The earliest exponent of folk metal was the English band Skyclad. Their debut album, "The Wayward Sons of Mother Earth", was released in 1990 and, for a few years, they were the only known folk metal band in existence. It was not until 1994 and 1995 that other early contributors in the genre began to emerge from different regions of Europe, as well as in Israel. Significant among these were the bands Cruachan (Ireland), Orphaned Land (Israel) and Subway to Sally (Germany), with each creating a different regional variation of folk metal that over time became known as Celtic metal, oriental metal and mittelalter metal respectively. Despite these aforementioned contributions, folk metal remained little known, with few representatives during the 1990s. It was not until the early 2000s that the genre exploded into prominence, particularly in Finland, with the efforts of such groups as Ensiferum, Finntroll, Korpiklaani and Moonsorrow.
Folk metal is characterised by its diversity, with bands known to perform different styles of both heavy metal music and folk music. A large variety of folk instruments are often used in the genre, with many bands consequently featuring six or more members in their regular line-ups. A few bands are also known to rely on keyboards to simulate the sounds of folk instruments. Lyrics in the genre commonly deal with fantasy, history, mythology, nature and paganism.
The Islander
Nightwish Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
At the end of day
Gazes the horizon
With sea winds in his face
Tempest-tossed island
Seasons all the same
Anchorage unpainted
And a ship without a name
Sea without a shore for the banished one unheard
He lightens the beacon, light at the end of world
Showing the way, lighting hope in their hearts
The ones on their travels homeward from afar
This is for long-forgotten
Light at the end of the world
Horizon crying
The tears he left behind long ago
The albatross is flying
Making him daydream
The time before he became
One of the world's unseen
Princess in the tower
Children in the fields
Life gave him it all
An island of the universe, oh
Now his love's a memory
A ghost in the fog
He sets the sails one last time
Saying farewell to the world
Anchor to the water
Seabed far below
Grass still in his feet
And a smile beneath his brow
This is for long-forgotten
Light at the end of the world
Horizon crying
The tears he left behind long ago
So long ago
So long ago
This is for long-forgotten
Light at the end of the world
Horizon crying
The tears he left behind so long ago
So long ago
The Islander by Nightwish is a poignant song about an old man who lives on a tempest-tossed island. The man gazes at the horizon with seawinds in his face, and his home has an unpainted anchorage, and a ship without a name. The man is a banished one unheard, living on a sea without a shore. The lyrics paint the picture of a person who has been exiled from society, searching for a way to guide travelers on their way back home. The beacon that the man lights helps to guide these travelers, giving them hope in their hearts.
The man in the song reminisces about his past, growing nostalgic for a time before he became one of the world's unseen. He remembers a princess in a tower, children in the fields, and a life that had given him everything he ever wanted. However, the man's love is now just a memory, and he is now a ghost in the fog, setting sails one last time to say farewell to the world. The song's final stanza mentions the man anchoring to the water, with the seabed far below and grass still in his feet, signaling his peaceful departure from the world.
Line by Line Meaning
An old man by a seashore
An elderly man is located beside the sea.
At the end of day
It is nearing the end of the day.
Gazes the horizon
He is staring intently at the line that separates the sky and the sea.
With seawinds in his face
He feels the winds of the sea brushing over his face.
Tempest-tossed island
The island is battered by storms and high winds.
Seasons all the same
The various seasons seem to blend together and become indistinct.
Anchorage unpainted
The port where ships may rest and be repaired is in need of paint.
And a ship without a name
There is a ship present, but it is currently unidentified and nameless.
Sea without a shore for the banished one unheard
It is an open sea without a specified shore or direction for anyone who has been exiled or overlooked.
He lightens the beacon, light at the end of world
The old man ignites a signal fire that emits light at the end of the world.
Showing the way lighting hope in their hearts
This light guides travelers who are homeward bound and inspires optimism in their hearts.
The ones on their travels homeward from afar
Those who are travelling back from distant lands are the ones who can see and rely on this light.
This is for long-forgotten
This is dedicated to people who have been forgotten for a long time.
Light at the end of the world
This signal fire provides light for those who are lost and struggling to find their way back home in a world that seems to have forsaken them.
Horizon crying
The line where the sky meets the sea appears to be weeping or sorrowful.
The tears he left behind long ago
The elderly man feels sadness for things that have passed long ago and are beyond his control.
The albatross is flying
The large seabird known as an albatross is soaring through the air nearby.
Making him daydream
The sight of the albatross causes the old man to drift off into a daydream.
The time before he became
He recalls memories from before he became whatever he is now.
One of the world`s unseen
He feels like he is one of those in the world who have gone unnoticed and unrecognized.
Princess in the tower
There is a princess located in a tower somewhere nearby.
Children in the fields
There are children playing in the fields situated nearby.
Life gave him it all:
He believes he was the recipient of everything that life had to offer.
An island of the universe
He thinks of himself as an essential component of the world and the universe at large.
Now his love`s a memory
The man's love is now only a memory, something that has already come and gone.
A ghost in the fog
His love seems to exist only as an indistinct, haunting image shrouded in fog and uncertainty.
He sets the sails one last time
The old man prepares to embark on a final trip, hoisting the sails aboard his ship.
Saying farewell to the world
He is bidding goodbye to the world he knows and is ready to move on.
Anchor to the water
The man's boat is now moored to the water, with the anchor dropped to hold it in place.
Seabed far below
The bed of the sea is located far beneath the place where he is currently situated.
Grass still in his feet
His feet are covered by grass, a reminder of the land and world he is about to leave behind.
And a smile beneath his brow
He wears a small, peaceful smile even as he prepares to depart.
So long ago
The events of the past occurred a very long time ago and are therefore hazy and unclear.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Marco Hietala, Tuomas Lauri Johannes Holopainen
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Rmnznh.
An old man by a seashore
At the end of day
Gazes the horizon
With seawinds in his face
Tempest-tossed island
Seasons all the same
Anchorage unpainted
And a ship without a name
Sea without a shore for the banished one unheard
He lightens the beacon, light at the end of world
Showing the way lighting hope in their hearts
The ones on their travels homeward from afar
This is for long-forgotten
Light at the end of the world
Horizon crying
The tears he left behind long ago
The albatross is flying
Making him daydream
The time before he became
One of the world`s unseen
Princess in the tower
Children in the fields
Life gave him it all:
An island of the universe
Now his love`s a memory
A ghost in the fog
He sets the sails one last time
Saying farewell to the world
Anchor to the water
Seabed far below
Grass still in his feet
And a smile beneath his brow
This is for long-forgotten
Light at the end of the world
Horizon crying
The tears he left behind long ago
So long ago
So long ago
This is for long-forgotten
Light at the end of the world
Horizon crying
The tears he left behind so long ago
So long ago
@Josealvesteixeira739
Um velho homem no litoral ao fim do dia
Olha fixo o horizonte com ventos do mar em seu rosto
Ilha tempestuosa, estações todas iguais
Ancoradouro sem pintura e o barco sem nome
Um mar sem um litoral para um desconhecido banido
Ele acende o farol, luz na extremidade do mundo
Mostrando o caminho para iluminar a esperança em seus corações
Esses que vieram de longe em suas jornadas para casa
Isso está há muito tempo esquecido
Luz no fim do mundo
Horizonte chorando
As lágrimas que ele deixou pra trás há muito tempo
O albatroz está voando, fazendo-o sonhar acordado
Na época antes dele tornar-se o invisível para o mundo
Princesa na torre, crianças no campo
A vida deu tudo a ele, uma ilha do universo
Oh, agora seu amor é uma lembrança, um fantasma na névoa
Ele arma as velas uma última vez, dizendo adeus para o mundo
Âncora ao mar, o leito do mar muito abaixo
Grama ainda nos seus pés e com um sorriso abaixo da testa
Isso está há muito tempo esquecido
Luz no fim do mundo
Horizonte chorando
As lágrimas que ele deixou pra trás há muito tempo
Há muito tempo
Há muito tempo
Isso está há muito tempo esquecido
Luz no fim do mundo
Horizonte chorando
As lágrimas que ele deixou pra trás há muito tempo
Há muito tempo
@appranayuda
Nightwish don't sit around campfires, campfires sit around Nightwish..
@valarmorghulis6822
The question is what was first? The campfire or Nightwish?
@tek512
Chuck Norris.
@angelskinner9891
In darkness is born light, and in light is born darkness. This can be referred to a lot of things like night and day.
@1990lietuva
+Ade Prisma Pranayuda In Soviet russia you dont burn campfires CAMpFIRES BURN YOU
@aquaterra7040
+Angel Skinner 'And with Fire came Disparity. Heat and cold, life and death, and of course.. Light and Dark'
uhh don't mind me. read your comment and reminded me of this
@LOLMAN9538
16 years later and this still gives me chills every time I listen to it
@AnimeSunglasses
SIXTEEN YEARS???? wtf...
@Ozymillie
16 years. That felt like a brick in my face. What the actual fuck. Fuck.
@WuxianEdu
Anette really deserved better. She owns Dark passion play in a MAGICAL way.