Nightwish - Angels Fall First (1997)

1. Elvenpath
2. Beauty And The Beast
3. The Carpenter
4. Astral Romance
5. Angels Fall First
6. Tutankhamen
7. Nymphomaniac Fantasia
8. Know Why The Nightingale Sings?
9. Lappi (Lapland)
10. Once Upon A Troubadour
11. A Return To The Sea

1. Elvenpath

Hearing music from the deepest forest
Songs as a seduction of sirens
The elf-folk is calling me

Tapio, Bearking, Ruler of the forest
Mielikki, Bluecloak, Healer of the ill and sad
Open the gate and let me follow the uncarven path

The way to the lands
Where as a hero I stand
The path where Beauty met the Beast
Elvenpath

It's the honesty of these worlds
Ruled by magic and mighty swords
That makes my soul long for the past
Elvenpath

The moonwitch took me to a ride on a broomstick
Introduced me to her old friend Home Gnome
Told me to keep the sauna warm for him

At the grove I met rest-the folk of my fantasies
Bilbo, Sparhawk, goblins and pixies,
Snowman, Willow, trolls and the seven dwarfs
The path goes forever on

[Repeat chorus]

As I return to my room
And as sleep takes me by my hand
Madrigals from the woods
Carry me to neverland
In this spellbound night
The world's an elvish sight


2. Beauty And The Beast

Remember the first dance we shared?
Recall the night you melted my uglyness away?
The night you left with a kiss so kind
Only a scent of beauty left behind

Ah, dear friend I remember the night
The moon and the dreams we shared
Your trembling paw in my hand
Dreaming of that northern land
Touching me with a kiss of a beast

I know my dreams are made of you
Of you and only for you
Your ocean pulls me under
Your voice tears me asunder
Love me before the last petal falls

As a world without a glance
Of the ocean's fair expanse
Such the world would be
If no love did flow in thee
But as my heart is occupied
Your love to me now has to die
Forgive me, I need more than you can offer me

Didn't you read the tale
Where happily ever after was to kiss a frog?
Don't you know this tale
In which all I ever wanted
I'll never have
For who could ever learn to love a beast?

However cold the wind and rain
I'll be there to ease up your pain
However cruel the mirrors of sin
Remember, beauty is found within

...Forever shall the wolf in me desire the sheep in you...


3. The Carpenter

Who are you?
Man condemned to shine a salvation
throughout the centuries
Why ?
Was the wine of the grail
too sour for man to drink

The carpenter
carved his anchor
on the dying souls of mankind
On the tomb of this unknown soldier
lay the tools of the one
who for us had died
Tools of the carpenter

The one they lick
The same old sick
dream of their precious saviour

Kiss them deep and

make them weep
over promises of eternal peace

The carpenter
carved his anchor
on the dying souls of mankind
On the tomb of this unknown soldier
lay the tools of the one
who for us has died
Tools of the carpenter

I hear you
through the symphonic voices of nature
- the purity I could never doubt
They tell me to lie on the grass
and observe my saviour
The one crucified to the chirping of birds

The carpenter
carved his anchor
on the dying souls of mankind
On the tomb of this unknown soldier
lay the tools of the one
who for us has died
Tools of the carpenter


4. Astral Romance

A nocturnal concerto
candlelight whispers me where to go
Hymn of gathering stars as my guide
whilst I wander on this path of the night

Embroidery of the stars
undress my feelings for this earth
Send me your salva to heal my scars
and let this nakedness be my birth

Macrocosm poured its powers on me
And the hopes of this world I now must leave
The nightwish I sent you centuries ago
has been heard by those who dwelled in a woe

The distance of our bridal bed
Await for me to be dead
Dust of the galaxies take my hand
Lead me to my beloved's land

Departed by the guillotine of death
I received a letter from the depth
The dream of my lover it carried inside

Caressed by the sharpest knife
I asked you to be my wife
Rays of the setting sun
were my tears wept upon promises undone

Come to me
Make me believe
to you and your love again

Above the universe
Beneath the Great Eye
I shall desire you forevermore


5. Angels Fall First

An angelface smiles to me
Under a headline of tragedy
That smile used to give me warmth
Farewell - no words to say
beside the cross on your grave
and those forever burning candles

Needed elsewhere
to remind us of the shortness of our time
Tears laid for them
Tears of love, tears of fear
Bury my dreams, dig up my sorrows
Oh, Lord why
the angels fall first

Not relieved by thougts of Shangri-La
Nor enlightened by lessons of Christ
I'll never understand the meaning of the right
Ignorance lead me into the light

[Repeat chorus]

Sing me a song
of your beauty
of your kingdom
Let the melodies of your harps
caress those whom we still need

Yesterday we shook hands
My friend
Today a moonbeam lightens my path
My guardian


6. Tutankhamen

As the sun sets beyond the pyramids
To greet me with its rays
I place my hand on my forehead
To see your chariots' flames

Watch me kneel before you
Hear the cats meowing in the temple
They yearn the milk you cascaded
As I yearn that promised treasure

Treasure of
Tutankhamen
I am the one it is
Take me with you
through the stargate
To the valley of the kings

Sacrifice me
Tutankhamen
And let me be your queen
Take me
Tonight and always
We'll breed to fill all earth

Three milleniums it took me to guard your rest
Your slumber in mighty Phoenix's nest
But tonight the darkness in the tomb has perished
For Carter has come to free my beloved

[Repeat chorus]


7. Nymphomaniac Fantasia

The scent of a woman was not mine...

Welcome home, darling
Did you miss me?
Wish to dwell in dear love?

Touch my milklike skin
Feel the ocean
Lick my deepest
Hear the starry choir

Rip off this lace
that keeps me imprisoned
But beware the enchantment
for my eroticism is your oblivion

Old love lies deep, you said
Deeper shall be the wound between your legs


8. Know Why The Nightingale Sings?

What does the free fall feel like?
Asks the boy with a spark in his eye
Know why the nightingale sings?
Is the answer to everything

Taking a step to a world unbound
Spinning my fantasies all around
Freed from the gravital leash
I swear the heaven's in my reach

Dancing with the spirit of the air
In this ocean so open and fair
Making love to the gods above
On my maiden voyage so bold

Landing safely to the blue lagoon
Don't know if this is the earth or the moon
Joy of living is no more a mask
The Eden I found will forever last

Migrating with the geese
My soul has finally found peace
Doesn't matter that man has no wings
As long as I hear the nightingale sing...


9. Lappi (Lapland)

[1 Erämaajärvi]

Kautta erämaajärven
matkaa kulkuri yksinäinen
Näkee lammella joutsenparven
vapauttaan itkevän

Kaipuu menneisyyden
kiirii ilmassa huutoina kotkien
Ikijärveltä turvatuulta
käy matka vuorten taa

[2 Witchdrums]

[3 This Moment is Eternity]

Day posesses no key here
where moon sheds the cold twilight
This moment is eternity

Land of beauty,
cold and cruel
Fjeld chants echoing,
reflecting the melancholy...

Trust the wind
Trust the fires
Call for the hermit of the night

Land of raven and bear
Land of eagle and wolverine
Dismal are the mirrors of a wolf

[4 Etiäinen]


10. Once Upon A Troubadour

[bonus track]

A lonely bard wandering across the lands am I
Singing dancing finding answers to every why
The taverns are full and one crosses my path, too
I just might reward myself with a beer or two

This inn the place of many romantic tales
On the loft women offer their sales
But my eyes they catch a girl beat by everyone
A slave she is but for me a rose undone

Hear me sing
Watch me dance
Play that lute of thine
And share with me this dance

As she danced my eyes began to shine
There she was the maiden so divine
How could I approach her with my outlook so poor
Her beauty being much more than I could endure

So I asked if I could sing a chanson
With a language of ancient and of lore
Gathered the men around us me and the girl in rags
Soon were the melodies heard by everyone

Hear us sing
Watch us dance
Sing with us this tale
With a clap of hands

The stories long-forgotten we still know
Performing our skills wherever we go
I end my story as I receive a kiss
From my girl the dearest Beatrice

Hear us sing
Watch us dance
Sing with us the tales
Which the music will keep alive


11. A Return To The Sea

[bonus track]

A star falls down from the darkened sky
Where new worlds are born and die
Kingdom Animalia watches its approaching glow
What it means is soon to be known

Beneath the lovely birch
honeymakers build their nest in peace
On the savannah a lion licks a wounded gnu
To honor this moment even the heavens cease
Giant spiders learn how to swim
With whales they form a united kin

Snakes say hello to the rats on the ground
In the meadows play merrily the fox and the hound

Trilobite & Anymalocharis
The prey and the hunter
Survival of the fittest
Fall of Man

Seadrops foam all empty human skulls
Those on the shores of Atlantis
Darwin's resurrection is witnessed
By turtles he used to play with

Healed and happy She oversees
The Mother
The tyrant's return to the sea

All music & lyrics by Tuomas
Arrangements by Nightwish & Tero Kinnunen

Tarja - vocals
Emppu - guitars, bass
Jukka - drums, percussion
Tuomas- synthesizers