As of 2019, the band has released ten full-length albums (three via Spinefarm Records and seven via Nuclear Blast), their most recent being Talviyö on September 6, 2019.
Running Lights
Sonata Arctica Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
He feels the road with the headlights
He's one of the wilder kind,
In his yellow and red skyline
Young man... and... his... fast car
Squeezing... the wheel...
Knuckles white
Speeding, turning, sliding, drifting
Deeper in his bucket seat,
Running all the lights with the girl of his dreams
And they enter the night when
The young ones need no sleep
Laughing at the lights they keep running
Becoming color of the night
When the song on the
Radio sings "Such a perfect day"
Tomorrow slowly fades away
The world only ends once in one life time
These nights of the young last forever
Around and around with the clearing smoke
These days drift away altogether
The peak of the perfect times
The sunrise always ruins the night
Racing... for one... final kiss
Drifting... away... don't touch... the wheel!
Turn left, slide right, initial G-Feel
Deeper in the redline,
Screaming louder underneath
And they enter the night when
The young ones need no sleep
Laughing at the lights they keep running
Becoming color of the night
When the song on the
Radio sings "Such a perfect day"
Tomorrow slowly fades away
World only ends once in one life time
These nights of the young last forever
Around and around with the clearing smoke
These days drift away altogether'
Once in a while night's a full lifetime
These nights of the young last forever
Around and around, with the clearing smoke
These days away in the shades of time
The song depicts the exhilarating feeling of driving a fast car through the night with the girl of your dreams, running every red light, and feeling like the world is yours for the taking. The lyrics describe the driver's white-knuckled grip on the wheel as he speeds, turns, slides and drifts through the streets, feeling the adrenaline rush through his veins. He and his companion laugh, feeling free and alive, as they become one with the night, their car and the music on the radio.
The lyrics also suggest a sense of fleeting beauty and the inevitability of time passing by, as the night eventually fades away and the sunrise ruins the perfect moment. The repetition of the line "These nights of the young last forever" implies a sense of nostalgia for youth, innocence, and carefree moments that we can never get back. The song captures both the excitement and the sadness of fleeting moments, and the need to hold on to them while we can.
Line by Line Meaning
The sunset will make the night
As the sun sets, the darkness begins to engulf, making way for the night.
He feels the road with the headlights
He navigates the road with the help of headlights, feeling the curves and turns ahead.
He's one of the wilder kind,
He belongs to the breed of daring and adventurous people.
In his yellow and red skyline
He drives a bright yellow or red car with the name Skyline.
Young man... and... his... fast car
A young man in passion with his fast car.
Squeezing... the wheel...
He grips the wheel tightly as he drives with high speed.
Knuckles white
His knuckles turn pale and become tense as he drives fast and races with other cars.
Speeding, turning, sliding, drifting
He speeds, turns, slides, and drifts his car with skill and precision.
Deeper in his bucket seat,
He sinks deeper into his seat, enjoying the thrill of the speed and adrenaline rush.
Running all the lights with the girl of his dreams
He runs through all the red lights with the girl he loves, feeling invincible and unstoppable.
And they enter the night when
As they continue to drive, night falls and embraces them with its darkness.
The young ones need no sleep
Young people like them need no sleep, as they enjoy the joys of life.
Laughing at the lights they keep running
They laugh at the thought of running through all the lights without a care for the world.
Becoming color of the night
They begin to blend in with the darkness of the night as they continue to drive fast.
When the song on the
Radio sings "Such a perfect day"
A song on the radio plays in the background with the lyrics 'Such a perfect day'.
Tomorrow slowly fades away
They lose sight of the future as they drive, focusing on the present moment.
The peak of the perfect times
The pinnacle of their happiness and joy is at its peak in this moment.
The sunrise always ruins the night
Their joy and excitement of the night vanishes with the sunrise and the start of a new day.
Racing... for one... final kiss
They race against all the odds to get that one final kiss before the night ends.
Drifting... away... don't touch... the wheel!
They drift away slowly, without touching the wheel, lost in the moment of passion and love.
Turn left, slide right, initial G-Feel
He turns left and slides to the right, feeling the initial G-force that comes with high-speed driving.
Deeper in the redline,
He pushes his car deeper into the redline, gaining greater acceleration and speed.
Screaming louder underneath
The roaring engine of the car screams louder and louder as they continue to race and drive fast.
Once in a while night's a full lifetime
Once in a while, a night can feel like an entire lifetime, with all the excitement and adventure it brings.
These nights of the young last forever
The nights of the young people feel like they will last forever, filled with joy, excitement, and love.
Around and around, with the clearing smoke
They continue to race around and around, surrounded by the clearing smoke and dust kicked up by the wheels.
These days away in the shades of time
These moments and memories will fade away into the shades of time, eventually becoming distant memories.
Contributed by Ryan Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.