Song Meaning

The lyrics paint a stark picture of humanity's self-inflicted downfall, presenting a narrative of impending doom and a desperate, perhaps futile, call to action. The opening sections establish a chilling sense of finality, describing the present as "the calm before the storm" and "the quiet before the war," where "all will be decided." This decision hinges on whether humanity heeds "the echoes on the wind," a phrase that suggests ignored warnings or lost wisdom. The lyrics explicitly state this leads to "the end of the chain," "destruction of the fittest," and "the end of man's evolution," framing the crisis as a consequence of human inaction and arrogance. The second part escalates the imagery to apocalyptic levels, transforming the world into a "radioactive grave" and a "blazing funeral pyre." The repeated questions – "Do you hear the sirens? Do you see the burst? Do you feel the fire?" – are met with visceral responses of crying, fear, dying, and wailing, amplified by "deadly gamma waves" and a "scorching sea of fire." This section emphasizes the sensory overload of destruction and the overwhelming sense of loss and suffering, leaving no room for doubt about the severity of the catastrophe. The lyrics then shift to a specific future, "2085," where "silence so loud, not a soul... left alive" and "all our dreams have disappeared." The burning of the "tree of life" confirms humanity's worst fears, suggesting a complete obliteration of hope and progress. Yet, amidst this desolation, a flicker of defiance emerges. Phrases like "Now's the time to rise up from our hell" and "We regained our will to fight" suggest a potential for redemption or at least a final stand. The call to "restore the balance between thinking and feeling" and to "stop the machines" indicates a critique of unchecked technological advancement and a yearning for a more harmonious existence. Ultimately, the narrative concludes with a sense of cyclical struggle and a plea for survival. The "last man alive" searches for answers, reliving the past and dreaming of the future, while the collective voice calls to "complete the circle" and "restore our lives." Despite the overwhelming evidence of past failures and the dire present, there's a persistent, albeit fragile, hope that by learning from history and regaining their will, humanity might yet find a way to survive, even if it means confronting the pain they have created. The final lines offer a desperate, almost defiant, assertion: "I know we'll make it in the end."

Ayreon & Anneke Van Giersbergen & Jørn Lande & Bob Catley & Jonas Renkse & Floor Jansen & Daniel Gildenlöw & Hansi Kürsch & Steve Lee & Tom Englund - Rock, Rock Opera

The Sixth Extinction

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Duration: 2:40

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[I. Echoes on the Wind] [Tom Englund] It's the calm before the storm It's the quiet before the war It's the time when all will be decided [Steve Lee] All will be decided [Tom Englund] If nobody heeds the echoes on the wind [Tom Englund] It's the end of the chain [Steve Lee] Destruction of the fittest [Tom Englund] It's the end of our reign [Steve Lee] We've seen it all before [Tom Englund] It's the end of man's evolution [Steve Lee] The end of the evolution [Tom Englund] For nobody heeds the echoes on the wind [II. Radioactive Grave] [Hansi Kürsch] Do you hear the sirens? [Daniel Gildenlöw] Do you see the burst? [Steve Lee] Do you feel the fire? [Jonas Renkse] All the world's a radioactive grave! [Tom Englund] I can hear them crying! [Bob Catley] I can see the fear! [Jørn Lande] I can feel them dying! [Jonas Renkse and Floor Jansen] Washed away by deadly gamma waves! [Hansi Kürsch] Do you hear them calling? [Daniel Gildenlöw] Do you see the hurt? [Steve Lee] Do you feel them failing? [Jonas Renkse and Floor Jansen] All the world's a blazing funeral pyre! [Tom Englund] I can hear the wailing! [Bob Catley] I can see the wrath! [Jørn Lande] I can feel them failing! [Jonas Renkse and Floor Jansen] Washed away by a scorching sea of fire! [Hansi Kürsch] Do you hear the sirens? [Daniel Gildenlöw] Do you see the burst? [Steve Lee] Do you feel the fire? [Jonas Renkse and Floor Jansen] All the world's a radioactive grave! [Tom Englund] I can hear them crying [Bob Catley] I can see the fear [Jørn Lande] I can see them dying [Jonas Renkse and Floor Jansen] Washed away by deadly gamma waves! [Part III. 2085] [Jonas Renkse] Silence so loud, not a soul... left alive Darkness a shroud... 2085 All our dreams have disappeared They burned down, tree of life Confirming all that we have feared... 2085 [Bob Catley] Don't give up, remember how we felt Fire rushing through our veins Now's the time to rise up from our hell Now's the time to free our brains [Steve Lee] The meaning of life is to give life meaning Go too fast, move too slow Restore the balance between thinking and feeling, open up and let it flow [Jonas Renkse] No side has won, struggle to... survive Our quest here is done... 2085 All our hopes have disappeared Our race will... not thrive Time will not recall year... 2085 [Daniel Gildenlöw] Don't give in, remember all we learned The spark of life it did ignite We regained the rage for which we yearned We regained our will to fight [Jørn Lande] We must resolve this human equation We're already dead if we don't try To welcome challenge, generic variation Stop the machines, prepare to die! [IV. To the Planet of Red] [instrumental] [V. Spirit on the Wind] [Tom Englund] He's the last man alive [Steve Lee] Searching for the answers [Tom Englund] Knowing he won't survive [Steve Lee] To the mystery of life [Tom Englund] Relives the past, and dreams of the future [Steve Lee] Dreaming of the future [Tom Englund] And soon he'll set free [Steve Lee] And the sleeper will awake [Tom Englund] His spirit on the wind [VI. Complete the Circle] [All] Make us whole, Migrator soul Follow me home, complete the circle We must survive, restore our lives The way I'll show, complete the circle [Hansi Kürsch] Send back visions Into the past Of war and decay [Floor Jansen] Hear the final cries! I can see them feel In a world without walls [Anneke van Giersbergen] Through their eyes [Tom Englund] I see them dying We have to teach them Migrator soul [Daniel Gildenlöw] We regained our will to fight We regained… We found a way [Steve Lee] I know we'll make it in the end Listen to the warning [Bob Catley] We gave them language What did they say? What did they learn? [Jørn Lande] We have no chance We are the future We are the pain Complete the circle! [Steve Lee] Aaaaah!!!!

Credits

Writers: Arjen Anthony Lucassen
Jonas Renkse

The Sixth Extinction

The Sixth Extinction

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