Knowledge is light
Fight only with yourself
… Read Full Bio ↴Darkness is ignorance
Knowledge is light
Fight only with yourself
Or the shadows of the night
For this life will break you
Years will wear you down
And everyday you die a little
Until the shadows will take you
Dying doesn't make this world dead to us
Breathing doesn't keep the flame alive in us
Dreaming doesn't make time less real for us
One life
One chance
All ephemeral
All the pain and suffering
Will dispirit or feed you
For each and every time your failures
Will craft you
When the fear of them is gone
Fear is gone
We stumble and hover
At the edge of the world
One life, one chance
That's all we have
Never walk away
Turn your back on yourself
One life, one chance
That's all we have
Ephemeral
Insomnium Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Knowledge is light
Fight only with yourself
Or the shadows of the night
For this life will break you
Years will wear you down, wear you down
And every day you die a little
Dying doesn't make this world dead to us
Breathing doesn't keep the flame alive in us
Dreaming doesn't make time less real for us
One life, one chance, all ephemeral, ephemeral
Darkness is ignorance
Knowledge is light
Fight only with yourself
Or the shadows of the night
All the pain and suffering will dispirit or feed you, dispirit or feed you
For each and every time your failures will craft you
When the fear of them is gone, fear is gone
Dying doesn't make this world dead to us
Breathing doesn't keep the flame alive in us
Dreaming doesn't make time less real for us
One life, one chance, all ephemeral,
We stumble and hover at the edge of the world
One life, one chance – that's all we have, that's all we have
Never walk away
Turn your back on yourself
One life, one chance – that's all we have
Dying doesn't make this world dead to us
Breathing doesn't keep the flame alive in us
Dreaming doesn't make time less real for us
One life, one chance, all ephemeral, ephemeral!
The lyrics of Insomnium's song Ephemeral touch upon the transience and fragility of life. The first stanza introduces the dichotomy between darkness, representing ignorance and light, representing knowledge. The singer is encouraged to only fight with oneself or the shadows of the night, implying that inner conflicts and external threats are just as transient as life itself. The lyrics suggest that life is temporary and that as time goes by, it wears one down, leaving one feeling depleted.
The second half of the song emphasizes that death doesn't make the world dead nor does breathing keep the flame alive. The lyrics then suggest that dreaming doesn't make time less real. This may imply that despite the inevitability of death, life still has meaning, and the experiences and connections made during one's time on earth are valuable. The song ends on a powerful note, urging the singer never to walk away from oneself, as life offers only one chance.
In summary, Ephemeral is a powerful song that explores the temporality and preciousness of life. It encourages the listener to focus on personal growth and self-improvement while accepting the inevitability of death.
Line by Line Meaning
Darkness is ignorance
Not knowing is like being in the dark
Knowledge is light
Seeking knowledge illuminates the path
Fight only with yourself
The greatest battle is with one's own weaknesses and flaws
Or the shadows of the night
The fears and doubts that haunt us
For this life will break you
Life can wear a person down physically and emotionally
Years will wear you down, wear you down
The longer life goes on, the harder it gets
And every day you die a little
Each day that passes is one less day to live
Until the shadows will take you, shadows will take you
Death will come for everyone eventually
Dying doesn't make this world dead to us
The world continues on after one dies
Breathing doesn't keep the flame alive in us
Simply existing is not enough to truly live
Dreaming doesn't make time less real for us
Fantasizing about the future does not change the reality of the present
One life, one chance, all ephemeral, ephemeral
Life is fleeting and should not be taken for granted
All the pain and suffering will dispirit or feed you, dispirit or feed you
Difficult experiences can either break a person or make them stronger
For each and every time your failures will craft you
Mistakes and failures are opportunities for growth
When the fear of them is gone, fear is gone
Once one confronts their fears, the power they hold over them disappears
We stumble and hover at the edge of the world
Life can feel uncertain and precarious
One life, one chance – that's all we have, that's all we have
Life is precious and should not be wasted
Never walk away
Do not give up or back down from a challenge
Turn your back on yourself
Do not become your own worst enemy
One life, one chance – that's all we have
Emphasizes the importance of making the most out of life
One life, one chance, all ephemeral, ephemeral!
Reiterates the fleeting nature of life, urging one to appreciate every moment
Contributed by Leah L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@GhostOfTiffany
these lyrics motivate me to live on even though i'm tired of it. i'm happy insomnium made new music. long live Metal! \m/♥
@Dennzer1
🤘
@EraOneSamael
I've come to realize that Insomnium writes some of the most inspiring music. This song and Through The Shadows are incredibly motivating.
@johhnylemon4003
weather the storm, too.
@anomymouse5043
Late reply: Check Black Heart Rebellion from the same CD.
@kangjj1
This guys are Finnish yet they write lyrics better than most native English speakers
@Epsilonic
I know right, a lot of their lyrics are beautiful poetry which can get lost in the growly voice. Daughter of the Moon is my absolute favourite.
@abelbabel8484
Epsilonic Oh ya. Daughter of the Moon is an absolute masterpiece.
@pinopalotta
ilostmyhair These guys* But yes true.
@jakeyroni7952
Wow. I've never heard that observation before.
These lyrics aren't even that good.