Meadows of Heaven is a beautiful, yet sorrowful track from Nightwish's most recent album, Dark Passion Play. Annette Olzon's voice is haunting and mournful as she waxes nostalgic about the halcyon days of childhood. Sometimes it's hard to tell whether this song is more one of fond remembrance, or a lamentation for days gone by, whether it's just the heartfelt memories of an adult looking back on their childhood, or something somewhat darker. Either way, this song has rapidly become one of my favorites.
This is not a light song by any means - indeed, it tends to put me in a deeply reflective mood. It gets me thinking about my own childhood, about where the heck that time ever went. In a way, the sentiments of this piece are almost like a child's view of adulthood, seen as through a glass darkly. Still, I highly recommend it to any fan of Nightwish's music, or any fan of emotive music.