Never-Ending Story - Within Temptation
June 18th 2008 03:21
Mother Earth by Within Temptation
Imagine a pixie dancing on the piano keys while accompanied by the lyre of a satyr and the voice of an elf in a lush green forest next to a serene lake. Add a gentle breeze that conducts a chorus of tree leaves and kisses ripples on the water and you have Dutch symphonic rock band Within Temptation's Never-Ending Story surrounding you in an invisible embrace. Amidst the song, one can find traces of Galadriel's wisdom, Arwen's love and Lúthien's timeless beauty.
Within Temptation was founded by one of the most powerful and beatific sopranos of the industry, Sharon den Adel and her boyfriend, guitarist, Robert Westerhold. The latter shaped the body of the band while the former breathed life into it, hence, the group was born with their debut album Enter back in 1997, receiving promising popularity in the underground culture in Europe. Having toured Netherlands, Germany and Austria, Within Temptation went on to increase their fan base gradually for the next 3 years. They concentrated heavily on live performances, settling with an EP, The Dance, instead of a second album in the meantime.
Finally in 2000, Mother Earth hit the stores and became their breakthrough album with trademark hits such as Ice Queen, Mother Earth and Never-Ending Story. It reached platinium in Germany and was an instant hit in Dutch charts. The pagan beauty of Mother Earth was a breath of fresh air and its fame quickly spread throughout Europe, opening new horizons for the band. They toured France and even found the chance to appear on the other side of the globe, Mexico City. The tour DVD of Mother Earth received the prestigious Edison Award, the Dutch counterpart of the likes of Grammys and BRIT Awards.
The Silent Force and The Heart of Everything followed Mother Earth in the coming years and bestowed Within Temptation with international acclaim. They also provided two video games with the magic of their music, Knights of the Temple: Infernal Crusade and the upcoming The Chronicles of Spellborn. Moreover, Mother Earth and The Silent Force will be officially released in USA in August 2008. A new album is in plans to be out in 2009/2010.
Never-Ending Story opens with a spirited piano that instantly paints the air in High Fantasy colors and sketches one pastoral reverie after another as it lasts. The lyrics begin with a depiction of life's perpetual circle,
"Armies have conquered
And fallen in the end
Kingdoms have risen
Then buried by sand
The earth is our mother
She gives and she takes
She puts us to sleep and
In her light we'll awake"
And fallen in the end
Kingdoms have risen
Then buried by sand
The earth is our mother
She gives and she takes
She puts us to sleep and
In her light we'll awake"
Many a times one wonders the meaning of life -- the meaning of their life, in particular. What is their purpose on this planet? What is their actual story? What are they to accomplish? Are they on the right track or have they just taken the wrong turn? Where are they headed?
We are all familiar with the simile of life being a stage and we being the actors. The Universe, being the theater, has a role for each and every one of us. Some more tragic than the rest, others are more in the spotlight, still others seem plain idle yet the keyword remains the same here: "seem". To be able to see the big picture is never an easy task and demands to think and feel outside the box. What one should always remember is everything happens for a reason no matter how small or big, felicitous or catastrophic they might appear and that it's all part of the plot, the grand play, the Universe is staging.
"We're part of a story, part of a tale
We're all on this journey
No one is to stay
Where ever it's going
What is the way?"
We're all on this journey
No one is to stay
Where ever it's going
What is the way?"
I believe it is befitting to tell a tale, told many a times in the modern world in those notorious chain mails. How unfortunate for a story so beautiful to be a part of the "send it to at least 10 people and your wish will come true" nonsense. Still, it is one of those rare gems that conveys the main idea of "Things aren't always as they seem" perfectly. I will humbly put it together from memory instead of cutting and pasting from the web. Let the story begin as the fairy tale notes of Never-Ending Story continue to flutter in the air:
Once upon a time, two angels came down on Earth and started traveling in human form. When the night fell, they knocked on the door of a majestic house in a rich neighborhood. Their hosts were a sulking couple and not trying to hide their dissatisfaction, they let the two angels in. They did not even bother to offer their guests some food and showed them the cold, damp basement to spend the rest of the night while they disappeared into their comfy bedroom. As the younger angel spread a ragged mattress on the floor for them to sleep on, the elder angel spotted a long crack on the wall and quickly repaired it. The younger angel was surprised with this gesture and asked, "Excuse me but why would you do a favor like that to a couple so unwelcoming and selfish?"
The elder angel lied down on the mattress and mumbled, "Things aren't always as they seem" before he closed his tranquil eyes.
The next night, the angels knocked on the door of a ruined house in a neighborhood reigned by poverty. The indigent couple welcomed them heartily, shared with them what little food they had and when the younger angel asked how they made a living, the poor man answered with a smile, "Well young boy" he said "Our only asset is good ol' Henrietta, our beloved cow. We sell her milk at the marketplace and that is how we manage to see another day."
When it was time to go to bed, the couple offered their bed to the angels, disregarding their oppositions and lied down cramped on a narrow, old sofa. In the morning, the younger angel was awakened with the sobs of the couple. Their sole source of living and their treasured companion Henrietta the cow was lying cold on the floor. The younger angel blinked his eyes rapidly and muttered under his breath towards the elder angel, "How?... How could you allow something like that to happen?"
The elder angel replied with an expressionless stare, "Things aren't always what they seem."
The angels did not speak again until it was time to fly back towards the heavens. The elder angel softly began, "Behind that crack in the wall was a hidden treasure. I fixed the wall so that the selfish, egotistical couple will never find and claim it. As for the cow... During the night, while everyone was asleep, the Angel of Death came for the wife. I offered him the cow instead. You see my dear friend, as I kept repeating, things aren't always what they seem."
With that the angels disappeared behind the clouds and our tale came to an end:
"We're part of a story, part of a tale
Sometimes beautiful and sometimes insane
No one remembers how it began."
Sometimes beautiful and sometimes insane
No one remembers how it began."
Ink Blots
Browse music online at IMEEM
Buy Mother Earth online from Amazon
Meet the artist Within Temptation at Within Temptation
Read the entire lyrics at metrolyrics
Browse music online at IMEEM
Buy Mother Earth online from Amazon
Meet the artist Within Temptation at Within Temptation
Read the entire lyrics at metrolyrics
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