NIGHTWISH - The Poet And The Pendulum - First Time Reaction. 

Hi Sir... i haven't been leaving comments lately, but please know that I watch all your reactions AND appreciate them immensely... (special thanks for Floor's "Adagio" delight...😊) Please have a cold one or a coffee on me, Sir, and keep up the great work! Thank you, Lieven (pronounced 'Lee-ven' 😊) from Belgium...

Probably the single greatest live performance I have ever seen. An incredible song, performed astoundingly. Floor is just unbelievable.

Don't cut the clip before it's completely finished, wait for Floor's "thank you"🙏

This is a great song, and quite heavy emotionally. But sometimes it’s refreshing to see a reaction to this without the burden of the background story.

Hello The song "The Poet and the Pendulum" is a 13 Minute journey through the mind and turmoil of Tuomas Holopainen after the year 2005. It was in that year the band parted with their long-time singer Tarja Turunen and had a personal falling out with her. The pain of the separation was big on both sides, and shown in this song. There is the responsibility that the band and Holopainen had to show towards the fans,. It was the End of an Era for them, and reason for Holopainen being lost as described in these lyrics. We can only of course to a certain degree suppose how much of these are truly Holopainen's feelings, wishes and pains - but we do know that the lyrics of Nightwish have been up to then very personal. Other songs on the album also digest this separation and falling out of the members with Turunen. This is one of the interpretations and i know lots of fans do not agree, they just need to read the open letter that was given to Tarja by the whole band at her last concert with Nightwish, where they fired her. And the main reason that Tuomas went through a depression was that specially the Tarja fans where furious and showed that in the media and everyone was blaming Tuomas. (the fans spit on his grave). He felt the whole world was against him. However personal and "real" these thoughts are, I feel like this song definitely takes us not only on a journey with Holopainen but also into ourselves. The music underlines the emotional gravity of the song extremely well. And I believe a lot of people can actually relate to a sense of guilt and being overwhelmed that all they desired for is the safety of home and innocence. While being personal, the song can still ring true to it's listener. That's a quality Nighwish possesses in many, many more songs. The emotional journey is one we can all share and very few bands know how to put that journey into song and especially into sound as well as Nightwish does. The band remains through all it's shores and Oceans, one of my main favourites and I hold special place for the band in my musical heart. I hope you have enjoyed reading my analysis and share some of my thoughts. If you do have any comments, please feel free to let me know. And remember the beauty of interpretation is that it is subjective; we can see all and feel different things in the same song and continue to love it endlessly. Lyric analysis by Annika Hausen Greetings from the Netherlands

This song was about the emotional turmoil that Thoumas (the keyboardist and writer) felt when the band fired their first lead singer, Tarja. That is why at different times during the song, members of the band went to be next to him. The song is very rarely done live, as it is so emotionally draining to to Thoumas. I suggest you react to Ghost Love Score, live from Waachen 2013 and Phantom of the Opera live, ft. Henk Poort (who played the Phantom in the Dutch productions of the show). Suggest you re-watch this with the subtitles, so you can catch all that is being said. Good, honest reaction.

Thank you for yours reaction.❣️ I really wait these videos of yours, and it is always nice suprice when i open the you tube and you have a new reaction here waiting.🥰 I just check that you have not listen Storytime yet. Is it true?You should.😍 And also Sahara and Tribal.🔥

Just love when symhpony ochestra and guitar and drums come together in this kind of music, Dont know if you remember or heard Electric Light Ochestra , ?

A blind reaction to the TPATP .....love it . Now you can do the research to it, if you so choose .

🤩👍💥💯🎼 "The End....The Beginning" And Helluwa lot in between... 🤘😎💙🎶

🤗🍒🤘🏻Great great job

This may be my most favourite Nightwish song/performance. If you used the video from the official Nightwish channel it would have had the option to enable closed captions/subtitles/lyrics. If you love Nightwish, I think this is one of their songs that deserves a deep dive into how it came to be. I'm sure others will try to explain it in the comments.

This track wasn't near the start of the concert but number 11 of 17 that night

thanks

No 11 of 17 sings in the set, so nowhere near the beginning. My no 1 song. A masterpiece. Accumulated notes follow... This is a 5-part journey through the emotional turmoil following Tarja's departure. As the founder and guiding light of the band, Tuomas' took much of the flak from those who claimed to be Nightwish fans but we're actually obsessed with Tarja and thought she WAS Nightwish - an idea that the subsequent growth and improvement of the band comprehensively demolished. Indeed there are still people today who call the "Tarjawish" in some vain attempt to make Tarja something she wasn't. (Don't get me wrong, Tarja can be fantastic, but Nightwish is about Tuomas' and his compositions. We are fortunate he now has Floor to exhibit his works.) The parts are: 1. White Lands of Empathica (The End) - the end of a band as well know it. Later to become known as the "End of an Era" 2. Home - the breakup of the band and the wish to find a place, home, to go to and get away from the madness of those who hated. Of course, there is a lot more in here too. 3. The Pacific - as usual, Tuomas' needs to reference the oceans, one of his "grounding" themes. His love of the ocean metaphor is well-docunented. He did, of course, originally dream of becoming a marine biologist. Strange that he should have a gnat named after him! 4. Dark Passion Play - the hate of Tarja fans led him into deep depression. However the band were not in good places so he didn't feel he could "cry on their shoulders" so in the end he went back to see his 5. - Mother and Father (and The Beginning) - the lyrics here reflect what his mother said to him at that time. The beginning of a new era and new line-up BTW, they are not hanging out having a chat as such - see later. Tuomas refers to the ocean frequently - the second album is called Oceanborn, Dead Boys Poem ends with reference to ocean soul and Devil and the Deep Dark Ocean ends with lyrics about setting the dolphins free and "we shall wash the darkened blood red sea, our voices shall echo over the mountains and seas". Tuomas is a very special person and this is, for me, the pinnacle of his work. Nothing surpasses it. For him it is one of the deepest songs. Quotes from the band on the making of the album and the song... TUOMAS: We will never play "Bye Bye Beautiful" or "Master Passion Greed" live again, [sic] because the lyrics are just too unambiguous and personal. There was at least as much gloom behind "The Poet and the Pendulum", too, but it leaves a bit more room for interpretation. It's easily one of our best songs but especially, the "Mother and Father'" part in the end always stirs up such a storm of emotions that it's impossible for me to do it every night. Playing "The Poet and the Pendulum' is a real rollercoaster ride - it makes me feel anxious, blush, laugh, and, in the end, just happy that that part of my life is behind me. My notes: My number 1 Nightwish song and for good reasons. (No 2, Song of Myself, No 3 7 Days to the Wolves.) This is a deeply emotional and meaningful song with which I empathise and it helped me to see that there was a way forward when depression struck. I am not alone in being "saved" by Nightwish, a fact that Tuomas has referred to and said he could not terminate the band because he knows they have meant so much to some fans who feel their lives have been saved by Nightwish. He feels that he has a responsibility to the fans - not your standard rock musician then. Floor is worth watching closely, her facial, hand and whole-body motions reflect the emotions she is portraying. Hands in Mother and Father for example. Tearing her hair in the Dark Passion Play section. Note that when Tuomas talks about "Poet" he is always referencing himself. It happens throughout his ouvre. You will see other cross-references too. Tuomas does that deliberately to give the fans a sort of anchor. Meadows of Heaven is another example - a song in itself and often referenced. For what it's worth, here are are my thoughts and interpretations... End to beginning - death of one era of the band, beginning of a new era. Regarding the end of the first Era, I see no point in the blame game. The band split, that is all we need to know. Whatever the causes there was bound to be emotion on both sides so I leave it at that. But this masterpiece is what came out of Tuomas' emotions. The beginning is a boy soprano, Guy Elliott who also does the spoken parts. The whispering at the beginning is the central spoken section, but played in reverse. In The Dark Tower fantasy, Empathica, also known as the White Lands of Empathica, is a snowy tundra located in End-World. The residents of Empathica are known for their abilities to empathize and share other people's emotions. Then we get the whole section "Home". I see the "shoulder cries more" as having no shoulder to cry on because the other members of the band - his friends - were equally upset. The "whore for the cold world" I see as the selling of his whole life to the music industry (the metaphorical pimps, hence the "whore" references) which is not interested in the person, only what they can get from the band. The two faces bit is self explanatory; almost everyone will have been in situations where they have to hide their feelings and present a false front to the world. The reference to betrayal is again obvious and there are lots of metaphors in the surrounding words. The altar I think, is the tie to the band - these upheavals in 2004/5 were not the first time Tuomas had felt like ending the band. By the way, note the 3 minutes and counting: exactly 3 minutes later you get the guillotine motion. By the way, Marco made the demo version of this, with all the lyrics sung by himself and with harsher lyrics at this point too. Next we get to the Mother and Father section with Floor, Marco and Emppu all sitting, while Floor sings lyrics reflecting the words from his mother when he went back home for a break in the middle of all this turmoil. These are the words of love and then of advice, that he was given. Floor here is using her finger movements to accentuate emotion. This whole section and the way Floor sings it, is packed with those damned Onion Ninjas. Marco's harmonies are wonderful. We end with the final ethereal notes from Floor and here is another tingle-factor moment. Then a gentle piano ending, the calm after the emotional storm. Here, as in Sparkle my Scenery, the choir on the original album is replaced by Floor who wanted to sing them herself (and proved completely capable of it) which Anette could not have done - she could probably get the notes but the emotion is there in the choral original and is amplified when Floor sings it. The low brass used in many places is really effective. On the performance itself: When Emppu goes over to Tuomas and later both Marco and Emppu go over, it is a sign of moral support. They both know how difficult this is for him - eventually he had the vocals turned off in his in-ear, so he didn't have to listen to them because Floor put such emotion into them. At the end, she does not say "Thank you" immediately, as she does normally. Instead she looks over for a few seconds to check on him from her position.

❤️‍🔥🤘 Don't be bothered by those who tell you should've done more research. With knowing the lyrics you maybe get hit harder. Emppu and Marco are watching over Tuomas when they talk and stand to each other (they are the shoulder that cries more). And watch out for the 3 minutes and the pendulum🫶

Guy Elliott was the boy soprano at the start - from St Mary's Choir School, Reigate, U.K.. "Sparkle my scenery..." was also sung by a boy soprano on the album but Floor said that she could do it for this and Tuomas agreed. If I must have just one Fave Nightwish song - this Opus is it. Marko sang most of the demo - angrier, nastier, more 4-letter words, cruder...... still relatable.

Nothing wrong with a blind reaction. Obviously you can re-watch it with lyrics. Great job.

🤘🥲🇫🇮💙🪄🎼✨💯👍

Love you reactions so please take this as constructive critisizm. Part of this is possibly my fault as well. You did yourself a huge disservice by not doing your research prior to reading to this. This song is Tuomas' most personal songs. They will not play this song again just because he has grown and he is not this person anymore. I ask you read the open letters and do a bit of research and listen to this song again. It will be 10 times better than this listen. Emppu, although always a jokester, did not go to Tuomas to just chat. Just like at the end Marcco and Emppu sutrounded Tuomas as a showoff unity. Many times Tuomas had to have the sound engineers to cut Floors vocals from his in-ears as it was too much for him. although unrelated, this subject is the same reason that Floor will outright refuse to perform Bye Bye Beuatiful.

Kind of brave to do a reaction to this song without preparation and lyrics. But you tried.... maybe you could save this song for yourself in getting more information about it and watch again with the lyrics version. It is a song for the museum of empathy. Greetings from Germany

ipnotisant

YOU MUCH CHECK THE SUBTITLES ,THEN YOU KNOW WHAT IT'S ABOUT. !!!!!!!

Speed is not right..

notice that the pendulums all have cutting edges.....