Amorphis
Circle
1. Shades Of Gray
[Composition: Holopainen, Esa]
Mountain tops and red, red clouds
Aflame with flaring gold
Silhouetted against the eastern sky like a God
The trees now blue under the dusk…
The cooling flood of evening shade
The lights recede, the sounds subdue
Predators emerge from their caves
[Chorus:]
Grayness holds my mind at stake
And the lake’s golden mirror’s dim
The last rays fall into darker shade
The night coils around the day
Shadows turn the light into the shades of gray
The sun bades the world farewell
The queen of the night, her attire aglow
Before her beauty I, too bow
These nights I should fear
These lights I should not follow
This road to nowhere leads
I wander around in circles
[Chorus:]
Grayness holds my mind at stake
And the lake’s golden mirror’s dim
The last rays fall into darker shade
The night coils around the day
Shadows turn the light into the shades of gray
The sun bades the world farewell
The lights recede, the sounds subdue
Predators emerge from their caves
[Chorus:]
Grayness holds my mind at stake
And the lake’s golden mirror’s dim
The last rays fall into darker shade
The night coils around the day
Shadows turn the light into the shades of gray
The sun bades the world farewell
It controls my mind
And the lake’s golden mirror’s dim
The last rays fall into darker shade
The night chokes the day
Shadows turn the light into the shades of gray
The sun bades the world farewell
2. Mission
[Composition: Holopainen, Esa]
Up high in the north
At the end of my rocky road
I heard the call
My feet had betrayed me
I was carried forth
to a place of healing
Where I was made again
and they sang me my song
While they told me all the tales
Then they showed me my mission
and I heard it whisper my name
They took me to their side
and gave me back my life
Blew the sounds into my ears
and lit the light on my path
3. The Wanderer
[Composition: Kallio, Santeri]
Behold this man on the road
The burden that he holds
He lost it all but still he carries on
The dead are left behind
On the road of pain and grief
Promises have been broken
Once again he's been deceived
Homeless man he is
A wanderer without a hope
Why this heavy burden
What does he seek
Homeless man he is
Searching for his dreams
Why this heavy burden
Lost all his beliefs
The Spirit Roams
Behold today the face of this man
He smiles now as he knows
He's burden starts to slowly fade away
He laughs at himself
Now it's easy to let go, of futile and the needless
To let it lie, to let it go
4. Narrow Path
[Composition: Kallio, Santeri]
A narrow path
Now overgrown
Covered by grass
Almost gone
It whispers an invitation to me
Unveils a new direction
Around me the forest sings
The sun gilds the road
Here’s my place
This is my world
Here’s my future
I make my fire here
The trail leads me to the sea
The stones feel so familiar
On this cliff I’ve been before
And heard the song of the waves
The path turns to a road
The river flows into the sea
Around me the forest sings
The sun gilds the road
5. Hopeless Days
[Composition: Holopainen, Esa]
I never wanted
I never wanted to be born
Into this cruel world
Into this cruel world I was torn
Left behind with grief
Lacerated by life
Shackled into caves of grieves
From an union
From an union of force and fear
Arose my kin
Arose my kin enslaved
In hopelessness
In hopelessness and suspicion
The seed of eternal tomorrow
I was born a captive
A captive of the night
In between
Hopeless days
I was born on sleet
On sleet covered roads
I've been driven by howling winds
A beggar, a drifter
A refugee from my own life
And a companion
Companion of the ghostly lights
But still they came
They found the way to get to me
They beckoned me to follow
I was born a captive
A captive of the night
In between
Hopeless days
I was born on sleet
On sleet covered roads
I've been driven by howling winds
6. Nightbird's Song
[Composition: Koivusaari, Tomi]
Whispering of the trees
And nightbird’s wistful song
My heart is growing still
The silent warriors arise
From beneath the shadows blue
From behind the shrouded veil
The ghosts step in front of me
The silent ones creep through me
They run beneath the stars
They rush on the road of night
They glide on the glass of time
They ride on a pale and frozen lake
Arise, the silent warriors arise
Arise, from the black soil
Arise, from the nightbird’s song and screams
From the solar winds of my soul
From the moonlit matter of my bones
From shivering of my flesh
From leaden weights of my memory
The ghost of time are born
Step forth the immortals
Emerge the envoys of the depths
Silently the warriors arise
7. Into The Abyss
[Composition: Kallio, Santeri]
This long road
Paved with victories
These monuments
Named after heroes
On this spring-like night
When the trees are blooming
I languish upon this road
I perish on the icy path
Who are you
Why have you called me here
(And the wind steals the sound)
And this long road
Where are you leading me
(And the snow erases the tracks)
It leads the way
Tireless through the dusk
Forces me to carry on
Flowers wither… lights and stars go out
I blindly fall down
Into the abyss of sleep and death
Why I’m the one
The chose one… When I’m no one
I strain to, to hear the call
But the wind steals the sound
I strive to, to keep on trail
And the snow erases the tracks
8. Enchanted By The Moon
[Composition: Holopainen, Esa]
Upon by birth came close to death
I wore the night
Dark skies tucked me in
Stranded in the mire of sorrows
The lightless caves in ravines
The power rushed over me
The serpent ran me through
A moment stole my time
A might surged over me
My passage enchanted my the moon
The light with shadows blended
My delusion imprisoned me
My enemy destroyed me
A sword cleaved my skull
An arrow pieced my heart
A sword cleaved my skull
And the wind took my soul
Somebody broke my bones
Somebody tore my flesh
Somebody broke my bones
Somebody crushed my chest
The power rushed over me
The serpent ran me through
A moment stole my time
A might surged over me
9. A New Day
[Composition: Holopainen, Esa]
The Sun will rise again
When darkness can’t get any darker
Shadows will retreat
When night has filled the cup of time
When pearls start to glow
When morning dewdrops glister
When the wind waves the blade of grass
The Sun will rise again
When eagles have descended by my side
When I no longer need to flee
When mountain has allowed me, I will stay
And rest for a while
This is the moment
I have always feared
Afraid of an ending night
Afraid of a closing road
This is how it feels to die
On a most beautiful day
When the clouds so white and light
Sail across the sky
10. Dead Man's Dream
[Bonus Track][Composition: Kallio, Santeri]
On opening my eyes…
The world dark as my soul…
Nothing moves, nothing flows
A dream of a dead man
The moss of thoughts fill my mouth…
Lichen grows on my bones… Vertebrae detach…
Teeth lost in the grit
The night has swallowed my name…
Taken my time, taken my place
The dusk has covered my trace…
The rain has washed my memories away
I have disappeared…
I am no more… Turned into voice of storm
The roaring song of space…
Behold the waves… They roll over themselves
Behold the waves… There lies the lap of time
Jan Rechberger ‒ Drums, Keyboards
Esa Holopainen ‒ Guitars (lead)
Tomi Koivusaari ‒ Guitars (rhythm)
Santeri Kallio ‒ Keyboards
Niclas Etelävuori ‒ Bass
Tomi Joutsen ‒ Vocals
Lyrics in plain text format
