From your first reaction, your gaze told me that you were looking for meaning. I think that's the main quality of this song, that it puts things in a perspective that shows that. It may not be what you would expect, but the meaning is there. Next level, as you said.
This is my favourite Nightwish song it's got everything you need in a perfect song and performance. This is an Anthem for Earth, humanity and every living creation on Earth. A beautiful planet that we are so lucky to be on. British Sabaton Fan 💂♂️💂♂️💂♂️💂♂️🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇸🇪🇸🇪🇳🇱🇳🇱🇫🇮🇫🇮
I really appreciate your emotional reactions to Nightwish. It’s clear they touch you in a genuine way. Sometime, not for a reaction...just on your own, check out the Tampere version. That version of The Greatest Show on Earth is also the greatest performance on Earth!
Clearly you're grasping for words .... That's how I tried the first time hearing this to get my head around this. Tuomas has outdone himself with this composition. It's so easy to get lost in the insignificance of every day life, loosing your view on the bigger picture. This is a reminder reawakening the gratitude that fits our existence. Thanks.
This is what Nightwish does - makes you think deep. Their newest album is a direct follow up on this song, and album. No other band has this kind of impact on me and a lot of other people - and they are just as humble human beings, as the thoughts behind this song... This is music 👍👌🤘🤘
Master piece... Nightwish is the best band our time...Magistral Musicians...Floor the best singer in the planet...I love this band is amazing Higher level🤘🔥
I've been crying all day, physical & emotional pain from passing of a friend last week. This actually makes me feel better even though there's tears ha We were here
I like to say that we ARE here so better make the best of it. And how lucky are we to live in the same time as these wonderful human specimen that are the members of this band?
You are one of the reactors I subscribe to who never disappoints. Your sense of awe and wonder watching these is exactly what I felt the first time hearing/seeing these videos. Hell of a way to end a show, eh? This is an absolute masterpiece of art and music. Amazing to me that a whole arena full of screaming metal heads are absolutely silent when Richard Dawkins starts speaking.
Great reaction...Now watch the version in Tampere Finland. Floors parents were in the audience that night and that show had a few twists that this one didn't. It never hurts to hear the song again live. You will enjoy the extra surprises.
The degree of depth, feel, compositional breadth and creativity, execution cohesiveness, musicianship and artistic expression in Nightwish's art form (notice I did not use the word songs as it fails miserably to convey any meaning) is staggering. Every lyric, cord and key shift is meticulously planned and executed and supported by meaningful and worth-exploring lyrics. Nothing is done in vain. Everything has its place in the whole structure. Every single one of them is a world-class musician/vocalist but they all check their egos at the door and solely serve the music and its needs. We, the lucky ones who discovered them early on in the 90s, have been spoiled rotten to the point that it is almost impossible to listen to any other music without making the comparison and realizing that the pastures are always more lush and greener in Nightwish musical land.
It's such a masterpiece.....I have heard it so many times, but it still gets to me every time. You said it right there man......why be afraid of the inevitable. I try every day not to be. It's not easy....
Just for now, it is my duty to introduce you to some info about the lyrics. Lyrics are in " " [Part 1: Four point Six] "Archaean horizon, The first sunrise" Earth's history is divided into four principal Eons: the Hadean, the Archean, Proterozoic, and the Phanerozoic. The Hadean is the Eon during which the Earth and Moon formed; in the Archaean, primordial life appeared. Https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Earth "On a pristine gaea" Gaia is the primordial Greek goddess of the Earth. More recently, the Gaia hypothesis is a recognition of the living and nonliving Earth systems which form an interdependent whole. Https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaia "Opus perfectum, Somewhere there, us sleeping" Pristine perfection (of silence, of a blank page, of the very point from which the big bang itself sprung) implies a rich creative potential. Here Earth is painted in the same powerful way. Diversity awaits; unborn beings are sleeping the same sleep to which they will return at death. This interpretation is thematically linked with the album's opening track, "Shudder before the Beautiful," which includes the lyrics, "The music of this awe, Deep silence between the notes, Deafens me with endless love." Or as the furious hobbit screamed at the novice trumpeter, "An artist respects the silence, it serves as the foundation of creativity." [Part 2: Life] "The cosmic law of gravity Pulled the newborns around a fire, A careless cold infinity in every vast direction. Lonely farer in the Goldilocks zone" Gravity pulls the Earth around the energizing Sun in an otherwise inhospitable universe. Earth is the only planet in our solar system's circumstellar habitable zone, orbiting at the "just right, not too hot, not too cold" distance from the Sun. Https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Circumstellar_habitable_zone "She has a tale to tell, From the stellar nursery into a carbon feast, Enter LUCA" In astronomy, stellar nurseries are the birthplaces of stars: they nurse stars Https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_formation#Stellar_nurseries Poetically, our solar system is another "stellar nursery," in which a star is the nurse, caring for and warming a planet of 'newborns,' early carbon-based life. "Feast" evokes the incorporation of plentiful chemical building blocks into rudimentary life forms. "LUCA" stands for "Last universal common ancestor," the one single organism from which all other presently existing life on Earth descended. Https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Last_universal_ancestor "The tapestry of chemistry is a writing in the garden, Leading us to the mother of all" The periodic table of elements does look like a sort of patchwork tapestry, but this can go further. The historical function of tapestries was as "nomadic murals," pictographical histories which moving people could pack up and revisit wherever they went. The "writing in the garden," in nature, is not only the stone murals left by dead animals in the form of fossils, but is also this chemical writing that encodes the relatively nomadic DNA molecule with the instructions for life. The scientific investigation of this information leads us back to LUCA, and further. Https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tapestry#Function "We are one, We are a universe," This is the natural conclusion to draw from the fact that life shares common origin, that all life is built with the same blocks, and that all life on Earth is interdependent (gaia hypothesis). The multiplicity of beings on Earth are one, just as the cells in a body are one. "Forebears of what will be Scions of the Devonian sea." The Devonian geologic time period marked the first significant, rapid diversification of life (and the more well-known Cambrian explosion is another of these 'adaptive radiation' events). It was during the Devonian that the 'higher plants' appeared and blanketed the continents with forests. Https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Devonian . The word "scion" refers to a shoot of a plant cut for grafting, and is also used to denote a descendent of a notable family. Both meanings apply. "Aeons pass, Writing the tale of us all. A day-to-day new opening For the greatest show on Earth" Evolutionary adaptation is written in the DNA and as fossils in the rocks, and is ongoing. Species die, diversifiy and delineate. Every day is different, every day something changes. "Ion channels welcoming the outside world To the stuff of stars" Ion channels are found in the membranes of all cells, controlling the flow of energy through the cells. The stuff of stars is all the physical matter we're made of. So it's the ion channels, guiding enery, which allow living bodies to interact with the rest of the world by exchanging energy with it. "Stuff of stars" is surely a Sagan reference: "The nitrogen in our DNA, the calcium in our teeth, the iron in our blood, the carbon in our apple pies were made in the interiors of collapsing stars. We are made of starstuff." For fun: th-cam.com/video/XGK84Poeynk/w-d-xo.html "Bedding the tree of a biological holy, Enter life" The bed of a tree is the nutrient-rich soil from which it grows, a soil made of dead things. The "tree of a biological holy" is probably the tree of life en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tree_of_life_(biology) . This line refers to the "holy" legendary tree of everlasting life but also means the conceptual, branching family tree of all life, whose bed consists of all deceased beings (in a more literal sense), or all extinct ancestral species (in a more abstract sense). This is thematically linked with the song "Alpenglow." "We are here to care for the garden, The wonder of birth Of every form most beautiful" "We" could be human beings tasked with acting as nature's stewards, garden of eden style, but that's not chronological -- human beings haven't quite appeared in the song yet. "We" could instead be all of life itself, in a gaia-philosophy sense, which posits that life creates environments ever more hospitable to more life. Https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaia_philosophy Or maybe it's a combination of these two thoughts: life eventually creates an environment suitable for the development of consiously acting, thinking human stewards. [Part 3: The Toolmaker] "After a billion years, The show is still here. Not a single one of your fathers died young." Every single one of a given person's ancestors, male and female, lived past puberty at least. But "fathers" evokes "forefathers," which has a nicer storytelling ring to it than "parents." "The handy travelers Out of Africa Little Lucy of the Afar" Handymen are good with tools; travelers posessing hands rather than forefeet walk upright. Hominids originated in Africa and spread to the rest of the world from there. Lucy is a particular specimen of the Australopithecus, one of many "missing links" between modern humans and nonhuman ancestors. Https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucy_(Australopithecus) "Gave birth to fantasy, To idolatry, To self-destructive weaponry. Enter the God of gaps Deep within the past. Atavistic dread of the hunted!" The brain grows, consciousness and creativity along with it. Atavism is the tendency to revert to ancestral type, an evolutionary throwback. Fight-or-flight instincts that helped human ancestors survive have now been creatively projected onto the world to both explain it (origins, meaning, suffering) and gain security in it (bargaining through sacrifice). These are the roots of theism. Https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atavism "Enter Ionia, the cradle of thought, The architecture of understanding. The human lust to feel so exceptional, To rule the Earth" Nomadic people develop agriculture and settle down into civilizations. The word "architecture" is at once both literal and figurative. The efficiency of civilization graces people with free time to do more than just feed themselves. They develop rich cultural traditions, arts and philosophies, much of which are deeply influenced by how different humans now are from all the rest of life. "Hunger for shiny rocks, For giant mushroom clouds, The will to do as you'd be done by." Shiny rocks are wealth: gold, precious stones, jewels, and later uranium which leads to the nuclear arms race. The golden rule -- "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you" -- is a coin with a dark side: "an eye for an eye," revenge. This ensures the "MAD"ness of mutually assured destruction. Https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mutual_assured_destruction "Enter history, the grand finale. Enter ratkind." "Ratkind" comes from Richard Dawkins' book "The Ancestor's Tale." Dawkins imagines a post-apocalyptic world in which rodents feast on the remnants of humanity (and humanity's garbage). The rat population explodes, and then as they exhaust these resources they turn on one another for food. As a consequence of natural selection, the rats diverge into new carnivorous and herbivorous species, and perhaps, eventually, a specices of rodent whose intelligence rivals that of humans. This is "ratkind." Https://iberianature.com/wildworld/tag/ratkind/ "Man, he took his time in the sun, Had a dream to understand A single grain of sand." From William Blake: "To see a World in a Grain of Sand, And a Heaven in a Wild Flower, Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand And Eternity in an hour." ...And the story of the planet in 24 minutes. Not bad. "He gave birth to poetry, But one day'll cease to be. Greet the last light of the library" A bittersweet redundancy: poetry with library, the last light with ceasing to be. Reminiscent of Elan: "Be the first to greet the morn [...] Travel with great élan, dance a jig at the funeral." "We were here!" Who else is going to vote for this song's inclusion on the next Voyager golden record, if there'll ever be one? I want to beam this song into space forever.
Thanks for posting this wonderous song. Who else would write, develop and perform a single song about the history of everything. On top of that, do it in an accurate way. I can think of no one but Nightwish. This song really needs to be heard at least a dozen time. There is just so much inside to appreciate and understand. I don't think Tuomas could exceed what he has created here. Imagine that, a song that actually makes you think. Hopefully. How can Rock and Roll presume to do this?
Even the beautiful after music Tuomas wrote for their ending remarks and bows is epic & haunting. This entire performance is just awesome. Do watch the Tampere version too as there are some really cool production changes & Troy plays a different instrument at the start. Worth the watch.
They were super fortunate to be blessed with both Jukka and Kai…two phenomenal drummers who melded so perfectly with a phenomenal band and Kai just provides a lifeline in this song🤘 The band that can call it “The Greatest Show on Earth” and deliver on all points…just and incredible adventure in songwriting and performance
This was fun to watch. You reminded me so much of myself when I first heard this song. Props for finding something to say afterwards, I only went quiet for half an hour and was trapped in my own thoughts.
HC your emotions style reaction is super good, thats your dna and thank good i see reaction like this in here. this song is awesome in many ways. thanx to great reaction.
Yes, the LEVELS that Nightwish brings are insane. Now, go watch the live version from Tampere on your own. Floors mother and father is in the audience in that one. Floor said that she couldn't look for them because if she had seen them she would have broke down. They have supported her in ups and DEEEEP downs. Much love
NASA (Nightwish Army Scottish Allegiance) wonderful reaction HC, very much like mine the first time experiencing TGSOE. This is a musical and educational work of art by Tuomas - ABSOLUTELY EPIC! Greetings from Scotland
The celebration of life in all it's forms most beautiful. From (probably) 1 universal common ancestor Nature created billions of different flora and fauna. So diverse, rich, colorful and wonderful. It's majestic and indeed the greatest show on Earth. NW did a great job capturing almost 4 billion years of evolution in this beautiful piece of art. Enjoy life
So many aspects of this song bring me to tears. I’m going to add your reaction to this list you sweet, sweet man. I love this so much. Keep up the good work and the passion.
Great reaction to one of the greatest pieces of rock ever composed, and one of the most moving tributes to the scientific endeavour I've ever heard. We Were Here
Excellent reaction fella. Wembley with Richard Dawkins and Tampere with the overall spectacular effects are equal in my book, you wouldn't be jumped on for doing that one too 👍 🤘
The Tempere version for sure!! But this one also good. But now that you have a better understanding of the song, the Tempere version will rock your world! (Only as a reaction upload of coarse! Not a single fan will complain!)
Just for your own enjoyment watch the Tampere version, you can't pick a bad version here, this one has the man himself, Tampere has timed fireworks😉. Best regards Raoul G. Kunz
Their connection with Richard Dawkins makes me love Nightwish even more. It shows that there is more behind this band than meets the eye. Imagine this being an American band. They would be burned at the stake for heresy.
I'm so happy that you reacted to this version, and stayed for Richard Dawkins reading. Most people go to Tampere with this song for the fireworks. But the intro in this version, as well as the reading at the end, make this version my absolute favorite. Cheers!!
This song always manages to bring me to tears. It hits me hard every single time. I don't even really know why, or maybe I do, I don't know... The part towards the end, where we're told that we're all going to die one day, which makes us the lucky ones, that others don't get this privilege because they were never born to begin with... The people who could be here instead of us, but we got lucky in the lottery of life... Gawd, I don't know why me, I'm ammounting to nothing, but I'm still damn grateful to be here, every single day, even though there's a lot of days in which I wish someone else won the lottery instead of me. I think that's why this song is so powerful to me, as someone who's living with depression on and of for the last 16 years, it's kind of good to put things in perspective sometimes. Anyway, great reaction
Awesome reaction! Awesome philosophy! Nightwish's lyrics, Richard Dawkins' words and your commentary, are truly words to live by! Peace and prosperity to everyone!
There are a _lot_ of little things, depicting evolution, especially the evolution of mankind in this song. For example, there is the evolution of music. At 15:31, there are a few notes of Bach and the riff at 15:54 is from Metallic - Enter Sandman. There are a couple more I haven't been able to find (I'm sure someone will chime in, lol) Also, the "ratkind" thing is a reference to Dawkins, who speculated that rats would become the next dominant species, after humanity has wiped itself out in nuclear fire. Finally, after listening to this song, all those "we were here" references in other songs make _sooooo_ much sense now. Edit: I second @Anders Magnusson's suggestion to watch the Tampere version - the visuals are _really_ crazy!
In order starting around 15:45: Dies Irie chant, Minuet in G by Bach, Toccata and Fugue in D Minor by Bach, a nondescript banjo lick, Enter Sandman, and some EDM beats. Then back into the final chorus. Or, as is often commented: Floor: Enter LUCA Marko: Enter Ionia Emppu: Enter Sandman
Both Tuomas and Floor considered becoming biologists when the were younger.... More than a little of that study came out in this song! Inspiration is everywhere, you just have to be open to it! ... Saw that grin when Emppu played the Enter Sandman riff!... Well, there was "enter Luca", "enter Life", "enter Ionia"... so why not one for Emppu too?
When you get a chance do the Tempere concert , Greatest Show On Earth. This is great but the Tempere is out of this world! Also do Setting Sun Tempere. Stay Safe & Rock On! 🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘
Just came from your friend's reaction to "Romanticide". I think he loved it? Who else but Tuomas would write or even conceive of a song about 4.6 billion years of evolution of our solar system, the earth, and life itself?
Thank for your reaction, great to see that it touches you the same way. The new album Human Nature is a follow up on this song about evolution. Sure you will love this as well, also the nature cd (instrumental) is gorgeous especially the one with the nature video.
You should check out this performance in Tempere. Believe it or not but its actually even better in every possible aspect. The show looks better, the audio is *way* better and even though there is no such thing as a "poor performance" with Nightwish, they *are* the elite of the elite of the elite when it comes to stage productions, in Tempere they were all having one of those day where youre just flawless for no real reason and considering that Nightwishs"low points" are still *spectacular* you can imagine what they sound like when they have a peak day. This Wembely preformance is not low point, its a decent (by their ridiculously high standard) gig but what really makes this particular one equally worth watching is the fact that Dawkins is actually on location, doing his narration in person, how *God damn awesome* isnt that? And thats the *one* thing the Tempere show cant compete with.
I discovered Nightwish a couple months ago, and I am already addicted❤️( 63 years old☺️)
From your first reaction, your gaze told me that you were looking for meaning. I think that's the main quality of this song, that it puts things in a perspective that shows that. It may not be what you would expect, but the meaning is there. Next level, as you said.
Agreed!
This is my favourite Nightwish song it's got everything you need in a perfect song and performance. This is an Anthem for Earth, humanity and every living creation on Earth. A beautiful planet that we are so lucky to be on. British Sabaton Fan 💂♂️💂♂️💂♂️💂♂️🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇸🇪🇸🇪🇳🇱🇳🇱🇫🇮🇫🇮
"We were here".. That simple phrase is so deep!
Their Tempere version is even more spectacular!
I mean the Wembley Version go deeper. But only my opinion 🤗Happy Easter
Agree. I prefere the Tampere version. Firstly because its better. Secondly because i cant stand Richard Dawkins.
@@Dipper737 hihi, that the different between us. I am a huge Dawkins fan. I know, religous People has Problems, with him.
@@ralfmeyer9086 That's the understatement of the year :D
@@ralfmeyer9086 I have kind of mixed feelings about Dawkins but i must say his speech here is pretty damn good.
Cirque du Soleil with Nightwish would be a mind blowing combination! 🤔🔥❤
OMG!!! That would be EPIC!
holy shit YES!
@@nicod1361 calm down man, it aint that deep
I really appreciate your emotional reactions to Nightwish. It’s clear they touch you in a genuine way. Sometime, not for a reaction...just on your own, check out the Tampere version. That version of The Greatest Show on Earth is also the greatest performance on Earth!
Tears, Joy... emotions. Big time!🙏💙 Thank you Nightwish. 💙💙🥰🥰
All versions ( Tampere...Wembley...Buenos Aires )...are Great Masterpiece
History lesson with deep message and awesome music. Teachers Tuomas, Marco and Richard.
Epic song. Check out the Tampere version also. The visuals are crazy on that
Clearly you're grasping for words .... That's how I tried the first time hearing this to get my head around this. Tuomas has outdone himself with this composition. It's so easy to get lost in the insignificance of every day life, loosing your view on the bigger picture. This is a reminder reawakening the gratitude that fits our existence.
Thanks.
This is what Nightwish does - makes you think deep. Their newest album is a direct follow up on this song, and album.
No other band has this kind of impact on me and a lot of other people - and they are just as humble human beings, as the thoughts behind this song...
This is music 👍👌🤘🤘
I'm currently reading Richard Dawkins' The Greatest Show On Earth, because of this song! And I am enjoying it thoroughly 🙂
Hello, what did you think of it?
Magnum opus to life, to art. WE WERE HERE!
This is one of nightwish's great songs
Tuomas Holopainen master piece.
Master piece... Nightwish is the best band our time...Magistral Musicians...Floor the best singer in the planet...I love this band is amazing Higher level🤘🔥
I've been crying all day, physical & emotional pain from passing of a friend last week.
This actually makes me feel better even though there's tears ha
We were here
I'm sorry to hear about your riend Shannon. Sending you nothing but good vibes and well wishes. Much love you shall always find here!
Nightwish are a very special band
NightWish, the Art of evolution through STUNNING music
I like to say that we ARE here so better make the best of it. And how lucky are we to live in the same time as these wonderful human specimen that are the members of this band?
agreed
You are one of the reactors I subscribe to who never disappoints. Your sense of awe and wonder watching these is exactly what I felt the first time hearing/seeing these videos. Hell of a way to end a show, eh? This is an absolute masterpiece of art and music. Amazing to me that a whole arena full of screaming metal heads are absolutely silent when Richard Dawkins starts speaking.
Truth
An emotional one!
💜
Great reaction...Now watch the version in Tampere Finland. Floors parents were in the audience that night and that show had a few twists that this one didn't. It never hurts to hear the song again live. You will enjoy the extra surprises.
The degree of depth, feel, compositional breadth and creativity, execution cohesiveness, musicianship and artistic expression in Nightwish's art form (notice I did not use the word songs as it fails miserably to convey any meaning) is staggering. Every lyric, cord and key shift is meticulously planned and executed and supported by meaningful and worth-exploring lyrics. Nothing is done in vain. Everything has its place in the whole structure. Every single one of them is a world-class musician/vocalist but they all check their egos at the door and solely serve the music and its needs. We, the lucky ones who discovered them early on in the 90s, have been spoiled rotten to the point that it is almost impossible to listen to any other music without making the comparison and realizing that the pastures are always more lush and greener in Nightwish musical land.
I headbanged, I shed a tear. Nightwish. A good friday.
I´ve seen them live three times and I cried every time.
One of the best reactions, i ever see from TGSOE 🤗 WE WERE HERE 🤗
Love this , amazing song ❤️
Nice reactions! keep it comin`..Salute you from Brigade North, Norway!
It's such a masterpiece.....I have heard it so many times, but it still gets to me every time. You said it right there man......why be afraid of the inevitable. I try every day not to be. It's not easy....
Just for now, it is my duty to introduce you to some info about the lyrics.
Lyrics are in " "
[Part 1: Four point Six]
"Archaean horizon, The first sunrise"
Earth's history is divided into four principal Eons: the Hadean, the Archean, Proterozoic, and the Phanerozoic. The Hadean is the Eon during which the Earth and Moon formed; in the Archaean, primordial life appeared. Https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Earth
"On a pristine gaea"
Gaia is the primordial Greek goddess of the Earth. More recently, the Gaia hypothesis is a recognition of the living and nonliving Earth systems which form an interdependent whole. Https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaia
"Opus perfectum, Somewhere there, us sleeping" Pristine perfection (of silence, of a blank page, of the very point from which the big bang itself sprung) implies a rich creative potential. Here Earth is painted in the same powerful way. Diversity awaits; unborn beings are sleeping the same sleep to which they will return at death. This interpretation is thematically linked with the album's opening track, "Shudder before the Beautiful," which includes the lyrics, "The music of this awe, Deep silence between the notes, Deafens me with endless love." Or as the furious hobbit screamed at the novice trumpeter, "An artist respects the silence, it serves as the foundation of creativity."
[Part 2: Life]
"The cosmic law of gravity Pulled the newborns around a fire, A careless cold infinity in every vast direction. Lonely farer in the Goldilocks zone"
Gravity pulls the Earth around the energizing Sun in an otherwise inhospitable universe. Earth is the only planet in our solar system's circumstellar habitable zone, orbiting at the "just right, not too hot, not too cold" distance from the Sun. Https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Circumstellar_habitable_zone
"She has a tale to tell, From the stellar nursery into a carbon feast, Enter LUCA"
In astronomy, stellar nurseries are the birthplaces of stars: they nurse stars Https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_formation#Stellar_nurseries
Poetically, our solar system is another "stellar nursery," in which a star is the nurse, caring for and warming a planet of 'newborns,' early carbon-based life. "Feast" evokes the incorporation of plentiful chemical building blocks into rudimentary life forms. "LUCA" stands for "Last universal common ancestor," the one single organism from which all other presently existing life on Earth descended. Https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Last_universal_ancestor
"The tapestry of chemistry is a writing in the garden, Leading us to the mother of all"
The periodic table of elements does look like a sort of patchwork tapestry, but this can go further. The historical function of tapestries was as "nomadic murals," pictographical histories which moving people could pack up and revisit wherever they went. The "writing in the garden," in nature, is not only the stone murals left by dead animals in the form of fossils, but is also this chemical writing that encodes the relatively nomadic DNA molecule with the instructions for life. The scientific investigation of this information leads us back to LUCA, and further. Https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tapestry#Function
"We are one, We are a universe,"
This is the natural conclusion to draw from the fact that life shares common origin, that all life is built with the same blocks, and that all life on Earth is interdependent (gaia hypothesis). The multiplicity of beings on Earth are one, just as the cells in a body are one.
"Forebears of what will be Scions of the Devonian sea."
The Devonian geologic time period marked the first significant, rapid diversification of life (and the more well-known Cambrian explosion is another of these 'adaptive radiation' events). It was during the Devonian that the 'higher plants' appeared and blanketed the continents with forests. Https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Devonian
. The word "scion" refers to a shoot of a plant cut for grafting, and is also used to denote a descendent of a notable family. Both meanings apply.
"Aeons pass, Writing the tale of us all. A day-to-day new opening For the greatest show on Earth"
Evolutionary adaptation is written in the DNA and as fossils in the rocks, and is ongoing. Species die, diversifiy and delineate. Every day is different, every day something changes.
"Ion channels welcoming the outside world To the stuff of stars"
Ion channels are found in the membranes of all cells, controlling the flow of energy through the cells. The stuff of stars is all the physical matter we're made of. So it's the ion channels, guiding enery, which allow living bodies to interact with the rest of the world by exchanging energy with it. "Stuff of stars" is surely a Sagan reference: "The nitrogen in our DNA, the calcium in our teeth, the iron in our blood, the carbon in our apple pies were made in the interiors of collapsing stars. We are made of starstuff." For fun: th-cam.com/video/XGK84Poeynk/w-d-xo.html
"Bedding the tree of a biological holy, Enter life"
The bed of a tree is the nutrient-rich soil from which it grows, a soil made of dead things. The "tree of a biological holy" is probably the tree of life en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tree_of_life_(biology)
. This line refers to the "holy" legendary tree of everlasting life but also means the conceptual, branching family tree of all life, whose bed consists of all deceased beings (in a more literal sense), or all extinct ancestral species (in a more abstract sense). This is thematically linked with the song "Alpenglow."
"We are here to care for the garden, The wonder of birth Of every form most beautiful"
"We" could be human beings tasked with acting as nature's stewards, garden of eden style, but that's not chronological -- human beings haven't quite appeared in the song yet. "We" could instead be all of life itself, in a gaia-philosophy sense, which posits that life creates environments ever more hospitable to more life. Https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaia_philosophy
Or maybe it's a combination of these two thoughts: life eventually creates an environment suitable for the development of consiously acting, thinking human stewards.
[Part 3: The Toolmaker]
"After a billion years, The show is still here. Not a single one of your fathers died young."
Every single one of a given person's ancestors, male and female, lived past puberty at least. But "fathers" evokes "forefathers," which has a nicer storytelling ring to it than "parents."
"The handy travelers Out of Africa Little Lucy of the Afar"
Handymen are good with tools; travelers posessing hands rather than forefeet walk upright. Hominids originated in Africa and spread to the rest of the world from there. Lucy is a particular specimen of the Australopithecus, one of many "missing links" between modern humans and nonhuman ancestors.
Https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucy_(Australopithecus)
"Gave birth to fantasy, To idolatry, To self-destructive weaponry. Enter the God of gaps Deep within the past. Atavistic dread of the hunted!"
The brain grows, consciousness and creativity along with it. Atavism is the tendency to revert to ancestral type, an evolutionary throwback. Fight-or-flight instincts that helped human ancestors survive have now been creatively projected onto the world to both explain it (origins, meaning, suffering) and gain security in it (bargaining through sacrifice). These are the roots of theism.
Https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atavism
"Enter Ionia, the cradle of thought, The architecture of understanding. The human lust to feel so exceptional, To rule the Earth"
Nomadic people develop agriculture and settle down into civilizations. The word "architecture" is at once both literal and figurative. The efficiency of civilization graces people with free time to do more than just feed themselves. They develop rich cultural traditions, arts and philosophies, much of which are deeply influenced by how different humans now are from all the rest of life.
"Hunger for shiny rocks, For giant mushroom clouds, The will to do as you'd be done by."
Shiny rocks are wealth: gold, precious stones, jewels, and later uranium which leads to the nuclear arms race. The golden rule -- "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you" -- is a coin with a dark side: "an eye for an eye," revenge. This ensures the "MAD"ness of mutually assured destruction. Https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mutual_assured_destruction
"Enter history, the grand finale. Enter ratkind."
"Ratkind" comes from Richard Dawkins' book "The Ancestor's Tale." Dawkins imagines a post-apocalyptic world in which rodents feast on the remnants of humanity (and humanity's garbage). The rat population explodes, and then as they exhaust these resources they turn on one another for food. As a consequence of natural selection, the rats diverge into new carnivorous and herbivorous species, and perhaps, eventually, a specices of rodent whose intelligence rivals that of humans. This is "ratkind." Https://iberianature.com/wildworld/tag/ratkind/
"Man, he took his time in the sun, Had a dream to understand A single grain of sand."
From William Blake: "To see a World in a Grain of Sand, And a Heaven in a Wild Flower, Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand And Eternity in an hour." ...And the story of the planet in 24 minutes. Not bad.
"He gave birth to poetry, But one day'll cease to be. Greet the last light of the library"
A bittersweet redundancy: poetry with library, the last light with ceasing to be. Reminiscent of Elan: "Be the first to greet the morn [...] Travel with great élan, dance a jig at the funeral."
"We were here!"
Who else is going to vote for this song's inclusion on the next Voyager golden record, if there'll ever be one?
I want to beam this song into space forever.
Great job! Connecting the lyrics with the links and background information is a very good idea! Thanx!
Amen! Definitely belongs on a Golden Record on a V-Ger (sorry, Trekkie here too!)
WOW Epic job
Thanks for posting this wonderous song. Who else would write, develop and perform a single song about the history of everything. On top of that, do it in an accurate way. I can think of no one but Nightwish. This song really needs to be heard at least a dozen time. There is just so much inside to appreciate and understand. I don't think Tuomas could exceed what he has created here. Imagine that, a song that actually makes you think. Hopefully. How can Rock and Roll presume to do this?
I was here...with you...with Nightwish. What can seriously go wrong after that :-)
This one is great but the Tampere (Finland) 2015 version is even better.
Another great reaction, another Nightwish masterpiece !
I know a reactor who started analysing this - when Tuomas started playing - she just said "never mind" lol
hell yeah...!!!! mantap surantap!!!
Even the beautiful after music Tuomas wrote for their ending remarks and bows is epic & haunting. This entire performance is just awesome.
Do watch the Tampere version too as there are some really cool production changes & Troy plays a different instrument at the start.
Worth the watch.
They were super fortunate to be blessed with both Jukka and Kai…two phenomenal drummers who melded so perfectly with a phenomenal band and Kai just provides a lifeline in this song🤘
The band that can call it “The Greatest Show on Earth” and deliver on all points…just and incredible adventure in songwriting and performance
One way of looking at this is at least that is one thing off your bucket list! Great reaction as usual.
This was fun to watch. You reminded me so much of myself when I first heard this song. Props for finding something to say afterwards, I only went quiet for half an hour and was trapped in my own thoughts.
HC your emotions style reaction is super good, thats your dna and thank good i see reaction like this in here. this song is awesome in many ways. thanx to great reaction.
Ohhh man, this is so so Beautifull💕💥🔥🤘🙋🏼♀️😘
Yes, the LEVELS that Nightwish brings are insane.
Now, go watch the live version from Tampere on your own.
Floors mother and father is in the audience in that one. Floor said that she couldn't look for them because if she had seen them she would have broke down. They have supported her in ups and DEEEEP downs.
Much love
NASA (Nightwish Army Scottish Allegiance) wonderful reaction HC, very much like mine the first time experiencing TGSOE. This is a musical and educational work of art by Tuomas - ABSOLUTELY EPIC! Greetings from Scotland
this is nightwishs epic masterpiece ,everytime i see my eyes are get wet
Next level: "Shoemaker" (but Google first about Eugene Shoemaker life to understand the lyrics).
Watch Live in Tampere version too! (More than 20 minutes video version)
The celebration of life in all it's forms most beautiful. From (probably) 1 universal common ancestor Nature created billions of different flora and fauna. So diverse, rich, colorful and wonderful. It's majestic and indeed the greatest show on Earth. NW did a great job capturing almost 4 billion years of evolution in this beautiful piece of art. Enjoy life
You did it justice, my friend, keep m coming, greetings from holland
Another great reaction simply stunning song goosebumps and tears I'm with you on this on 👍🤘
We were here! Great reaction. Stay safe 🤘✌
they are quite something arent they, these nightwish folks, magnificent
Hard to react when Nightwish is on your screen.....leaves everyone speechless.
I love your work because you are not afraid to show your emotions.
So many aspects of this song bring me to tears. I’m going to add your reaction to this list you sweet, sweet man. I love this so much. Keep up the good work and the passion.
#NIGHTWISH The Greatest Band On Earth. Man, your channel followed.
Great reaction to one of the greatest pieces of rock ever composed, and one of the most moving tributes to the scientific endeavour I've ever heard. We Were Here
Thank you so much,,,,,😀🥲
The actual book 'Greatest Show On Earth' by Richard Dawkins is great reading material. This song captures it perfectly.
Excellent reaction fella. Wembley with Richard Dawkins and Tampere with the overall spectacular effects are equal in my book, you wouldn't be jumped on for doing that one too 👍 🤘
Tuomas is crazy talented, He can compose music scores for movies, It has that feel.
The Tempere version for sure!! But this one also good. But now that you have a better understanding of the song, the Tempere version will rock your world! (Only as a reaction upload of coarse! Not a single fan will complain!)
Just for your own enjoyment watch the Tampere version, you can't pick a bad version here, this one has the man himself, Tampere has timed fireworks😉.
Best regards
Raoul G. Kunz
Their connection with Richard Dawkins makes me love Nightwish even more. It shows that there is more behind this band than meets the eye. Imagine this being an American band. They would be burned at the stake for heresy.
Yours were wise words, deep and wise
Beautiful....
Great reaction mate !
I always feel for first time it should be the tampere version !
Others disagree !
Give it a go though mate 🤘
I'm so happy that you reacted to this version, and stayed for Richard Dawkins reading. Most people go to Tampere with this song for the fireworks. But the intro in this version, as well as the reading at the end, make this version my absolute favorite. Cheers!!
This song always manages to bring me to tears. It hits me hard every single time. I don't even really know why, or maybe I do, I don't know... The part towards the end, where we're told that we're all going to die one day, which makes us the lucky ones, that others don't get this privilege because they were never born to begin with... The people who could be here instead of us, but we got lucky in the lottery of life... Gawd, I don't know why me, I'm ammounting to nothing, but I'm still damn grateful to be here, every single day, even though there's a lot of days in which I wish someone else won the lottery instead of me.
I think that's why this song is so powerful to me, as someone who's living with depression on and of for the last 16 years, it's kind of good to put things in perspective sometimes.
Anyway, great reaction
You´re a good man! Great reaction
Big hug Bro. Peace
Awesome reaction! Awesome philosophy! Nightwish's lyrics, Richard Dawkins' words and your commentary, are truly words to live by! Peace and prosperity to everyone!
What a way to start my day. Woke up to this, thank you! Great song, however Tampere is better.
You have to watch this live at Tampere, Finland..instead of guitar they have troy on flutes and pipes and it's incredible
Very good man, pretty deep, but beautiful. We should be happy to have ever been born, the petty things mean nothing in the end.
12:05 till 13:05 Highly got completely sucked in 😎
We where here kicks you right in the feels
There are a _lot_ of little things, depicting evolution, especially the evolution of mankind in this song.
For example, there is the evolution of music.
At 15:31, there are a few notes of Bach and the riff at 15:54 is from Metallic - Enter Sandman. There are a couple more I haven't been able to find (I'm sure someone will chime in, lol)
Also, the "ratkind" thing is a reference to Dawkins, who speculated that rats would become the next dominant species, after humanity has wiped itself out in nuclear fire.
Finally, after listening to this song, all those "we were here" references in other songs make _sooooo_ much sense now.
Edit: I second @Anders Magnusson's suggestion to watch the Tampere version - the visuals are _really_ crazy!
In order starting around 15:45: Dies Irie chant, Minuet in G by Bach, Toccata and Fugue in D Minor by Bach, a nondescript banjo lick, Enter Sandman, and some EDM beats. Then back into the final chorus.
Or, as is often commented:
Floor: Enter LUCA
Marko: Enter Ionia
Emppu: Enter Sandman
Both Tuomas and Floor considered becoming biologists when the were younger.... More than a little of that study came out in this song! Inspiration is everywhere, you just have to be open to it! ... Saw that grin when Emppu played the Enter Sandman riff!... Well, there was "enter Luca", "enter Life", "enter Ionia"... so why not one for Emppu too?
And the gnat named after Tuomas is a cool little nod to the scientific mind
When you get a chance do the Tempere concert , Greatest Show On Earth. This is great but the Tempere is out of this world! Also do Setting Sun Tempere. Stay Safe & Rock On! 🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘
Thank you ❤
Awesome work dude!
You are impressed by the show I see. Good for you. It's very impressing to what's this show. Nice reaction broh
As the saying goes. It's easy to know how many seeds are in an apple. But who's to say how many apples are in a seed.
You should defenetly look Tampere version also..don't have to do reaction, but it is worth to watch 🤘🤘❤
Just came from your friend's reaction to "Romanticide". I think he loved it? Who else but Tuomas would write or even conceive of a song about 4.6 billion years of evolution of our solar system, the earth, and life itself?
You rock! 🤘 Please please do 'Dead boys poem' 🙏🙏🙏🙏
Thank for your reaction, great to see that it touches you the same way.
The new album Human Nature is a follow up on this song about evolution.
Sure you will love this as well, also the nature cd (instrumental) is gorgeous especially the one with the nature video.
You are so beautyful!
The Greatest Groove on Earth.
💖
This should have been from Tampera....with all the fireworks!
You should have chosen the Tampere-version!
The studio version is 24:mins 13 secs
You should check out this performance in Tempere.
Believe it or not but its actually even better in every possible aspect.
The show looks better, the audio is *way* better and even though there is no such thing as a "poor performance" with Nightwish, they *are* the elite of the elite of the elite when it comes to stage productions, in Tempere they were all having one of those day where youre just flawless for no real reason and considering that Nightwishs"low points" are still *spectacular* you can imagine what they sound like when they have a peak day.
This Wembely preformance is not low point, its a decent (by their ridiculously high standard) gig but what really makes this particular one equally worth watching is the fact that Dawkins is actually on location, doing his narration in person, how *God damn awesome* isnt that?
And thats the *one* thing the Tempere show cant compete with.
I like al you’re videos. It’s funny to see
100 times better if u want to look at the live version in tampere:)
I love Tampere version,but it's ok
I prefer Tampere but Floor looks hot AF in this one