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
Showtime
Waltari Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Living so eek trying to reach the peek
living is so ooh someone's knocking on the door:
SHOWTIME!
Buzz of conversation reaches my deaf ears
can I hear anything? All I can hear is dim:
Why, why should I cry, I feel so high
We don't wanna try, we can touch the sky
Now it starts to crumble
reality isn't here
space is full of colors
restless moving spheres:
SHOWTIME!
The lyrics to Waltari's song "Showtime" seem to convey a sense of urgency and excitement. The first stanza describes the feeling of striving to reach the peak, but also a sense of someone or something tugging at the singer's consciousness. The repetition of "showtime" underscores the immediacy of the situation. The second stanza adds more sensory detail, describing the buzz of conversations and the singer's inability to fully comprehend them, until the "showtime" snaps them out of their confusion.
The chorus of the song is where the excitement really ramps up, with the repeated phrase "we don't wanna try, we can touch the sky" emphasizing the idea of reaching new heights or achieving something great without having to put in a lot of effort. However, the final stanza introduces a sense of chaos and unpredictability, as reality starts to crumble and the space around the singer becomes increasingly strange and colorful. Despite this, the "showtime" seems to be driving the singer forward, as if it's a force of nature they can't resist.
Overall, "Showtime" seems to be about the thrill of chasing after a goal, even if the path to that goal is unclear or chaotic. The repeated use of "showtime" is almost like a call to action, urging the singer (and the listener) to stay focused and keep moving forward, even when things start to get difficult or confusing.
Line by Line Meaning
Living so eek trying to reach the peek
Living is a struggle as we try to reach the peak of our potential
living is so ooh someone's knocking on the door: SHOWTIME!
Life is filled with unexpected events and opportunities - someone is calling us to take the stage and seize the moment
Buzz of conversation reaches my deaf ears can I hear anything? All I can hear is dim: SHOWTIME!
Amid the noise and distractions of the world, we must focus on our calling and listen for the voice that tells us it's time to shine
Why, why should I cry, I feel so high
We should celebrate our successes and not let setbacks bring us down
We don't wanna try, we can touch the sky
When we have faith in ourselves and our abilities, we can accomplish great things without fear or hesitation
Now it starts to crumble reality isn't here space is full of colors restless moving spheres: SHOWTIME!
As we step onto the stage of life, everything else fades away and we are in a surreal world of possibility and potential - it's time to shine!
Contributed by Jayce W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.