Most of the band's music is written by Hatakka. Waltari's lyrics often deal with personal feelings of anxiety, loneliness and the cruelty of the world, often with heavy irony and sarcasm.
The name Waltari is a reference to the popular Finnish author Mika Waltari, a favourite author of guitarist Jariot Lehtinen.
Waltari was formed in 1986 in Helsinki, Finland, by Kärtsy Hatakka (vocals and bass), Jariot Lehtinen (guitars) and Sale Suomalainen (drums). Sami Yli-Sirniö joined as second guitarist in 1989, a year after the release of their first EP, Mut Hei.
Their first album, Monk Punk was released in 1991. As the title suggests, this album was mostly punk. Their next album Torcha! (1992) and it was with this album that Waltari started blending various musical styles into the sound that would become their own.
After releasing a compilation of early work under the title Pala Leipää (1993), the band went on to release So Fine! (1994), an album similar to Torcha!. Their next album, Big Bang (1995) is to date their biggest success. The album concentrates on mixing techno with heavy metal.
In 1995 Roope Latvala (current second guitarist of Children of Bodom) joined the band, replacing Sami Yli-Sirniö. During this time, Hatakka was working with conductor Riku Niemi on a project combining heavy metal with classical music. This project eventually became known as Yeah! Yeah! Die! Die! Death Metal Symphony in Deep C. The show was performed in 1995, and the album was released in 1996.
The year 1997 saw Space Avenue, a more progressive work containing more electronic drums, as well as a collaboration with Apocalyptica. In 1998, in honour of the band's ten-year anniversary, the band released a compilation titled Decade.
In 1999 Hatakka was working on yet another metal/classical collaboration, and this gave rise to the stage show Evangelicum. This production differed from Yeah! Yeah! Die! Die! in that it contained more than just music: the stage show contained music, ballet and a light show. An album of Evangelicum was not released.
Waltari's next album Radium Round (1999), featured a strong pop influence. After Radium Round, the band passed out of the public eye, working on less main-stream releases such as the Metal / Yoik crossover Channel Nordica (2000) and the punk EP Back To Persepolis (2001). However, these releases were very hard to obtain, and for a while Waltari only survived through its live shows. In 2001, the band's old guitarist Sami Yli-Sirniö returned, and Roope Latvala left the band.
In 2004 Waltari came back with an all-new studio album, Rare Species. The album was well received by critics, and an extensive tour put Waltari back on the map.
Waltari released their newest album called "Below Zero" in fall of 2009.
1986
Helsinki, Finland
Kärtsy Hatakka
Jariot Lehtinen
Sami Yli-Sirniö
Sami Yli-Sirniö
Roope Latvala
Janne Parviainen
Mika Järvelainen
Ville Veikko Vehviläinen
A Forest
Waltari Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
See into the trees
Find the girl
If you can
Come closer and see
See into the dark
Just follow your eyes
Just follow your eyes
I hear her voice
Calling my name
The sound is deep
In the dark
I hear her voice
And start to run
Into the trees
Into the trees
Into the trees
Suddenly I stop
But I know it's too late
I'm lost in a forest
All alone
The girl was never there
It's always the same
I'm running towards nothing
Again and again and again and again
The lyrics of Waltari's "A Forest" relate a feeling of intrigue, desire, and confusion caused by a girl who disappears into dense woodland. The artist calls the listener to approach outdoor wilderness: "come closer and see, see into the trees." The lyrics suggest that if the listener looks hard enough, they might locate the girl. The artist hears the girl's voice, adding to the mystery and allure of the song. The vocals build in volume, creating an impression of urgency as the artist runs through the forest, continually toward a void. The artist feels lost, and the girl never appears. The cycle repeats, and they run towards nothing "again and again and again and again."
The song's lyrics paint a vivid picture of someone lost in an extensive forest. Most listeners perceive the lyrics as symbolic or metaphorical at first, as the search for the girl shows a much deeper meaning. It is because the song begins with the perception of the specific direction or way to follow, and as the lyrics progress, it is discovered that the path only ends in emptiness. It hints at an unsatisfied desire that a person chases and never seems to get.
Line by Line Meaning
Come closer and see
Approach and observe
See into the trees
Look within the woods
Find the girl
Discover a female
If you can
If you are able
See into the dark
Observe the obscurity
Just follow your eyes
Simply track with your gaze
I hear her voice
I perceive her sound
Calling my name
Summoning my identity
The sound is deep
The audio is profound
In the dark
Amidst the gloom
And start to run
Begin to sprint
Into the trees
Towards the forest
Suddenly I stop
Abruptly cease movement
But I know it's too late
Realize I am too tardy
I'm lost in a forest
I am adrift in a grove
All alone
Exclusively by myself
The girl was never there
The female was absent
It's always the same
It happens repetitively
I'm running towards nothing
I am sprinting towards naught
Again and again and again and again
Repeatedly
Contributed by Riley I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
assaa
Excellent band, and this song one of my favourite song ever!
Real Name
What about The Cure (songwriters of this song)?
assaa
@Real Name Original is of course original but Waltari's version is much better. :)
LupoAndy
I didn`t knew for years that it was a cover version. :D
But this version is awesome.
Saw them a second time in 2019 when they supported Dog Eat Dog on their tour.
ALEX LO
Самое лучшее исполнение! Waltari is best.
harkiolakis cinthia
Un de mes morceau préféré des Cure! Je l'ai enfin trouvé sur la radio Métal allemande, et il n'y a que là où je l'avais entendu. Génial.👍🤘🤘🤘
Mikko Lehtonen
Si, better than original
Great Cover
Excellente reprise des Cure ! Enorme !! Great Cover !!
Admar Hermans
Great cover! 🙏
Marek
this song is just So fine! :)