High Hopes
Nightwish Lyrics


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Beyond the horizon of the place we lived when we were young
In a world of magnets and miracles
Our thoughts strayed constantly and without boundary
The ringing of the division bell had begun

Along the long road and on down the causeway
Do they still meet there by the cut
There was a ragged band that followed in our footsteps
Running before time took our dreams away
Leaving the myriad small creatures trying to tie us to the ground
To a life consumed by slow decay

The grass was greener
The light was brighter
With friends surrounded
The nights of wonder

Looking beyond the embers of bridges glowing behind us
To a glimpse of how green it was on the other side
Steps taken forwards but sleepwalking back again
Dragged by the force of some inner tide
At a higher altitude with flag unfurled
We reached the dizzy heights of that dreamed of world

Encumbered forever by desire and ambition
There's a hunger still unsatisfied
Our weary eyes still stray to the horizon
Though down this road we've been so many times

The grass was greener
The light was brighter
The taste was sweeter
The nights of wonder

With friends surrounded
The dawn mist glowing
The water flowing
The endless river





Forever and ever

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Nightwish's song High Hopes are a reflection on the nostalgic longing for the past, and the desire to relive the moments of glory one experienced in their youth. The lyrics depict a world beyond the horizon of the place where the singer and the listener lived when they were young. This world is described as a place of magnets and miracles where thoughts strayed constantly without any boundaries. However, the ringing of the division bell had begun and along with the long road and the causeway, the singer reminisces about the people and places that they experienced in their youth.


The singer remembers a ragged band that followed in their footsteps, running before time took their dreams away. This implies the sense of urgency that one feels to experience all that life has to offer before it's too late. The myriad small creatures represent the mundane, everyday things that threaten to tie us to the ground and a life consumed by slow decay. The grass, light, the taste, and nights of wonder represented the exciting, vibrant, and carefree nature of youth, that are often lost with age.


The lyrics also allude to the fact that the singer and the listener have taken steps forward, but they feel like they are sleepwalking back again. The grass was greener, the light was brighter, and the nights of wonder seemed endless with friends surrounded, and the dawn mist glowing. Despite being encumbered by desire and ambition, the hunger still unsatisfied, the singer's weary eyes still stray to the horizon, as if searching for the answers to those unfulfilled dreams.


Line by Line Meaning

Beyond the horizon of the place we lived when we were young
We often wonder about what lies beyond our familiar surroundings where we spent our youth.


In a world of magnets and miracles
We live in an amazing world with forces and wonders beyond our comprehension.


Our thoughts strayed constantly and without boundary
Our minds are always wandering and exploring new ideas without limits.


The ringing of the division bell had begun
We can sense that our world is undergoing a major change and possibly a separation.


Along the long road and on down the causeway
We have been on a journey for a long time, and we are still traveling towards something.


Do they still meet there by the cut
We wonder if the people we used to know in our past are still connected to us in some way.


There was a ragged band that followed in our footsteps
Others have been inspired by our actions and are following in our path, even if we feel broken and incomplete.


Running before time took our dreams away
We hurry to achieve our dreams before time runs out and we lose the chance to fulfill them.


Leaving the myriad small creatures trying to tie us to the ground
We are leaving behind those who attempt to hold us back and prevent us from reaching our potential.


To a life consumed by slow decay
Those who resist change and embrace stagnation will gradually deteriorate over time.


The grass was greener
We look back to the past with rose-colored glasses, remembering it as better than it was.


The light was brighter
The past seems brighter and more optimistic than the present.


With friends surrounded
Our memories of the past are colored by the wonderful people we shared them with.


The nights of wonder
Our memories are filled with magical, unforgettable nights of amazement and joy.


Looking beyond the embers of bridges glowing behind us
We move forward, but still glance back at the burning remnants of the connections we've left behind.


To a glimpse of how green it was on the other side
We glimpse moments of beauty and satisfaction on the horizon, beyond our current understanding.


Steps taken forwards but sleepwalking back again
We are moving forward, but it can feel like we're not truly in control, at times.


Dragged by the force of some inner tide
We feel like we're being pulled in a certain direction, but we're not sure why or how to resist.


At a higher altitude with flag unfurled
We've made it to a new level or plane of existence, boldly announcing our presence.


We reached the dizzy heights of that dreamed of world
We've made it to a place we never thought we could reach, living out the dreams we once only imagined.


Encumbered forever by desire and ambition
Our aspirations and aspirations never truly fade, even when we achieve our goals.


There's a hunger still unsatisfied
There's always another goal or desire to pursue, even if we think we've reached our limit.


Our weary eyes still stray to the horizon
Despite all our efforts and accomplishments, we still gaze ahead for signs of what's coming next.


Though down this road we've been so many times
Even though we've been down this path before, we never know what surprises or challenges might arise.


The grass was greener
Looking back to the past, we see it as an idealized version of reality, void of its imperfections.


The light was brighter
In our memories, things seem more vibrant and alive than they are in the current moment.


The taste was sweeter
Our previous experiences seem much more satisfying and enjoyable than our current ones.


The nights of wonder
Our memories are full of mystical, magical nights that stand out as some of the best in our lives.


With friends surrounded
The memories that bring us the most joy and contentment are ones in which we were surrounded by good company.


The dawn mist glowing
Our memories of nature are full of beautiful, mystical light that brings a sense of peace and calm.


The water flowing
Our memories of water - a symbol of life and movement - remind us of the passage of time and change.


The endless river
Life and time are a continuous and never-ending flow, making each moment precious and fleeting.


Forever and ever
Despite the impermanence of life, some things remain eternal, such as our memories and the impact we leave on others.




Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Written by: David Jon Gilmour, Polly Anne Samson

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comments from YouTube:

Sverre Mortveit

Beyond the horizon of the place we lived when we were young
In a world of magnets and miracles
Our thoughts strayed constantly and without boundary
The ringing of the division bell had begun

Along the Long Road and on down the Causeway
Do they still meet there by the Cut

There was a ragged band that followed in our footsteps
Running before time took our dreams away
Leaving the myriad small creatures trying to tie us to the ground
To a life consumed by slow decay

The grass was greener
The light was brighter
With friends surrounded
The nights of wonder

Looking beyond the embers of bridges glowing behind us
To a glimpse of how green it was on the other side
Steps taken forwards but sleepwalking back again
Dragged by the force of some inner tide

At a higher altitude with flag unfurled
We reached the dizzy heights of that dreamed of world

Encumbered forever by desire and ambition
There's a hunger still unsatisfied
Our weary eyes still stray to the horizon
Though down this road we've been so many times

The grass was greener
The light was brighter
The taste was sweeter
The nights of wonder
With friends surrounded
The dawn mist glowing
The water flowing
The endless river
Forever and ever



La Pichi Gata Y El Ora

--- LYRICS ---

Beyond the horizon of the place we lived when we were young
In a world of magnets and miracles
Our thoughts strayed constantly and without boundary
The ringing of the division bell had begun

Along the Long Road and on down the Causeway
Do they still meet there by the Cut

There was a ragged band that followed in our footsteps
Running before time took our dreams away
Leaving the myriad small creatures trying to tie us to the ground
To a life consumed by slow decay

The grass was greener
The light was brighter
With friends surrounded
The nights of wonder

Looking beyond the embers of bridges glowing behind us
To a glimpse of how green it was on the other side
Steps taken forwards but sleepwalking back again
Dragged by the force of some inner tide

At a higher altitude with flag unfurled
We reached the dizzy heights of that dreamed of world

Encumbered forever by desire and ambition
There's a hunger still unsatisfied
Our weary eyes still stray to the horizon
Though down this road we've been so many times

The grass was greener
The light was brighter
The taste was sweeter
The nights of wonder
With friends surrounded
The dawn mist glowing
The water flowing
The endless river
Forever and ever



Normal Man

Beyond the horizon of the place we lived when we were young
In a world of magnets and miracles
Our thoughts strayed constantly and without boundary
The ringing of the Division Bell had begun

Along the Long Road and on down the Causeway
Do they still meet there by the cut

There was a ragged band that followed in our footsteps
Running before time took our dreams away
Leaving the myriad small creatures trying to tie us to the ground
To a life consumed by slow decay

The grass was greener
The light was brighter
With friends surrounded
The nights of wonder

Looking beyond the embers of bridges glowing behind us
To a glimpse of how green it was on the other side
Steps taken forwards but sleepwalking back again
Dragged by the force of some inner tide

At a higher altitude with flag unfurled
We reached the dizzy heights of that dreamed-of world

Encumbered forever by desire and ambition
There's a hunger still unsatisfied
Our weary eyes still stray to the horizon
Though down this road we've been so many times

The grass was greener
The light was brighter
The taste was sweeter
The nights of wonder
With friends surrounded
The dawn mist glowing
The water flowing
The endless river
Forever and ever



All comments from YouTube:

Valdemar Partanen

Marko is such an underrated vocalist, simply because he's a back up vocalist in a female fronted band with world class singers.
But when he gets the stage, he delivers.

Logan Kerlee

@Diego Olivares lmao, what? Why are you throwing tons of zeroes at me?

Diego Olivares

000

Diego Olivares

@Logan Kerlee 00000

Diego Olivares

@Logan Kerlee 000000000

Barry Dutton

Marko's vocals on songs like "I Want My Tears Back," "I Wish I Had an Angel," and, of course, "The Islander" were (in my opinion) the highlights of his career in Nightwish!

26 More Replies...

wkmac2

As a fan of Floyd going back to the 60's, I tip my hat to Nightwish on an excellent cover and my deep appreciation of covering a song that speaks to our generation's reflections about the sacrifice of our dreams in order the live the nightmare of others. My hope for those coming behind us is to learn from our folly and not follow in our mistakes. My dreams for you is to be better than we were.

Pekka Toivanen

Not a cover but a tribute in their own words.

dark stanley

@coco Nightwish didn't do it that bad, but the end of the song in fact destroys the atmosphere of the Floyd original what is really sad. You know the Gruhak cover? They've done it better by far.

coco

i don't tip my hat at all, i don't like this version at all, it loses all the emotional sensations that the floyd brings. The soul of the song is destroyed.

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