Timo Kotipelto (born March 15, 1969) is the vocalist of the Finnish power metal band Stratovarius. He studied vocals at the pop/jazz conservatory in Helsinki, briefly singing for an amateur cover band named Filthy Asses. In summer of 1994, he applied to Stratovarius. In late 2003, Kotipelto split from Stratovarius after intra-band disagreements, notably with guitarist Timo Tolkki. After much turmoil throughout 2004, he rejoined the band in January 2005.
So far he has released three albums: "Waiting For The Dawn" , "Coldness" and the latest one, released 20th April 2007, "Serenity".
King Anti-Midas
Kotipelto Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Like trials of the sinner
A thousand and one hundred ways
Just a question of when
All that I put to rest
My deepest desires
Like dreams now put to rest
Time and again it burns my head
Frustration, the demon of ego
Losing my grip, the ultimate slip
Dragging me deep down below
(Chorus)
Look at me, King Anti-Midas
High Upon My throne
Alway reaching, not suceeding
Falling to capture the gold
Setting out to rule them all
Falling short of glory
A king with no distinct resolve
Only seemingly strong
Once had such golden dreams
Fueling my desire
Like the Silver of the stars
Soon faded by dawn
(repeat)
The lyrics of Kotipelto's song King Anti-Midas describe the struggles of a person who has set out to achieve great things but has consistently fallen short. The comparisons to the mythical King Midas are apt, as the singer laments about how everything they touch turns to dust. The darkened ways and trials of the sinner refer to the challenges that the singer has faced in their journey. Despite having a thousand and one dreams and desires, they have found themselves constantly falling short, with their dreams and hopes now put to rest.
The frustration and demon of ego have burned in the singer's head time and again, leading to them losing their grip and slipping into a place deep below. They stand on their throne, as King Anti-Midas, always reaching but never succeeding, a position of isolation and despair. The silver of their dreams once shone like the stars, but has now faded in the dawn. The song paints a picture of a king who once had golden dreams and great ambition but was brought down by their own shortcomings.
Line by Line Meaning
It seems to fall on darkened ways
Life feels like a constant battle, filled with lots of obstacles and difficult paths.
Like trials of the sinner
These challenges are like tribulations of a guilty person, as if one is constantly being tested by a higher power.
A thousand and one hundred ways
There are a countless amount of ways to live life and approach these trials, but there isn't one foolproof option.
Just a question of when
It's not a matter of if these problems will arise, but when they will hit.
All that I put to rest
I've given up on many things, including my deepest desires or goals, like someone putting their dreams to sleep.
My deepest desires
The things I really wanted and aimed to achieve.
Like dreams now put to rest
But these desires are now long gone and unfulfilled, like dreams that never come true.
All brought to an end
I've come to the conclusion that these goals won't be achieved and have given up on them entirely.
Time and again it burns my head
Over and over again, I become frustrated and consumed with thoughts of failure.
Frustration, the demon of ego
This frustration is the result of my own ego, which hurts when I don't succeed or reach my ambitions.
Losing my grip, the ultimate slip
The frustration causes me to lose control and sends me spiraling downwards.
Dragging me deep down below
These feelings of failure and frustration take me deep down--to my lowest point.
Look at me, King Anti-Midas
Like how King Midas could turn everything he touched into gold, I am the opposite. I can't seem to attain success in anything I do--hence 'Anti-Midas'.
High Upon My throne
Despite being unable to conquer any of my goals, I am still the ruler of my life and have a degree of control over myself.
Alway reaching, not suceeding
No matter how hard I try to succeed, I never do.
Falling to capture the gold
I never achieve the ultimate goal or success that I set out to attain.
Setting out to rule them all
I started with the ambition to conquer everything I set my sights on.
Falling short of glory
But unfortunately, I have failed to achieve anything great or worth noting.
A king with no distinct resolve
Despite being the 'ruler' of my life, I have no clear goal or game plan to follow.
Only seemingly strong
On the outside, it looks like I have everything under control, but in reality, I'm struggling and don't know what to do.
Once had such golden dreams
I was full of ambition and dreams that I wanted to achieve.
Fueling my desire
These dreams gave me the motivation and desire to strive for greatness.
Like the Silver of the stars
These dreams seemed exciting and valuable, like the shine of stars in the night sky.
Soon faded by dawn
But as time went on, these dreams became less and less likely to come true until they eventually disappeared completely like the stars during daylight.
Contributed by Lila P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.