LM 101 [REACTION / ANALYSIS] NIGHTWISH - Sahara
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- Опубліковано 29 вер 2024
- Listening together to the whole album "Dark Passion Play" from Nightwish. We continue our journey with "Sahara", the seventh song of the album. First, we listen together to the original studio version (with lyrics), and we listen to a recording with Anette (2008). And, second, there is an analysis of the lyrics and of the song. Finally, we listen to a live version with Floor Jansen (2016).
== Official video of the song:
• Sahara
== Live video with Anette (2008):
• 🎼 NIGHTWISH 🎶 Sahara 🎶...
== Live video with Floor (2016)
• Video
This video is part of the 'Lectio Musica' series started in April 2020.
== Presentation of the series (French and English subtitles) :
• LM. 00. Introduction '...
Passionate about rock music in all its forms, but also gospel, blues, Quebec and traditional music, The Franciscan friar Guylain spontaneously reacts, analyzes and comments on a song by a contemporary artist.
Facebook: Guylain Prince - Lectio Musica - English
Twitter: @gpofm
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She makes it look so easy..
Floor? Yes, indeed! Her technique is flawless!
I think Tuomas was inspired for the song Sahara, meaning Desert in Arabic,
by the story of Schehezrade.
She became a Persian Queen and was the main narrator of the 1001 nights (Arabian Nights).
A brief synopsis.
The King Shahryar became enraged after his wife`s
infidelity that he married and murdered 3000
women the day after he had married them.
To try and stop this barbarity Schehezrade married the King and enthralled him with the
tales of the 1001 nights, and every night sparing her life.
This echoed every night until dawn, Where the King wanted to hear more.
She was very well read in Philosophy amongst others.
After the 1001 nights of tales she told the king she had finished the stories.
He had fallen in love with her, learned morality from her and she truly became his dark Queen.
Elysium, or the Elysian Fields, are reserved in the Greek mythological afterlife for those who have been chosen by the gods and can therefore cross the river Styx from Hades.
So an interesting mixture of Greek and Egyptian imagery - one which I feel Floor understands and connects with far better than Anette, although Anette does her best with it, and if not for the later performance by Floor, it would be viewed as excellent - possibly her best live performance, although she doesn't seem to really connect with the song.
Anette performs the song well as a piece of music, where Floor becomes one with it, and uses her extraordinary vocal versatility to enhance it with every breath and movement.
I may be mistaken but has Sahara (the desert itself) been called a queen ( a queen of deserts)? If so, the dark queen could be desert in the night and companion in a way sea or nature is the companion ("sea my only companion"). Thus the queen isn't escaping, only the philosopher? Nice reaction and analysis as usual!
Very good and entertaining. Thank you. Floor is out of this universe…
Most welcome!
I like Annette, but there's no comparison to Floors version at Tampa!
Ok. So all these comparisons prove one thing to me. Floor is not a mere queen. She's a Goddess.
Definitely one of my favourites from this album, in my humble opinion only surpassed by the exceptional The Poet And The Pendulum.
This song manages greatly to paint pictures in my head: from the glaring sun over endless dunes of sand (the guitar solo at the beginnig of the song, right before the rhythmic head banger section), to a caravan that marches slowly but steadily (rhythmic section and chorus) and the majestic views of an ancient Egypt palace at the shores of the Nile (majesticly themed final section of the song with choirs and brass instruments).
Just love it!
Keep up the good work, looking forward to more LM content.
Oh by the way, the live version of Anette was from Gampel Openn Air in Switzerland.
As for the lyrics, while I fully appreciate your interpretation, I see a much more direct approach from Tuomas‘ point of view justified:
It is commonly known and accepted, that the album Dark Passion Play was created by Tuomas for him to deal with the turmoil that followed the split-up from Tarja, which weighed very heavy on Tuomas‘ shoulders.
So here‘s my take on the Lyrics:
A ballad of dark queen echoes through night: the memory of Tarja (the dark queen) singing his ballad (maybe Sleeping Sun?) haunts him at night.
As he flees the curse of gods, the pharao‘s wrath:
Maybe Tuomas feared the negative reaction (curse/wrath) of the fans (gods/pharao).
1001 nights unseen: the stories of Tuomas and Tarja are now gone/past
The philosopher (Tuomas) and the queen (Tarja)
Ancient mariner in a sea of sand:
difficult one, but I feel like Tuomas is the mariner trying to guide his ship (Nightwish) through neverending criticism (by fans, media, relatives, etc.)
The burning beauty (Tarja again) his tomb to die for (will he ever get over her?)
Chorus
Horizons swarming with death, run!:
The upcoming storm of critics from fans, media, relatives etc. blaming him for destroying Nightwish.
Heaven has a darkened face (he sees no hope/maybe no new singer in sight?)
Dunes are soaring as on a chase (again, the relentless treatment by the public, looking to make him responsible for what happened)
Caravan of the cursed (the band)
Chasing him across the waves.
May he now rest under aegis of mirage (maybe he hopes to find rest after the waves have settled down)
As the sands slowly turn to elysian fields (the criticism and anger from the public will eventually fade away and there may again be brighter days).
That‘s my take on these lyrics. Would be very interested to hear your thoughts about them.
@@s2krevs9k Your analysis is very accurate. Most of Nightwish's early lyrics and especially on Dark Passion Play eminates from Tuomas himself and his turmoil. I would only like to add that several years earlier Tuomas already incorporated the Egyptian theme with The Pharaoh Sails To Orion (Oceanborn), and I find Sahara is somehow related to that piece. Besides Sheherazade there might also be some inspiration from the fates of pharaoh Echnaton and Nefertiti here.
@@s2krevs9k I appreciate your thoughts,you have analyzed every single verse with Tuomas and Tarja and the media,fans even the president of Finland took place with Tarja 's departure, so it's so accurate your analysis.
In Angeles fell first album has also a song with ancient Egypt theme, the song called Tutankhamen, never played in live of course and Tarja sung this song or parts of the song lately.
So Tutankhamen, Pharaoh sails to Orion and Sahara maybe 🤔 have some connections after all.
Anette did great, just unfair for her to be compared to the best Floor Jansen..
I agree. But that would be true of almost any other singer pop/rock !
The Sahara is a desert and in itself it is dangerous, it hides death, it has a mystery and maybe a dead end. In my opinion there are two possible analyses, the first is perhaps pure poetry of a couple in love who defy the danger in order to live their love knowing perhaps that there is the risk of death. The second analysis knowing the time when DPP was written, maybe it has to do with his own feelings maybe the philosopher is himself and the queen is Tarja and both are hunted by followers,mme and enemies maybe they survive maybe be destroyed. Tuomas placed the story in Egypt and the Sahara poetically and as a delusion in my opinion always.
Anette's vocals are fantastic in album and always was great in lives in this particular song, great energy ❤️.
Many talk that Floor is better in this song,their opinions of course, for me DPP without Anette's vocals is another story, another album and i do really love DPP as a whole album 😍.
Dear Guylain ,i saw the video in time, sorry for my delay comment,i had extra work to finish till the end of August, so i wish you good September ☺️ dear friend. Peace ✌️.
As I mentioned in the chat, I bought the vinyl version of DPP. And I don't regret it. Sounds better than the CD. And I appreciate Annete's vocals on this fantastic record. It's kind of her record and she should get credit for that. Thanks for your insights and see you soon. Friday nights have become more difficult for me, but if I can I will be at a premiere whenever possible. Peace!
Interesting, first time I saw this version with Floor, it's usually the performance in Tampa. She really is perfection.
I think this is one of the origin story of Nefertiti, one of the queens of the 18th dynasty. On the bust she wears that is found depicting her she is wearing a blue crown associated with night, she was also associated with a change of the superior gods and the change of the capital city. Their body's were moved from their original tombs and re-burried. After their reign traditional values were restored the capital came back to Thebe. And the new rulers tried to erase every mention of Nefertiti and family from Egyptian history (Farao's wrath).
There is the inspiration, yes. It might be the case. And there is how the theme plays in the poet's mind and soul. The symbols can be from everywhere; it is also important to understand how it is "included" in the fabric of the album!
A 1001 ideas!
The Rime of the Ancient Mariner gives us the saying "to have an albatross around your neck" meaning to be weighed down with guilt. The Ancient Mariner shoots the albatross that lands on his ship and as a result arouses the wrath of the spirits. What is the Philosopher's guilt that so aroused Pharaoh's wrath?
The queen (as Ilkka Prusi commented earlier) is the Sahara, dark as in something to fear - Horizon's swarming with death. The ballad is composed of the desert not about it and echoes through Night (that place so beloved by poets is disturbed by this tale).
Aegis was a shield carried by Zeus & Athena, however the philosopher is no longer favoured by the gods (The curse of gods; Heaven has a darkened face). Does aegis of mirage mean he has no protection, (it is a mirage in the sense of illusion or misbelief)?
May he rest ... as the sands slowly turn to Elysian fields. The kingdom of Hades was believed to lie beyond the Sahara, so does the Philospher make it out of the desert and find peace in the Meadows of Heaven (a "happy place" or sanctuary rather than afterlife) or does he drown in a sea of sand?: dying for the burning beauty (of the desert) which becomes his tomb.
Dunes are soaring, as on a chase - The dunes themselves are the caravan of the cursed (doomed to endlessly cross the desert). So the Philosopher is fleeing from mirages (figments of his own imagination, ghosts of the past). Time for him to face his demons!
Mirages are typically linked with the fierce heat of day, as the heat fades reality returns. The heat of the moment gives us 'Master Passion, Greed' and 'Bye Bye Beautiful' the cool of the night brings a change of heart yielding 'Eva' and 'Meadows of Heaven'.
Great synopsis
@@nightwisher751 Thanks. I didn’t point out that we have a philosopher and not a poet or composer. I don’t know whether that’s just to indicate a period of reflection on life or that music and poetry had no place in this desert.
Very interesting. Thank you. Excellent pointers in your comments. For now, I still keep the "dark queen" as a character, since I try to understand the text of the whole album together (as a play). But, in itself, it would make sense like that as well.
We Greeks have the word "αιγίς - αιγίδα" (meaning shelter, protection, care e.t.c) which I think is the source for both "aegis" & "egide". Now, the mirage that under its aegis the poet is about to rest, I think it is his dream: the project "Nightwish" that he was ready to give up about 2001, but he went on a journey deep in the "desert" of Lapland (his Sahara) and was convinced otherwise. The Beauty was still at the moment his Queen, although a dark one. And even if his dream had died, it would still have led him to the Elysian fields, the threatening Pendulum had not made its appearance yet. As for the gods, the pharaoh & the caravan of the cursed, my bet is on the music industry and the pressure it put on the poor philosopher.
Just a few thoughts that your analysis triggered in my mind! Always a pleasure to watch your neat & targeted LMs !
No bad at all, great thoughts and analysis.
I agree. Great thoughts!
Yes. Anette made a really good job in this song. I'm surprised too how good is her live version. Anette was a typical studio singer, live performances was not her strength. The live-version of Floor is fantastic too. But let me tell you, the best version of this is another one by far. The cover version of Yannis Papadopoulos is unbelievable. He sings the song in the same key as the ladies and he has absolut no problem to sing the highest notes. The energy he puts in this song is unreached.
ua-cam.com/video/z6mjZ9F91gk/v-deo.html
By far…..das ist Geschmacksache, ich bevorzuge die Floor-Version. Ich schätze Floor wegen viel mehr Dingen als nur den Vocals. That is just me and we are glad to have different taste and all can get what is preferred. Greetings.
coucou, je n'avais pas abandonner la chaine, bien des choses à faire. Ne se serait-ce pas une façon poétique de décrire comment le poète/ philosophe vit son rapport à la colère du monde et sa propre colère. La référence au champs élyséens , c'est l'équivalent du paradis donc la mort. quand la colère intérieure s'apaise, il est vrai qu'il y a un tel bien-être , oui on peut sentir au paradis du moins l'image humaine que l'on s'en fait. ou tout simplement , sa vision moderne de Roméo et Juliette et toutes Ces romances passionnées entre deux personnes venant de milieu radicalement opposés, romances finissant souvent mal.
C'est une très belle chanson , un peu sous-estimée. Il est vrai que l'on a tendance à coller l'histoire du groupe aux paroles de Tuomas, c'est ainsi depuis le début ,car il y avait une telle osmose entre eux et puis inévitablement un auteur se sert de expérience personnelle, et mêle des éléments autobiographiques dans ce qu'il écrit qu'il le veuille ou non. Enormément de fantasmes autour de la relation entre les différents membres du groupe pendant l'ère Tarja.
Tout est une version Tuomas-sienne de grands textes et histoires de l'humanité... qui pourtant parlent toujours de simples choses. Des amitiés qui prennent et se déprennent, de trahisons en amitié comme en amour, porter un projet ensemble et voir un "étranger" tout bousiller... La mythologie comme bassin d'expressions pour la vie simple et ordinaire... on donne au récit une envergure quasi universelle.
GP
Anette did a damn good job in this version
huh?
@@nicod1361 what is your problem? Why do you always have to write something stupid when I comment? Am I not entitled to my own freaking opinion? Give it a rest. I don't give a darn if you agree or not. Pathetic
Yep! That concert there is one of the few I really enjoy her live on :D
A really good front lady to be sure.
I'm going to miss the next three premieres, I'm afraid. Off to see some friends tomorrow and then rugby restarts next week with two Friday night games. Back with you all in a few weeks...
Ok!
Pourrais tu réagir et analyser la musique "sleepwalker" c'est chantée par tarja mais je trouve que cette musique a un certain intérêt plus particulier que les autres musiques vu que c'est une musique que nightwish à chantée lors de leur tentative à l'eurovision en 2000 ou 2001 je ne sais plus trop
Ah? Malheureusement, lors du sondage que j'ai fait, il y a deux ans, elle n'était pas sortie parmi les 24 préférées. Mais je me promets de l'écouter attentivement.
@@GuylainPrince oui, j’avais vue que nemo n’était pas passé non plus c’est plutôt étrange, après sleeplwalker n’est pas connu par tout le monde, mais si tu pouvais l’écouter et nous dire vite fait ce que tu en penses ça serait super cool 👍
This was great to get the 2 performances back to back and hear the changes over time.
I like it very much as well!
You, sir are the number one, Thank you.
Most welcome !
7:12 best part. goose bumps every time.
Yup! Great song!
Salut Frère Guylain, je rate les premières ces derniers temps, on verra à l'avenir j'espère pouvoir être là à temps. Analyse toujours pertinente de ta part, rien à redire.
2 petites choses à partager. Tout d'abord je joue en ce moment à un jeu de rôles (médiéval fantastique) et j'ai nommé le prêtre de mon groupe "Guylain Prince". Il est déjà de niveau 15 et est très efficace! 😉
Et puis un petit moment cocasse qui m'a fait exploser de rire. A 51:48 de ta vidéo les sous-titres français ont traduit "Floor" par "le plancher". Ca n'a pas de prix. hahaha Jette un coup d'oeil si tu as le temps.
J'ai vu cela et j'ai réagi de la même manière. J'ai révisé les sous-titres anglais seulement. Et pas les français (cette semaine est une exception. Je le fais toujours). J'ai trouvé cela hilarant! Alors, voilà ce que ça donne! Ha ha ha !
Oh well
Great reaction again! I'm still here ;)
:-)
Love this song. Hope you are doing the live version from Tampa on the Decades Tour?
Sadly, no! It will be a 2016 take, from another festival. Sorry!
@@GuylainPrince your missing out by not doing Floor's version from Tampa 2016
@@nicod1361 friendly FYI: 2016 was the Vehicle of Spirit Tour. 2018 was the Decades tour.
Thank you so much !!
Most welcome!
Floor is perfect! Every note is perfect!! Gorgeous!!!💗💗💗
This is a track where I very much enjoy the soundscape and ambience. It's very much lead by the "symphonic" side of the music. I've never really focused too much on the words in this one other than to to gain the briefest feelings of reference to the arabian nights. Despite never digging in further, I have always assumed that the "philospher" was synonymous with "the poet".