this was no exception. This truly is a masterpiece composition by Tuomas, and performed wonderfully by each member of the band and their production crew, especially given that is a live stage performance, not in the studio. Absolutely remarkable. Thank you so much and stay safe.
I haven't thought of it before, but those birds looks like ravens. And this song is inspired by Edgar Allan Poes "The pit and the pendulum". What else did Poe write? The Raven..
awesome reaction. This piece has a very special place in my life. I know the back story but this piece is also an anthem for those people with mental health issues such as depression with suicidal thoughts, Yep I am one of those!
If I may I would like to give you my interpretation of the lyrics and what they mean to me.
The first part, which you note starts with the words the end!! Is taken from Stephen Kings Tower series, the white lands were the home of a type of vampire that fed on emotions, (empathy), so a person left feeling nothing, empty and without emotion.
In the second part, those lines expressing a feeling of futility, all same old same old yet, hating how you feel, then the verse seems to express the effort of trying to pretend to be ok, hence those two faces, one for everyone else and the real one that is private, no one to turn to for help as the people around you seem as upset as you so no shoulder to cry on so you just carry on pretending becoming that whore for the cold world. Then there is the remembering back to when all was good, yet you cannot get there despite everyone telling you “you are ok, it will be fine” till those words just sink you even further into the mess.
Then we have the Pacific, oh wow, the wishing and planning stage, the beautiful sea, just wishing it was over, that you could be under the waves, beneath the pain tucked into that beauty., last goodnight kiss and a valentine that ends everything.
Then that part that starts with being afraid, being raped, not in the traditional sense but feeling violated, alone and bloody scared, For Tuomas, feeling that those who he felt should have been there for him somehow betrayed him, a not uncommon feeling with severe depression, feeling that even life betrayed you, also again the mention of the tide and drowning, many see it as the perfect death!
On a side note here, three minutes and counting, yep exactly three minutes to the point that Tuomas simulates the blade.
Here also note how the music becomes chaotic, mirroring the thought process of someone planning their own death, no logic, well there is but only to the individual. Yet also a sense of excitement and of a journey, proceeding the calm.
Then the passion play, traditionally passion plays were performed at Easter and were about the death of Christ, and Tuomas plays with us a little here, “second robber to the right of Christ! Well at the crucifixion there was only one robber either side of Christ but in the painting The Last Supper the person second to the right of Christ is Judas!!!!!
Then of course the symbolic death and the slowing faltering heartbeat.
The beginning or last part of the piece are the words that brought Tuomas back from the edge. In his case words from his parents but many of us will have people who were there at just the right time and who cared enough to be the rock and love us enough to hold on.
If there is a message in this work surely it is to be kind, to look out for each other and if you can be there, you never know you may just save a person’s life. As someone did mine.
"it makes me emotional" yep.....you got another thing coming ;) Sparcle my scenery....allright, im crying
I don't wish to be unkind but never listen to the Annette live version of this. It will bring you to tears for all the wrong reasons.
Yes a masterpiece well described such an emotional song for many reasons great reactions guys I'm going to see them at Wembley in December where this song was recorded thanks again guys 🔥🔥🔥
Check out Markos custom "Warwick" Bass guitar. He Drop tunes to the lower E. The guitar is about a foot longer for the last 3 frets When Marko goes low he goes low.
masterpiece...yes! And an emotional Rollercoaster....
love it
Oh no you didn't research the song!! People will get upset with you for that. I would definitely recommend looking into the song meaning nowe that you have heard it before listening again as it does add a lot of extra meaning but isn't essential for a first listen :D
Next nightwish ghost River live wacken!!!!!!!
Ah time for a feels trip. Every time
Tuomas singing his heart out in the end, gets me every fckin' time, damn ! 🤍🔥🙌