You were my first love
The earth moving under me
Bedroom scent, beauty ardent
Distant shiver, heaven sent

I'm the snow on your lips
The freezing taste, the silvery sip
I'm the breath on your hair
The endless nightmare, devil's lair

Only so many times
I can say I long for you
The lily among the thorns
The prey among the wolves

Someday, I will feed a snake
Drink her venom, stay awake
With time all pain will fade
Through your memory I will wade

Barely cold in her grave
Barely warm in my bed
Settling for a draw tonight
Puppet girl, your strings are mine

This one is for you for you
Only for you
Just give in to it never think again
I feel for you



Lyrics submitted by Equilan

Track duration: 03:54

"Feel for You" as written by M. Hietala T. Holopainen

Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.

Lyrics powered by LyricFind


Feel For You song meanings
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  • 0
    General Comment:If it is unsure what the meaning is then it's probably part of the Ocean Soul story, being from Century Child
    Flag MetalRoxon February 02, 2013   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Although I'd like to see this as a monologue of the writer, something inside me tells me that it is a dialogue. And, even more, a dialogue between a "dead" girl and her ex-boyfriend/husband etc.

    Here is my explanation:

    In the first stanza, she explains, quite directly, what he used to be for her; her very first love, he was the world to her et cetera.

    Then, in the second stanza, she declares what she is now: perhaps a ghost (the breath on your hair). Maybe -maybe- she was killed by him. Just maybe. Why else would she be the endless nightmare, the devil's lair? Is he feeling guilty subconsciously because he killed her? Not sure, but it could be an interpretation. If not, then it simply explains that eventhough she is his past, she has made an impact in his life; he cannot just forget her. He can see her, taste her, feel her everywhere in the most simple things of life.

    In the third stanza she says she feels for him, eventhough she was abused (the lily among the thorns, the prey among the wolves)

    The fourth stanza, though, almost throws the dead theory down. Maybe she is dead from the inside (hence I put the quotation marks at the word "dead") and she needs to do risky things to feel alive again; to go near death to understand what is life again (Drink her venom, stay awake) and then, time will heal old wounds and he will eventually forget her.

    In the fifth stanza, "Barely cold in her grave" if that does not mean directly death, then it is a figure of speech to denote dead inside and whatnot -always, of course, if this is a dialogue. Then it is explained from the male's perspective how she was being used by him and still is ("puppet girl, your strings are mine").

    Then she declares that she still does feel for him, even after all that torture and abuse she passed.

    Now, if it is from a monologue perspective (quite possible, really. Just because it is a duet it doesn't mean it has to be a dialogue. See other songs as example; Bye Bye Beautiful is a monologue and not a dialogue, even though it is a duet), then the whole thing is from a male perspective, since at that time is when Tuomas had started writing loads of songs about himself.

    Let's see it from a male monologue perspective: It's probably written from a little crazy and possessive boy about his ex-girlfriend, who was probably abused.

    1st Stanza
    She was his first love and whatnot.

    2nd Stanza
    Declares that he will always haunt her, although they are not together anymore.

    3rd Stanza
    He still longs for her, her being the lily and the prey. Probably he is the thorns and the wolves (?).

    4th Stanza
    He is probably heartbroken that she has left him and he tries to commit suicide just to feel alive. Then he says that her wounds that he caused her will heal with time and that he will fade from her memory.

    5th Stanza
    But right now, she is still "dead" in a way, unable to feel after all she has passed, but he is all well in his very own life, knowing that he has "won this battle". Not completely won, though, since -as he said- she will eventually forget him. Thus he is unsure if he won or if it is a draw, but, nevertheless, she still belongs to him.

    6th Stanza
    He declares his love once more and tells her to give in to it.

    Nevertheless, I am pretty sure this song is about an abusive relationship. It could also be interpreted as a rape. Anyway, a very spooky dark song. Love song? Not even close...
    Flag clausangelohon December 07, 2011   Link
  • 0
    My Interpretation:Everyone I've read so far (and I haven't read everyone yet, but I love Nightwish and probably will eventually ;) ) seems to feel this song is from a girl's perspective, or from a girl AND a guy's perspective. I think the whole thing, from start to finish, is from a man's, and I've come to this conclusion for a couple reasons plus gut instinct.

    First, this song makes me think of PASSION before anything else, from the music to the lyrics themselves -- "Bedroom scent, beauty ardent/distant shiver, heaven sent". "Puppet girl your strings are mine" simply there on its own is a really cool, really creepy line -- but it's not passionate in a romantic sense at all, just kinda skeezy when you think about it. However, if the whole song is the same singer, suddenly these lines are adding to the rest rather than painting the other side of the romance. Suddenly these lines are more about possessing the object of dire affection rather than manipulating a victim.

    Second, who in all the world would refer to a man as "the lily among the thorns" without very special circumstances? "The prey among the wolves" is more feasible, but still unlikely. This makes me think the narrator is singing to a woman. Of course, if it is a she, she could easily be singing about herself-- "Only so many times/I can say I long for you" directly precedes "the lily among the thorns", and it is unclear whether this "lily" is "I" or "you". Here's where my gut comes into play, and I have to think the singer is talking about the other party. Finally, while we're talking about this stanza/verse/whatever ("Feel For You" really reads like a poem: speak it, aloud, and you'll see the lyrics spill perfectly even without melody. I love how, like a poem, it doesn't have a chorus or predictable structure. It's so awesome :D), what woman would limit the times she says "I love you"? Girls pronounce their affections all the time. It's men who say it once and see no need to say it again, since the message has already been put across. Once more this feels like a man, singing to a woman.

    Now, the breakdown. Verse one is declaring that the singer is new to matters of love, or at least true, deep infatuation (it makes me think this love is something real, something special). It then continues to paint pictures of passion with poetic diction ;) Verse two continues on this vein, ending with a darker twist by inserting scary words -- "Devil" and "Nightmare". The third stanza has a more a bitter taste. It reads to me much like "We've been through this before". This part also makes me think the female party in this song is innocent, too (lily among the thorns again) -- putting the pieces together, this seems like a young love, or a love between two peoples who have hardly loved before. While the singer, with all these lyrics, seems more chilling and a little bit crazy, the other lover is more delicate, more sweet -- but in her own way dangerous.

    Finally, these last two stanzas are repeated again and again, about as many times as a chorus would have been. Its as if the writer (who was, I'll add, a man! Another plus to my theory ;D) cut the chorus and bridge out of the song and slapped it on at the very end. It gives this wonderful feel of a crescendo to finish this already beautiful piece. As soon as Marco's part (it is Marco singing, no?) begins, the singer seems to switch into a scarier, darker, crazier side of himself (even when Tarja begins again, it is still much more intense). "Barely cold in her grave/barely warm in my bed" seems once more to speak of how distant and spacey and delicate the other person is, I don't think it literally means she is dead. "Puppet girl, your strings are mine" directly follows "settling for a draw tonight", which to me means the singer does NOT have total control over his love. No, she is his, and he has great influence over her -- but it is a game between the two of them. They work as both opponents and as a team, moving THROUGH each other and not just WITH. They are both part of the other.

    Finally, the very end, by far the most intense and heart-pounding moment of the song. "This one is for you/for you, only for you" is, to me, proof of the devotion and passion between these two people. They're both a little crazy, but they are only for each other. For you, for you, only for you-- the way it's sung is so intense and so passionate and emblazoned, you can't help but feel this love. The same person who sang "Puppet girl, your strings are mine" now calling "this one is for you" is somehow so utterly enthralling, and part of why I must believe this song was written as one whole monologue rather than a duet between two people.

    "Just give in to it, never think again/I feel for you" is a hard line for me to understand. "I feel for you" doesn't sound like "I pity you" to me right here. The way my heart thrums at this point, it sounds like, "I FEEL for you", as in "You make me feel", not quite "I care for you", but I FEEL for you. However, my sis pointed out it could also mean, "Don't think: I'll do it for you, I'll even feel for you." And this is where I'm stumped. Suggestions?

    Overall, I think this song is about an impassioned, blazing love between two slightly crazy peoples who are absolutely enthralled with one another. It's a dance between the shy one, with hooks in her eyes, and the fierce one, with wild ways and a possessive nature. Whatever the song means, though, it's beautiful, and I'm sure we all agree on THAT.
    Flag SheWhoShineson August 02, 2011   Link
  • 0
    My Interpretation:To me it goes something like this:

    She talks how it all started, her love to him.

    Now how it is in the present, when they are a couple for some time, and how he feels about her, always talking to her coldly about how she is such a bothersome nothing (a breath on hair that is a real nightmare).

    She keeps talking (or at lest is trying to talk) with him that she still loves him, thats why hes growing colder still, maybe she is pushing too much/fast, maybe from the beginning he didn't saw any future with her, but she's still trying. Her "offer" (love) is like lily (i see it white), beautiful and such, but like everything it isn't perfect because around are lots of things that cause you pain and ain't that pretty. She knows that (realized on one point maybe), and she fears to give that feeling, fear like "prey among the wolves".

    (maybe that, or its just another way to say that there are awful things around her, wolves in tales liked to hunt for women and children, innocent beautiful defenceless girls maybe?? but i chose fear, or some other bad feeling, for its the cause of following verse)

    Snakes, among other things, represent vengefulness and vindictiveness. To feed it may mean that she will take everything that he had put her through and turn it on him, or just justify her reason for "drinking the venom". This venom causes pain, but like with any other you cant loose consciousness because you may not wake again. That snakes is a "she" so i would guess that thats snake name is "love" (as described above, lily). She says that she will take the pain (leave??) and burden it (by realizing/awareness that it wont work with him), and not live imaginary life that he loves her, and in time, she will be fine, and he will be just too happy to forget about her.

    Barely cold in her grave
    Barely cold like not cold enough, so she still feels enough to be in her "grave", place where you don't want to be, but really cant get out from (like buried alive??).

    Barely warm in my bed
    She loves him, like said above, but not quite passionately as in the past.

    Settling for a draw tonight (in their argument)

    Puppet girl, your strings are mine
    Because he know her so well, and they had "this" (their relationship) conversation so many times, that he know he only needs to stall and shell give up, and "everything will be like normal", like it was to this point in time.

    This one is for you for you
    Only for you
    And she gives him that time, she tries still, but only for him, because he was her first "true" love, she wouldn't do it for anyone else (thinking about future, relationships beyond this??). But she know now that "love" isn't perfect like she imagined (in first verse), there aren't only good things about it (thats why she wont make the same mistake, pushing herself in this position, again).

    Just give in to it never think again
    I feel for you
    And she wants to "give in" to that perfect picture of love, and gladly would feel for him (love him still or feel for both of them, so he wouldn't have to). That "imaginary life" with him is tempting, until next time when she starts thinking about it (their "situation") and it (song/pattern) starts all over again. Thats why "giving in" demands not thinking again, ever.


    If you want to put it to simply physical relationship then go ahead, this interpretation is easy to push in that direction, but i prefer a little more to it.
    Flag Merowinon March 17, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:On second thought, he doesn't feel sorry for her at all. The word grouping should be:

    1) This one is for you, for you, only for you. (the song was written about a particular woman)
    2) Just give in to it. (there is nothing you can do about it now)
    3) Never think again I feel for you. (you waited too long and now my love for you is gone forever)
    Flag fadetogreyon October 20, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:My take: Both voices are the guy. Tuomas uses Tarja's voice as the voice of innocence/love. The guy loved a woman, his first love. She left him among the thorns and wolves. Someday (soon implied) he will give up caring (feed the serpent). His pain and his love for her will be dead and buried.

    Innocence/love is gone. The voice shifts to Marco. Once the love is buried and as soon as his bed is warmed with another woman, his former lover will realize she has made a mistake. She will be his puppet. It's a draw, though, since they've both lost.

    He will feel sorry for her, but in a mean way. 'Never think again' is never think I will care again.

    "The endless nightmare, devil's lair" is the only line that doesn't seem to fit, but that could be personal. Maybe she dumped the guy because she didn't like his metal music type friends and career.
    Flag fadetogreyon October 20, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:i think the start is how she was so in love with him that nothing else mattered but then something happened maybe he left her and it crushed her world but she still wanted him "With time all pain will fade
    Through your memory I will wade"

    then he starts about her how when he was with her she might as well been dead to him and how he controled her but felt nothing for her"Barely cold in her grave
    Barely warm in my bed
    Settling for a draw tonight
    Puppet girl, your strings are mine"

    then how she would do anything just to be with him even if he doesnt love her

    i love this song the first time i heard i just loved it so much i love marko's voice in it he add just so mucyh more
    Flag Confined38083on January 17, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:sorry about posting 4 times, wasnt coming up on my screen as posted, and yet her ethey all are -.-'
    Flag DarkMillyon November 05, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:first off, this is an awsome song whatever meaning it does have.
    now, i'm not really sure what this is about.. but here is my attempt at explaining
    -im pretty sure that the first verse is about how she used to feel for him, as it is in past tense, here the relationship seems totally innocent.
    -in the second verse it shows how she see's herself to be to him now- maybe showing how she treats him now, how she knows that she is making things hell for him "The endless nightmare, devil's lair"
    -this verse seems to be trying to explain why she feels the way she does about him now "Only so many times I can say I long for you" im guessing that the fact she is describing him as a "lily among thorns" means that she believes he is innocent and harmless, and that she is the thorn holding on, digging deep... reffering to him as "prey" and saying he is amongst wolves (probably herself) is again showing how she feels for him now
    -now i think that this verse is referring to the fact that eventually, when she has 'finished' with him, she will leave. and eventually he will get over it, but he will always remember her.
    -this is the verse where the male comes in. and this is the verse that gave me my point of view on the meaning. i do believe the grave referrance is to do with the fact he had just buried her into his memory (especially as she talked about walking through his memory in the last verse), and finally gotten over the pain she caused him, when she walks in late at night (the referrance to barely warm in my bed, meaning he had just gone to bed) and he lets her come into his life again, but little does she know that she will loose her power over him, while he infact, will gain power over her "Puppet girl, your strings are mine". i also believe that by this he is meaning something probably quite brutal (i.e murder), as he sings it in a very angry way.
    -the last verse shows what the girl is thinking as she walks into his house/life again. it very much seems that she intends to only treat him this way "the one is for you for you only for you", and seems pretty bent towards getting him to be her 'slave' as it were "just give in and never think again". and to me the last line is very ironic, as i belive that by "I feel for you" it is saying that she pitys him, when really, after what we heard the guy thinking, he should really be the one saying this :P
    Flag DarkMillyon November 05, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:first off, this is an awsome song whatever meaning it does have.
    now, i'm not really sure what this is about.. but here is my attempt at explaining
    -im pretty sure that the first verse is about how she used to feel for him, as it is in past tense, here the relationship seems totally innocent.
    -in the second verse it shows how she see's herself to be to him now- maybe showing how she treats him now, how she knows that she is making things hell for him "The endless nightmare, devil's lair"
    -this verse seems to be trying to explain why she feels the way she does about him now "Only so many times I can say I long for you" im guessing that the fact she is describing him as a "lily among thorns" means that she believes he is innocent and harmless, and that she is the thorn holding on, digging deep... reffering to him as "prey" and saying he is amongst wolves (probably herself) is again showing how she feels for him now
    -now i think that this verse is referring to the fact that eventually, when she has 'finished' with him, she will leave. and eventually he will get over it, but he will always remember her.
    -this is the verse where the male comes in. and this is the verse that gave me my point of view on the meaning. i do believe the grave referrance is to do with the fact he had just buried her into his memory (especially as she talked about walking through his memory in the last verse), and finally gotten over the pain she caused him, when she walks in late at night (the referrance to barely warm in my bed, meaning he had just gone to bed) and he lets her come into his life again, but little does she know that she will loose her power over him, while he infact, will gain power over her "Puppet girl, your strings are mine". i also believe that by this he is meaning something probably quite brutal (i.e murder), as he sings it in a very angry way.
    -the last verse shows what the girl is thinking as she walks into his house/life again. it very much seems that she intends to only treat him this way "the one is for you for you only for you", and seems pretty bent towards getting him to be her 'slave' as it were "just give in and never think again". and to me the last line is very ironic, as i belive that by "I feel for you" it is saying that she pitys him, when really, after what we heard the guy thinking, he should really be the one saying this :P
    Flag DarkMillyon November 05, 2008   Link

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