A Return to the Sea
Nightwish Lyrics


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A star falls down from the darkened sky
Where new worlds born and die
Kingdom Animalia watches its approaching glow
What it means is soon to be known

Beneath the lovely birch
Honeymakers build their nest in peace
On the Savannah, a lion licks a wounded gnu
To honor this moment, even the heavens cease
Giant spiders learn how to swim
With whales they form a united kin

Snakes say hello to the rats on the ground
In the meadows play merrily, the fox and the hound

Trilobite and Anymalocharis
The prey and the hunter
Survival of the fittest
Fall of man

Seadrops foam, all empty human skulls
Those on the shores of Atlantis
Darwin's resurrection is witnessed
By turtles he used to play with

Healed and happy, She oversees




The Mother
The tyrant's return to the sea

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Nightwish's song A Return to the Sea are both beautiful and complex. At first glance, the verses seem to be a random collection of images, but closer inspection reveals an underlying theme of the interconnectedness of all living things. The song speaks of a star falling from the sky, signaling the birth or death of new worlds, and the animal kingdom watching as it approaches. The understanding of what the falling star signifies is yet to be determined.


The second verse gives us glimpses of different animal communities, living in harmony with one another. Honeymakers building their nests in peace under birch trees, a lion licking a wounded gnu in a show of respect, and a united partnership between spiders and whales as they learn to swim. The meadow is filled with the playfulness of foxes and hounds, while snakes and rats greet each other warmly.


The chorus of the song speaks of natural selection and Darwin's evolutionary theories. The line "survival of the fittest, fall of man" references the idea that only the strongest and most adaptable will survive, while humans have lost their way by manipulating and destroying the natural world. The fallen seadrops symbolize the emptiness of human minds, while the turtles witness Darwin's resurrection and the return to the sea.


The final verse brings us to the Mother, who is healed and happy, overseeing the return of the tyrant to the sea. This could be interpreted as the cleansing of the planet, with nature returning to its natural equilibrium.


Line by Line Meaning

A star falls down from the darkened sky
A celestial body descends from the darkened cosmos


Where new worlds born and die
Imaginary realms come to fruition and eventually perish


Kingdom Animalia watches its approaching glow
All living fauna perceiving the radiance that approaches


What it means is soon to be known
The nature of that light is yet to be revealed


Beneath the lovely birch
Under the shade of a beautiful birch tree


Honeymakers build their nest in peace
Bees create their dwelling harmoniously


On the Savannah, a lion licks a wounded gnu
A lion cares for an injured wildebeest on the plain


To honor this moment, even the heavens cease
The grandeur of this moment prompts the heavens to come to a standstill


Giant spiders learn how to swim
Monstrous arachnids acquire the skill of traversing water


With whales they form a united kin
They become a collective family with the marine mammals


Snakes say hello to the rats on the ground
The serpents amiably greet the rodents on terra firma


In the meadows play merrily, the fox and the hound
The canines and vulpines frolic joyfully in the fields


Trilobite and Anymalocharis
Species of ancient invertebrates


The prey and the hunter
One is a victim, while the other is the predator


Survival of the fittest
Only the strongest and most adaptable survive


Fall of man
Humankind's decline


Seadrops foam, all empty human skulls
Seafoam envelops the vacant craniums of humans


Those on the shores of Atlantis
People on the beaches of the fabled island city


Darwin's resurrection is witnessed
The reanimation of Darwin's ideas is observed


By turtles he used to play with
By the reptiles he was once familiar with


Healed and happy, She oversees
Glad and cured, She surveys


The Mother
Mother Nature


The tyrant's return to the sea
The dictator's renouncement of power and reembracement of the sea




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Tuomas Lauri Johannes Holopainen, Jukka Antero Nevalainen, Tarja Soile Susanna Turunen, Erno Matti Juhani Vuorinen

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