Four thousands Dutch mempers Guilain? The Floor's army in Anette's first reaction video? But i don't care about,i am a studio lover fan and i loved DPP with Anette,years before Floor sung this song. In the studio version i can hear till the whispers and the instrumental parts very clear. I like also the antithesis of Marco's hard vocals to more clear and colourful Anette's vocals. The first song of the first Anette's album. We had lishened the first single with Anette Olzon,Eva, quite different voice from Tarja but we loved this ballad. After following the Amaranth if i remember well and bye bye beautiful. All the songs on fire. When i lishened the album and the first song,i said what on earth is this. Thirteen minutes and so many parts. But i loved this song and this song gave the name of the album. This song exist because of Tarja's era and Tuomas pain. Sometimes the greatest pains giving big creativity to the artists and Tuomas Holopainen created a strong DPP which became best selling album. Anette Olzon is a fantastic singer and always will love her for her two albums who left us as a legacy. I like her lives also, unfortunately we have not officials videos. Floor is live singer and she gave a great performance in the song. I like her version also.. So Tarja helps to Tuomas Holopainen to inspire this song, Anette Olzon gave a strong studio version and Floor helped the newest fans to love this song of DPP with her performances. Dear Guilain,i have lost many of your reactions, truly difficult months from my work always, but i have finished few days before and i am in vacation now and first i saw the photo of the album and just after see you hah,lovely.!!! This great album has many differences from the last albums. Marco has two songs as a singers and three duet with Anette Olzon. Also has four ballads with Anette fantastic all of them plus one with Marco the Islander. Emmpu's song the only one who played in live with Anette and Troy's unofficial presence in the band,he became official member with Floor in 2013. Floor sing only three songs of DPP and i guess that we will have after Amaranth,the seven days with the wolves. So sad because they are much better songs in the album. I am glad that we continue this journey with the rest albums. Great analysis Guilain, to a great song, thank you. Be safe my friend!!!!

The live performance of this with Floor at Wembley arena is simply mind blowing

When my wife heard this song for the first time, she said right away that she wanted the Mother and Son part of our wedding. And so it was, in 2019, when she was climbing the altar in a cave on a farm (civil wedding) the music was Part 5 Mother and Son. :)

"Cut in half - Infanticide" - I think this refers to the Judgement of Solomon. Since you can not agree, cut the child in half. Since the band cannot agree, cut it in half.

Great to see you back on the Nightwish train! - The live performance of this with Floor at Wembley arena is simply mind blowing. Nightwish are essentially a live band, and with the mighty Floor bringing such emotion and colour to her interpretation of these lyrics, it’s simply stunning…

Great analysis Frere Guylain! This is what happens when a truly great artist has the unbelievable courage to bare his soul completely and stand stark naked in front of the entire world, risking everything and assuming everything without mitigation, without minimization. When that happens, unique masterpieces are born that will last through the ages of humankind.

Hurray, you are back with Nightwish 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 This will brighten my day for sure!

I like the format. Great video. Thank you!

Delighted to see one of my favorite reactors back on the Nightwish track! Most things have been said about the masterpiece that TPATP is, but I do want to point out one fundamental key to understanding the intricate lyrics and compositions of Tuomas Holopainen: mostly when he mentions the child, the dream, the wish or the love he is referring to Nightwish - his child, his dream, his wish and his true love is the band Nightwish. I actually believe that even Ghost Love Score is all about Nightwish, not about some simple romantic relationship with another human... Thank you brother Guylain for your profound and thought-provoking analysis on TPATP, although you left out the obvious connection to Poe´s short story The Pit and the Pendulum - where the main character is being tortured, strapped to an altar during the inquisition. And I fully agree that the studio versions are wonderful too, only in the live versions you can sense that the band really know and feel their songs after performing them for a long time.

I was waiting to continue this journey with you 😊

Glad to see you again. Always such insightful and inspiring reactions.

Thank you for that reaction and analysis. Is perfect!!!

Nice to see you back with your analysis. A few things: The "Pit and the Pendulum" by Edgar Allen Poe references physiological torture. The references to "White Lands" is from fantasy literature. I'm a Sci-Fi guy so I'll leave that reference to others. In the "Pit and the Pendulum", the protagonist is tied to an "altar" while the swinging pendulum blade descends with each swing, threatening to slice him in half. Tuomas' altar was Nightwish itself. The "Three minutes and counting" has been said to reference the time Tuomas waited for Tarja to give her the dismissal letter and that he would have rather died first. The last part apparently were the actual words spoken to him by his parents during his depression. "The Ending" was the end of the Tarja era and "The Beginning" was the start of the post Tarja era. "Infanticide" referred to the killing of his baby - Nightwish. I was surprised you didn't dwell more on the "Second robber to the right of Christ" as I think Tuomas thought of himself as that robber.

The power of lyrics. I found myself tearing up even at the lyrical reading of the final act. That is truly amazing. well done sir!

Hi Guylain, great to see Nightwish back for you`re analysis, This song is for me a great emotional roller coaster, As Tuomas would view himself here as the penitent thief, with his loss of innocence, His infanticide, pure theatre.

Great analysis, thanx, enjoyed it.

I love the new REACTION/ANALYSIS setup. I sometimes watch these on the big screen and i love the way you always seem to enter my livingroom: 14:09 ;-) Everything about the song is already said. It's a piece of art. Thanks and cheers!

I'm very happy to see you back with Nightwish again. I really enjoy your breakdowns of lyrical content and I just get something extra out of it when it is with this band. Whether I enjoy analysis more due to that it's my favorite band or that the fact that there is so much to analyze is what made them my favorite band isn't entirely certain. What is certain is that this is some of the best content one can find on KZfaq in my opinion. This is a very special song for me and if I was pressed to say which song of Nightwish is my favorite, even though it's hard to just name one, it very well could be this one. I think it is so well composed in both music and lyrics. Musically I think this is the best orchestral composition to a metal song that Tuomas has done, and most likely anyone else for that matter. It has very interesting movement through the orchestra and everything feels both very evocative of the appropriate feelings and blends so well with the metal instruments and the vocals. Lyrically I think it is a fantastic mix of telling a story through very poetic imagery and it works in a way where you can follow it on a first listen but also find so much depth if you really sit down and analyze it. What really makes the song extra special to me is how I can relate to it. I've never gone through anything like the specific events that caused this song but I did live with some form of depression for more than a decade. It wasn't something I really knew was there as I just thought life was hard, nor did any of my loved ones pick up on it as I hid my pain well, but it finally dawned on me when I got to the point where I could just shed all that weight and truly feel free, at which point life seemed so much simpler and more wonderful. This song does remind me of some of that pain but most of all the final movement just captures the feeling of getting over all that and it can still move me to tears. Not tears of sadness or even happiness but just for how beautifully it captures the feeling of relief and new hope. As for the two versions I'm in agreement that both are absolutely fantastic. Anette was a great singer in the studio and really worked well on the albums she appeared on. That being said this live version is my favorite one and I think Floor's range and her ability to convey the emotions (she is an empath, which I suspect has a good deal to do with that) just reaches yet another level for the song and the band performs excellently. I also love some minor things like how the "three minutes and counting..." gets an added visual cue as Tuomas makes the motion of the pendulum slashing his throat at the three minute mark, and also how Emppu and Marco walk over to Tuomas to show their support and make sure he is okay. Thanks for this video and I'm looking forward to the next.

I really like your concept. This was very interesting. Good work.

One of the things that always struck me about this song is how reminiscent it is of the art or writings of people suffering from PTSD. Trying to process an event by any means possible; at times shifting from loss to anger, calm, rage and centered. To get a better grip on this one I would create a playlist of 3 songs, as I feel all 3 are actually one song/story.. Poet first as it is the injury. Bye Bye Beautiful, the correction. Master Passion Greed, the fault. I do feel for Annette as she got some rough handling from Tarja fans, (I only came across NW when DPP came out so I never had that particular hangup) I like the quality of her voice. She's not there to blow the doors off the place she's there to tell the stories.

Looking forward to reacting to more Nightwish with you through the rest of the year! This is one of my favorite live performances! I don't have much else to say, as the other comments pretty much covered it. I will say I really love how this song ties in so much of the imagery from the previous albums. Also, I like your new format (1 videos: studio version, analysis, and live video)

Very well done, Guylain, on all three phases! I have listened to this song more times than I care to count, still get emotionally effected every time.....it is so well crafted, and executed here!! Agree with your comment about Anette's ability to convey emotion to a song, in studio, especially apparent to me on her recording of Meadows Of Heaven! Have a great week!

I very much appreciate your reaction. It is a pleasure to see someone that takes the time to understand the music. I will look forward to more Nightwish!

Hi Guylain! Very nicely done - thank you. I had to skip ahead from my chronological journey through your videos to see this one. As always, I am grateful for the quantity of high-quality effort you put into these. I pore over the lyrics myself and yet I always learn something from your work. Interpreting poetry is a great way to be reminded that none of us can see all possible interpretations on our own.

my first video of yours i’ve seen!!! loved this analysis!!!! subscribed !!❤️

Oh dear, your breakdown/analysis part hit me hard in the heart. Excellent work as always. I in fact listened to your parts of the video in reverse order, and I'm glad I did. For me that made so much sense.

Hello Guylain. I'm happy that you are back to explain nightwish songs again. Because of your analyse I always learn again how I can get another view to this songs. Let me say something to #7: "On the shore we sat and hoped under the same pale moon whose guiding light chose you chose you all" Nightwish was born in the night at a shore of a lake, where Tuomas, Tarja and Emppu sat around a camp fire and I think, this lyric text is a clear reference to this moment.

Nice to see you back Sir. Greetings from the -currently- sunny UK! Rhodri

Sooo glad to see you reacting again.

Merci Guylain!! I have been waiting a few days since the premiere of this one to watch it, simply because i wanted to watch it all, and yes its a long one, but now i did so. Its very hard to pick a favorite live performance by Nighwish, but this one could surely be it, still i as you also love Anette´s studio version, and maybe its because i did listen to the studio version a long time before Floor came along, with this live version, and Anette was the one i took the journey with, to learn this song, and having my first 100 listens to it..lol Somehow that is the real deal to me, even Floor is amazing of cause, and yes i always said this, that Anette did a lot of brilliant studio work, and i think you will also agree on this, on next songs coming up, she really did. Nightwish is proberly my favorite band, so im of cause exited to continue this journey with you again, and i think ive been around almost since you started up with reactions, and see almost every minutte of stuff you did put up..so yeah you must do something i like right..lol

Hi Guylain! I have been waiting so long for this one, Poet and the Pendulum. It is remarkable, touching, everything.... Sadly I can`t be at the premiere tomorrow, couse work. But I will watch this immediatly when I come home!!

He visto cada uno de sus videos y me encanta su reacción e interpretación, no suelo dejar comentarios, pero ví el video completo así que; gracias por el tiempo invertido para interpretar una canción que me emociono hasta las lagrimas la primera vez que la escuche en un video en vivo, como madre la parte 5 me llega al corazon no me gustaría que mis hijas llegaran a sentir la tristeza la falta de amor la depresión y la soledad, el amor de los padres es incondicional y siempre estamos para abrazar y apoyar en los peores momentos a nuestros hijos como también en los momentos felices. Esta canción para mi es un grito desesperado de soledad y depresión pero están buena que es como una obra de arte, esta banda me acompaña desde 2004. Muchas gracias por la opción de subtitulo en español muchos mas deberían poder dar la opción yo entiendo en inglés pero aun así es mucho mas fácil poder entender mejor con subtitulos, saludos desde Chile!!!

so glad Tuomas is still with us to bring us these fantastic compositions.

Hi Guylain, I was really looking forward to your reaction (in fact I waited for six months for it :) :) :), and I really liked your interpretation. I know that you liked Anette's version but to me... well Floor's rendition of this particular song is simply unmatchable, a true heartbreaking rollercoaster. Knowing the backstory of this song, she made me cry like a baby, I have to confess. This song to me is a real masterpiece (it's my favourit NW song) and as you also understood, it's definitely a metaphor of Tuomas (and Nightwish) transition from the era of Tarja to a new one. A process that starts with the end of a friendship, a tormented decision and action, its tragic consquences, the depression and the final decision to search for a "new shore" and start over again. The movements are scenes of the same story, but like in many movies, the story actually starts just before the final act. This is my personal interpretation / explaination of this song, I'll try to explain it in English, but please forgive my mistakes: I'm not a native speaker :) 1. White lands of empathica To me this section is suspended in time, like in a limbo between life and death. This place represents a state of incertainity for the future and deep depression. A place that is visited by Tuomas at the and of the Dark passion play section, when everything seems lost. In the Dark Tower novel by Stephen King, the "white lands of empathica" are in fact a region located at the "End World" in a snowy tundra, where residents are known for their abilities to empathize and share other people's emotions. This is the place that Tuomas is sent to after the pendulum kill him in section 3. This is a place where, as a resident, Tuomas empathize and suffer from the backlash of the fans, after the sacrilegious act, committed by him, of the dismissal of Tarja. During his stay in this parallel dimension, Tuomas feels the "blade descending" and he's suffering, unable to decide for his and his band future. 2. Home Like in a movie this scene starts with a depressed Tuomas, alone in his room in full writer's block. He's stuck in the middle of a song, unable to finish it. He feels that he's still writing "the same old song", a music that was once inspired by his muse (Tarja) and that now cannot exist anymore. Tuomas is feeling abandoned, (widowed) by a friend that once shared the same dream and ambition, but not anymore. Their band only exist because of the "cold world" wanting them to go on as a band. (That's why he feels like a whore) In fact (as Tuomas revealed in the open letter to Tarja) in 2004 the band and the singer were already about to divorce: Tarja and Marcelo (her husband and manager) were not involved with the band anymore and the singer was planning a solo career for herself. However this crisis hit Nigtwish at the pinnacle of their career: their last album "Once" had been a gigantic success and everybody (producers, fans... the "Cold world" to use Tuomas words) were asking for more. Because of that, Tarja decided that she would have stayed for another, last album, before quitting for good. The band felt "trapped" in a really painful situation: the guys wanted to go on with NW but they thougth there was no future for the band without the signature vocalist and frontwoman. At a personal level, Tuomas felt betrayed by her friend (and possibly ghost love) and as he revealed in the open letter to Tarja he couldn't "simply write any new song for her to sing". In this situation Tuomas feels like the prisoner of "the pit and the pendulum" (a short story by Edgar Allan Poe about the torments endured by a prisoner of the spanish inquisition that was trapped into his cell and "strapped to an altar" facing the ceiling, with a razor sharp pendulum suspended over him swinging back and forth and slowly descending, like a sadistic guillotine, designed to kill him slowly with the passing of time). In this section Tuomas is clearly suffering for the torture of waiting the "blade" to kill him. He wants to do something to shorten his agony (the chains of hell), but he's afraid of the consequences, so he looks to escape into his memories, in his dreamworld, under the surface of the calm ocean of his soul, his "dreamer's hideaway". 3. The pacific Into the blue of his memories, Tuomas relieves the events that eventually lead to the formation of NW: a night to the shore, the water, the moonlight, the shared dreams of everybody, people that felt "chosen" to become a band and to realize their common dream. But that common dream is over, the pendulum is there, and Tuomas knows he must do something. So he decides to shorten the agony, and stop waiting for Tarja to quit. He decide to die on his own terms by firing Tarja now, knowing that this could result in the end of Nightwish. He then starts counting the remaining minutes before handing the letter. 4. Dark passion play This is the section where Tuomas commits his suicide by firing Tarja. The scene opens with a tragic, rapid paced instrumental part that reminds me of a mad, desperate but resolute preparation for the final act. Before he dies, Tuomas imagines his fans lined up against him, full of hatred and resentment towards him, spitting on his grave. Tuomas feels like the thief to the right of Christ, the bad one, justly sentenced for being a sinner until the end. Three minutes later, When the blade finally kills him (Tuomas hand the letter to Tarja). The "dark passion" of Tuomas seems to be over: he's found "naked and dead" (dead but honest), "with a smile on his face" (satisfied for everything he did) "and 1000 pages of erased text" (songs he partially wrote but that will never see the light of day). 5. Mother and father This final act, reveals that Tuomas after all is still alive. He's probably depressed, living in the limbo described in part 1 (White lands of empathica), suffering from the blade, the brutal reaction of the fans and he probably wants to end nightwish for good. The scene describes Tuomas'es parents comforting him after the "figurative" suicide. They say to him to raise, to stop suffering. To look for new inspirations, for new horizons to believe in himself. Their love soothes Tuomas wounds and convince him to try again, marking a "new beginning" for him and for Nightwish.

So excited for this reaction/analysis! This piece is a favourite of mine, deeply emotional. Time to settle in for it with a pot of tea and my knitting.

Greetings from the Low Countries ! Love your channel.

Wow wow WOW! This was everything I wished/hoped for the start to continue this wonderful, beautiful jorney, thank you dear Guylain. I also love both versions, I bought that album when it came out. But seeing Nightwish bandmembers on stage, it is so, almost overwhelm, beautiful, huge experience to me. About that altar, I always tought that as an artist, who gives EVERYTHING from his heart and soul to others, he is so naked and vulnerable in front of us. And then Tuomas got the worst shit-storm on him when Tarja was fired. It was our national main news on tv and even our prime minister commented that. That whole thing, loosing a friend, loosing that child`s innocence, getting rage and punches by fans and others... It has to felt so painful, and that pain and agony and despair can be heard and felt so strongly in this song.

Great analysis as allways. That’s my favourite Nightwish performance with Floor, her voice sounds so perfect and the light design is incredible. You said you preffer the studio version, and one thing I notice in this performance is that normaly Floor changes many things to sing songs her way, but in this case she respects Anette’s version absolutly, for me that’s the way she sais “Hey Anette, you did a fantastic job”.

Excellent my good sir !!! Another one to my favorite reactions list !!!!! Thank You !!! Nightwish Shadow Unit From Estonia 🤘😎🤘.

Kiitos ♥️ Takk ♥️ Giitu ♥️ Thank You ♥️ I'm so happy for this, and your analyses are just awesome. My favorites ♥️ See you next week 🤘😁🤘

Hello dear Guylain, so happy to see you continuing you series of Nightwish analysis. Looking forward to the coming months. With TPATP in the studio version so much more details can be noticed, some of which are changed or even left out in the live version. I presume for practical reasons of a live performance, but also because 'less is more'? On the other hand the voices in the studio version sound so clean and polished. Not only Anette's, also Marco's. Too clean to reflect the drama and emotion in this song for my liking, meaning I feel the emotion just a little bit. The live version on the other side hits me like a hammer everytime, giving me shivers and watery eyes. And it's not only Floor's and Marco's voices, the whole production is more raw and edgy. Probably the visual effect also is part of this stonger felt emotion in the live version.

As always, interesting and very interesting. Be safe and regards from Mexico

Great analysis as always mon frére

That was a very good analysis of the Poet and the Pendulum.

Guylain, I'm 4 months late to this as I began my post-graduate life as a college professor which kept me quite busy, but I made sure to bookmark each one of these as they came out. The Poet and the Pendulum is unbeatable as my #1 song of all time (across all genres/bands), so I'm glad to see you appreciated the deepness it brings. I feel that it's effectively a direct continuation of Ghost Love Score as if it was a sequel/epilogue to what happened back on Once, by wrapping up that era but welcoming in the new era. It's unfortunate that it seems to often take a personal tragedy for music this thought-provoking to be created, but you're the one reactor I 100% trust to be able to dissect a song thoroughly, so thanks for always doing that! Even though I am not at all religious I also enjoy having the perspective of how a song can be interpreted differently (or the same) from our completely different walks of life. I look forward to catching up on the rest of this over the next few days!

thank you!

Amazing

Midwest Division. Great Lakes Battalion of the Nightwish Army checking in from Straits of Mackinac / Mackinac Island, Lake Huron, USA. I really enjoyed this new path into this musical rabbit hole of the band Nightwish! So I've subbed for more! Thank you!

Long time no seeing. Welcome back, sir Guylain. 😎🍁👍

Great job. Congratulations. I will follow you. Go ahead.

tellement hâte,cette chanson est un bijou

The emotions,,, I cry everytime i hear this song but i love it.

Powerful and beautiful song 💖

Thank you for your reaction. Gr. from the Netherlands.

I know all stories and usual interpretations, but yours still make sense. I was very happy to see your video popping up to my suggested. To me, your lyric analysis is the most interesting content. You really should analyze Sonata Arctica.

Thank you for the interesting analysis of this beautiful song. First, I have to say that I think I like the concept of having reaction to studio version + analysis + (brief) reaction to live version, although maybe it's gets a bit of a mouthful with 'monster' songs like this one or in future 'The greatest show on Earth'. Few comments about the lyrics: Did you hear some unintelligible whispering at beginning, and wondered what that is? It's some of the boy's sentences played BACKWARDS. Tricky Tuomas! Then, about the 1st paragraph, I read somebody describing it as the "executive summary" of the song, and I think it's a fitting, funny description of it. About 'the dreamer and the wine', in my view works well to identify Tuomas, who has a special appreciation for wine (he even got a wine named as Imaginaerum, the 2nd NW album with Anette). A side comment about the poet "strapped unto this altar" and the lack of freedom: I was listening to some of interviews that Tuomas has given about the recently released album of Auri, the band/project that he runs with Troy and his wife Johanna, and one of the things he repeatedly says he likes the most about Auri is that he feels a very satisfying freedom of expression, not being forced to write music fitting (the already loose) Nightwish pattern/style. Last, I like both studio and live version: in the studio, I like the richness of the symphonic part (which reasonably won't be played in a live concert as it would get a bit lost), but in the live version I do like Floor's emotional rendering, and also the maturity in Marko's voice.

Oh, I've been waiting for this! Not particularly this song (although it is a good one), but I have been waiting this journey to continue. I was enjoying so much these videos of Nightwish's history last year, but I never commented (if I remember right). Now that I have an account for commenting, I am planning to take more part in the conversation. Even if I don't really have that much knowledge to share...

The "Pit and the Pendulum" by Edgar Allen Poe, describes a blade swinging above a man tied to a table getting lower and lower with each swing. In the live version, you can see the pendulum in the background. I have heard that Thomas was inspired by this.

I agree with you Guylain, Anette is doing a great job in the studio version! 👍

Esta canción se merece reacciones y análisis de esta categoría., Esta claro que no todos pueden, y nadie grabaría 40 minutos para explicar lo que Tuomas quiso plasmar aquí.. Gracias por esto, supongo que dedicas este tiempo por que una parte tuya sabe que Tuomas no te decepcionara, y te dara mucho jugo para tus grandes análisis.. saludo desde argentina

Only recently discovered the channel and what a find. I love you passion and emotion when reacting to these songs, it is infectious. Floor is an amazing singer, she is so versatile. Anette may not have the presence at a live concert, and she is not as versatile as Floor. However there are some sings that belong to Anette and this is the prime example. Mother and Father section sung by Floor is just to aggresive and powerful, however Anette captures the moment perfectly, holding back at the right moment , softly, before pulling at your heartstrings. Dont get me wrong, live version is fantastic, but the Anette version is the one that can move me to tears

What can I say, dear Guylain! This is quite a re-entry into the world of NIGHTWISH! I was taking notes while listening, and believe me, you helped me find new bits of insight in a work I thought was the most analyzed in their discography. A lot of people can relate to it on the emotional level of loss and guilt, so it is easier to "read" the symbols and tropes than,say, the scientifically-charged "The Greatest Show on Earth". Still, I wound up with A LOT of notes, but finding "right" time + state of mind to post them here was a different story. :))) Yet this song, and your analysis, deserves it. Such a masterful expression of the dark corners of a sensitive person's mind. I thought there were times where also you were not able to resist the emotion, as at 18:20, or 1:04:25. I wonder as I see lots of people being closely affected by the song, how some reviewer of the album back in the day was able to dismiss "The Poet and the Pendulum" as worthless self-indulgent crap from a writer gone off the rails (the actual line was more offensive, I will not cite it). Here was a person who would view the artist as an "entertainer/whore": no patience for emotional narrative, and especially if the narrative is of personal nature, it must be driven by the need to show off/draw attention. That was one "cold" tough guy. :) As is, Tuomas has managed here a level of prosody before unattained, with impressive layers of polyphony, where the intensity within lyrics is so well matched by the intensity of the music. I gladly followed your insights into the numerous meanings, such as: altar as a place for sacrifice (even Sacrifice); the double nature of passion; home in hell for the cold heart; the rebirth through the ocean (deep, silent, complete)... btw, what a wondrous artistic decision to give the "ocean" theme to the cello! The Poet spoils us again with references to the manifestations of human spirit former and current. Everyone notices the E. A. Poe (obviously) and Stephen King, but how about the "Child in Time"?.. Now, I concur with the "first meaning" of a person changing/growing up. But the "double serving" is to quote the title of perhaps the most iconic song in Rock history. Coincidence?! I wonder, how much the protagonist's inner turmoil has to share with that song. ;) And of course there are ample cross-references with his own work, such as the "Meadows of Heaven"... I mentioned once before, among the most wonderful ballads from NIGHTWISH ever, and an immense experience TO END the "Dark Passion Play" album - talk about musical "story arch! The text is an almost guilty pleasure to hear or read, and "The music he wrote had too long been without silence" must be the most beautiful passages I ever encountered. Silence holding a wealth of keys to the music, and to our existence. Telling visuals of the concert production complete the picture as thoroughly as can be imagined - be it the cool "Moon-like" pendulum at the beginning (which represents, poetically, "the end"), the shots of frenzied fleeing birds at 1:07:16, the timing of the pendulum strike after "3 mins and counting". A separate thought to the staging of Tuomas all apart with himself to begin the finale, while the rest of the band are huddled together, and then move over to acknowledge him. He is, after all, the one who bore the brunt of blame, and would "try to save them all" (= responsibility awakened by unconditional love?). It is probably unnecessary to get into the performance and the comparison of voices - they all (not forgetting the big part by Marco, who incredibly sang the full demo of "The Poet and the Pendulum") open new textures and meanings. The original Anette version is in a way creepy with those innocent "childlike" notes ringing out the hard words; Floor is all deep emotion; and Marco - when he sings "Second robber to the right of Christ", you can sense there is not much hope for redemption! Overall, the words do not do this any justice. But still we keep on trying... :))))

I must agree about Anette's Olzon studio version: yes there are many emotions. I like very much Annette's emotions in every song, she's so natural. Floor is just great, especially in new album which is really difficult to sing. The both singers are great in their own way! Thank You so much for the interpretation of this song!

The beginning is not only the start of a new era of the band with a new singer, but also a new era in the lyrics. Thanks to your analysis I have seen a trend in Tuomas composition during the Tarja era with lot of love and loss lyrics and he is saying himself that he fears to lose inspiration without this ''ghost love' '. And indeed we don't see these kind of lyrics in Imaginaerum, Endless forms most beautiful and Human Nature. And this special song is all about that.

Wow, Guylain, I should probably have prepared you for this one - it has a backstory that is good to know to fully grasp the lyrics... Let's see

I love every single one of the NW singers. Sometimes I feel like I’m the only one who likes Anette's signing. Floor gives me goosebumps but Anette’s brings me to tears, I don’t know why. The 2008's live performances I feel they were more “aggressive”, I don’t know if that’s the right word. With the pyro, the drums and the whole attitude of the members in general, I love that. The Wembley one, I feel is more emotional/deeper, I guess. The studio version is my favorite. Tuomas is really a genius and I’m glad he wrote this wonderful piece. You really took the time to read the lyrics and gives us your interpretation, it was really great❤️

You did very well in your analysis my friend, as always. This is a very personal song for Tuomas, where he commits suicide in this song so he did not in real life. Tuomas, as the musical genius he is, dies on stage 3 minutes after the boy said "Only 3 minutes and counting" He wrote about his depression, media turmoil after firing Tarja (even the finnish prime minister had an opinion), his despair, and his rebirth (using words his parents said to him) in the lyrics. At the beginning (Emppu) and at the end of the piece (Marko and Emppu) go over to Tuomas to check how he's doing and to show their support. Tuomas sometimes asked for the vocals to be shut down in his earpieces to avoid dealing with the lyrics. Time has passed, he says: I am not this person anymore, but he still feel the lost of his friend (Tarja) with whom he hasn't spoke since the break-up (they email now and then, both have moved on). The "White Lands of Empathica" is a reference to Stephen King's book, I think, where people are showing empathy for other human beings and creatures You did not comment on the "2nd robber to the right of Christ" - some think it's an allusion to Leonardo da Vinci's fresco "the las supper" and Judas (the second person to the right of Christ seen from the onlooker) some think it's an allusion to the penitent thief that ask Jesus to "remember him when he got to his heavenly kingdom" !?

Thank you for the reaction and explanation. I enjoyed it very much. Looking at the order of events (1 severed head, 2 the anounciation of his death, 3 the cut, 4 the final heartbeats), to me, while the song goes forward the story goes back in time. Very smart I think. Perhaps the reversed whispering at the very beginning were a clue.

Great video! This was easier to follow for me because you spoke in English. Previously I had to trust only on subtitles to understand what you were saying.

Lovely analysis, again! Thanks! I heard from interview that Tuomas wrote this song about making suicide so he would not commit suicide. So, in a matter of speaking, "child poet" is now dead. I'm jus glad that He is still alive... and You back to Nightwish..

Oof, my good Guylain, quite a song to restart the NW series! 😁 Looking forward to your analysis! And, just for the sake of precision, the correct name of the 2nd NW singer is Anette (i.e. one n).

Very interesting format, because I'm more familiar with the live performances than the studio recordings.

The anger in Marko's voice in the Dark Passion Play. He *was* there, he saw the dysfunction of the band with Tarja and he saw Tuomas ripped apart for doing what he thought necessary to do to keep the ship afloat. The rawness and anger in his voice spits out his anger about how his friend was treated.

Ah, Prince William is back, with Nightwish :) I have so been looking forward to this. Firstly, I have never heard the Studio version before and it is really good. I know some people were not that keen on Anette, but I think she was underrated, after all she was in Nightwish. Why would they employ a singer that wasn't good. Technically maybe not as good as Floor but then who is. I really enjoyed your analysis, you put forward some ideas I hadn't even considered. If it is true, as some people have said, that Wembley could be the last time they would ever perform the Poet & the Pendulum live, then what a way for the song to go out. The passion that Floor put into that performance would be hard to beat. Thank you

I enjoy your videos :)

I agree with appreciating both versions of the song...its so intense, regardless of the singer. Besides. When I'm warmed up, I absolutely BELT this song out at top volume (thanks, mom, for the soprano abilities!) So I can only hear me! And so do all.of my neighbors! Luckily, I don't think I ruin it too badly. As I always use headphones, passersby don't hear any music, just my voice...and no one's called the Sheriff yet... Lyrically, this song really stirs something in me...and I find myself w pen in hand, pouring out my soul into a stack of notebooks. I enjoyed hearing you talk about the song almost as much as I do, using my voice to call it out into the stars! Don't care how long ago the reaction, I'll be commenting on them all. It feels good to connect!

Tuomas Holopainen mentioned your work in a news piece in finland yesterday. =)

What a great analysis again Guylain, kiitos. - After the fans and the media around the world accused Tuomas of firing Tarja and breaking up Nightwish (heh, even the then Prime Minister of Finland commented on the situation!), he escaped the worst hustle and bustle back home to Kitee, Finland. And, as you said, some of the words in part 5 are said to be from Tuomas' mother at that time. - I think Anette Olzon is a great singer, but she can't beat Floor in interpretation. Floor has talked a lot about being diagnosed as a highly sensitive person (HSP) or an empath, and how it made her life difficult when she was young, but that must also be a big reason for her amazing ability to convey emotions to listeners. I love the way Marko and Emppu move close to Tuomas at the end of the Wembley video, as if to support him. And how Floor looks at him tenderly for a long time after the song has finished.

I don't know if this is commented here before, but the verse: "On the shore, we sat and hoped. Under the same pale moon.." is when the Nightwish was created. Tuomas, Emppu and Tarja were on the shore around the campfire, when Tuomas presented the idea of forming a band. The rest is history! Good analyzes from you.

Ça va être une longue vidéo, chouette! :)

Things changed a little :) Glad Nightwish is back :D Well worth the wait! Thank you. Still I disagree with you, for me the live version has Floor and all of her emotions and is miles ahead of the studio version. But I always go for the deep emotions. Floor articulates that so much better.

Greetings from Finland 🇫🇮🤘

Thank you for your always fine observations. Like you heard this album is not called Dark Passion Play by innocence. This is what we call in French a Passage Obligé a path that must be taken to further involve oneself in the continuity or the fall. I see this piece in our poet's voyage like in the stages of grief by Elisabeth Kubler-Ross. Many in the comments already said a whole lot of information and research about the topics that are recognizable in this song. It is an epic track that combines what makes this band special. Tuomas the poet calls upon Poe and King to foresee and give meaning to a new adventure. Anette may not be the most gifted but she has her place here and we see the direction that Tuomas wanted for the band at that moment. As for Floor well.....

I never managed to get into this song with Annette's vocal so I listened to instrumental version over and over again, hearing subtle details I would miss in original version. And then Floor came and after hearing this version, I never played instrumental again. Dark Passion Play was not written for Annette's voice. Imaginaerum was and she was excellent on that album, I really loved it... And then it just got better and better.

Padre Prince, this song is one of their finest . It is about coping with depression, loss, sorrow and was written by Mr Holopainen as his way of expressing this feelings. In my oppinion this is true maserpiece. Enjoyed your reaction.Introduction was child soprano.This pece of music helped me thru some very hard parts of my life.You seem like sensitive an compasionate soul.

Mon cher Frère Guylain, encore très belle réaction et surtout excellente analyse du sens des paroles de cette fabuleuse chanson. Vous avez parfaitement compris et décrypté l'état de désespoir dans lequel était Tuomas après la séparation avec Tarja (ainsi que les répercutions auprès des fans et leur jugement) décrit dans cette chanson. On peut ajouter le fait que Tuomas et Tarja étaient amis d'enfance et se connaissant depuis cette période. Ils viennent de la même petite ville finlandaise (Kitee) où ils sont apparement été dans le même lycée et fait le même conservatoire communal avant les grandes écoles. De plus, Tarja a, enfant, aussi été l'élève de la mère de Tuomas (Kirsti Nortia-Holopainen, sa première prof de piano). Plus tard, en 1996 avec leur ancien camarade Empuu, ils ont tous les trois fondé la groupe qui deviendra Nightwish. Connaissant ce fait, on peut sans mal en déduire que les sentiments de Tuomas envers Tarja devaient être très forts, peut être bien plus qu'une amitié d'enfance pendant une certaine période. Chose qui a dû s'ajouter à la douleur de devoir se séparer d'elle où il s'en est voulu de l'avoir fait maladroitement (la fameuse lettre ouverte), et a dû se détester au point de se sentir vide et de penser au suicide qu'il décrit de façon métaphorique dans cette chanson qui symbolise la mort de l'ancien poète devenu vide et la renaissance d'un nouveau avec de nouveaux espoirs (il en a parlé dans une entrevue). Enfin, pour ce qui est de la « période Anette Olzon », c'est en général la moins aimée des fans. Non pas dû aux compositions/arrangements toujours excellents de Tuomas (ce The Poet and the Pendulum en est la preuve) mais bel et bien aux interprétations et à la qualité vocale d'Anette. Il faut dire que la pauvre a dû passer après Tarja, un « poids lourd » musical de vocalise classique/opéra, style dans lequel Anette n'était pas du tout adaptée tant musicalement que techniquement. Voilà pourquoi dans les deux albums qu'Anette a chanté, on y trouve beaucoup de chœurs classiques et chanteurs classiques invités (comme le jeune garçon soprano dans le morceau The Poet and the Pendulum) ainsi qu'au fait que Marco a eu beaucoup plus de parties vocales en tant que « lead singer », tout cela pour compenser les faiblesses techniques d'Anette. Si les enregistrements studios des « morceaux Anette » passent encore plutôt bien grâce à du montage de multiples prises, de « l'auto tune » et le talent d'un bon ingénieur du son, il n'en était malheureusement pas de même pour les prestations live d'Anette souvent catastrophiques montrant l'implacable réalité surtout sur les anciens morceaux de l'ère Tarja où la pauvre Anette ne pouvait pas cacher son manque de puissance vocale (Marco devait baisser la puissance de sa voix durant les chorus pour ne pas l'écraser) et son manque de « breath control » qui l'amenait à pas mal de fois à ne pas être dans la note (« out of the pitch » ou « chanter faux » comme on dit en Français). D'ailleurs sur la chaine KZfaq officielle du groupe, one ne trouve plus aucune prestation live d'Anette avec le groupe (seulement quelques rares versions studio/clips officiels) pour cette raison mais paraît il aussi à la demande de la chanteuse après son départ du groupe fin 2012. Pour trouver lesdits lives, il faut malheureusement se tourner vers des « vidéos pirates » non officielles et souvent filmées à l'arrache avec un son pas terrible. Donc, oui l'enregistrement studio de The Poet and the Pendulum (et d'autres morceaux d'Anette) est bon, passe très bien où la qualité de la production nous permet d'entendre tous les détails notamment ceux de l'orchestre symphonique et des chœurs, et où Anette est utilisée dans ce qu'elle sait faire de mieux, chanter avec sa voix de type « pop/rock » sur des parties de courtes durée. Mais il est clair que vocalement parlant, elle se fait écraser par ce monstre de puissance, de technicité et de musicalité vocale qu'est Floor Jansen dans ce live de 2015 où elle interprète non seulement les parties vocales de base d'Anette mais aussi les parties « chants classiques » du jeune garçon soprano (excepté celle du tout début à la demande de Tuomas) et les celles du chœur dans la partie finale.

Excellent reaction/analysis, et what a joy to see you discovering of the live !

Before and the aftermath...On the shore of.... A new journey with Anette and Floor. Let's go!

This song is only one proof how important it was for Tuomas that the "NW family" is OK and when something breaks it...he not was about to end NW but had very deep thoughts of himself (go to suicide in this song). They were friends from childhood (34:34 and 38:42) and founded NW with Emppu. They perform this great on stage at Wembley cause they act the story at the same time but also like the album version as you too. Miss Marco so much. By the way ...do count three minutes from that said and...

Hello Guylain! I strongly suggest you the songs "wanderlust" and "we walking in the air" from the early Nightwish, with Tarja, those songs are 2 masterpieces in my opinion. Thank you for your accurate work.

Oui j'attendais vraiment se titre que j'adore j'espère le live avec floor a Wembley

Guylain, you are amazing. Stole your name for my Rpg character..

Thanks, I'd not heard the album version with Annette, she is great (even though outclassed later). Marko sounds more angry, understandably!

For me the Pacfic is about the peace of death, the poet wants to escape by dying which will bring peace. The child narrator later says that being taken by the tide is the death they always longed for. So "tuck me beneath the blue" and "goodnight kiss" are about the sleep of death in the ocean. By contrast for me the final section is about finding peace life through the love of and from family and being able to move onto a new beginning. It's interesting to hear a reading where the death aspects are more figurative, about a part of a person dieing rather than a person contemplating their actual death as both work, a sign of the depth of the lyrics that they work in more than one way. I'll always have a soft spot for the studio version as the Annette albums were where I really feel in love with Nightwish but live versions have such an advantage where the band is riding the emotions and you can see the faces and body language, and all technical debates aside, Floor is just so expressive and feeling the emotions of the song. If listen to the line "Christ how I hate" Annette sounds pretty, Floors sounds genuinely torn up. Still one good thing about having had three singers is you can both enjoy your favorite version and experience the song in a different way. Just wish there was more high quality live stuff with Annette. Keep doing the great reactions and analysis.

My preference is for the live version. Not just for Floors interpretation, brilliant as it is. Tuomas had obviously spent a little time refining the orchestral parts and the live version just sounds more rounded and complete somehow. The White Lands of Empathica are a reference to the Steven King series, The Tower. The whole piece references The Pit And The Pendulum by Edgar Allen Poe. Tuomas has spoken openly about his struggle when the split was forced. He felt that the world turned against him and seemed to plunge into a deep depression. This song was his way of committing suicide without actually going through with it. Even in his depression, his musical genius was working overtime, hence the "three minutes and counting" in the spoken section. Check it off. Exactly three minutes from then, the pendulum decapitates Tuomas. You looked away from the screen at exactly the wrong time.

Floor offered to sing part 1 also, but Tuomas wanted to keep it as it was. The song refers also to the book 'The Pit and the Pendulum' by Edgar Allen Poe. The guiding light chose you (Tarja) and the other early members of Nightwish. Mark the time stamp when the words '3 minutes' are said and check what happened exactly 3 minutes after that. 'Save them all' are the remaining band members and the wish of his parents to go on with his dream (Nightwish). On the album version the last sirene call and several other parts were done by a choir boy or blended together with Annette. Tuomas said it will probably never performed again as he left all that behind him now as he has a new muse in Floor.

Thank you very much for the interesting analysis, we will wait for the next ones. You were not told that in profile you look like Lars Ulrich (Metallica drummer) ?))) Greetings from Belarus (Minsk). NIGHTWISH - Last Ride of the Day (LIVE AT MASTERS OF ROCK 2015)

quel dommage de ne pas avoir être là pour la première. cette chanson 😍. Tuomas est un compositeur de génie, je doute que cette chanson soit à nouveau rejouer en live car elle parle d'une période biens sombre pour Tuomas et le groupe, le passé est le passé, même si on y retrouve des thèmes abordés dans les précédent albums. Et même si beaucoup peuvent s'identifier à l'histoire et aux montagnes russes des émotions qu'il y a à ces moments-là. J'adore la voix d'Annette dans les moments calmes, elle est si belle. la version de Floor est mind-blowing comme on dirait en anglais , elle laisse sans voix. c'est vraiment ma chanson préférée

You can see all of them suffering in this song for his friend, Tuomas. Specially on that last part. Kai and Floor are almost crying.

Se titre es juste énorme un de mes préférés