Nemo (song)
"Nemo" is the tenth single by Finnish symphonic metal band Nightwish and the first single from the album Once.[1] The song can be heard in the ending credits of the 2005 film The Cave.[2] A special version of the music video was released that contained scenes from the movie. For "Nemo", a big-budget video was made, the director was Antti Jokinen,[3] who had previously worked with Shania Twain, Celine Dion and Eminem.[3] The video was n° 1 on MTV Brasil Video Chart.[4] The song was nominated for the Kerrang! Award for Best Single.
"Nemo" | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
![]() | ||||
Single by Nightwish | ||||
from the album Once | ||||
Released | April 19, 2004 | |||
Recorded | November 2003–March 2004 at Tempputupa Studios, Finland | |||
Genre | Symphonic metal | |||
Length | 4:36 | |||
Label | Nuclear Blast | |||
Songwriter(s) | Tuomas Holopainen | |||
Producer(s) | Tero Kinnunen | |||
Nightwish singles chronology | ||||
|
Tuomas Holopainen, the composer, has stated that the title is Latin for "nobody" and the song is based on his occasional feelings of being lost, longing for the past and feeling nameless.[5] This contradicts speculations that the song simply borrows on a Nemo character of an earlier work, such as J. Verne's Captain Nemo, Homer's Ulysses alias Nemo, C. Dickens’ Captain Hawdon alias Nemo, W. McCay's Little Nemo, or the Disney Studio's film Finding Nemo. Asked about that T. Holopainen responded:[5]
Not the fish! I cannot believe how everyone seems to be convinced it’s that. Nemo, which is Latin for "nobody," has nothing to do with the Disney film. It revolves around the feelings I have from time to time. I feel nameless and do not know who I am or where I will go. I only know my past and I long to be back there. The song is about being lost, not knowing where to go or what to do, yet desperate for everything in life. That’s not always me, but when I wrote Nemo, that’s the way I felt. Now I feel better. (Translated from the German)
— Tuomas Holopainen, Underground Empire interview
Track listing
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Nemo" (radio edit) | Tuomas Holopainen | 3:50 |
2. | "Nemo" (orchestral edit) | Holopainen | 3:51 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Nemo" (w/ fade out) | Holopainen | 4:28 |
2. | "Planet Hell" | Holopainen | 4:42 |
3. | "White Night Fantasy" (non-album bonus track) | Holopainen | 4:05 |
4. | "Nemo" (orchestral version) | Holopainen | 4:37 |
5. | "Enhanced Part" (studio report / photo gallery) | 4:05 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Nemo" (w/ cold end) | Holopainen | 4:36 |
2. | "Live to Tell the Tale" (exclusive bonus track) | Holopainen | 5:02 |
3. | "Nemo" (orchestral version) | Holopainen | 4:37 |
4. | "Nemo promotional video" (m-peg) | 4:05 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Nemo" (w/ cold end) | Holopainen | 4:36 |
2. | "White Night Fantasy" (non-album bonus track) | Holopainen | 4:05 |
3. | "Nemo" (orchestral version) | Holopainen | 4:37 |
4. | "Planet Hell" | Holopainen | 4:42 |
5. | "Live to Tell the Tale" (non-album bonus track) | Holopainen | 5:02 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Nemo" (video / stereo & 5.1) | Holopainen | 4:05 |
2. | "Nemo" (audio / stereo & 5.1) | Holopainen | 4:36 |
3. | "Planet Hell" (audio / stereo & 5.1) | Holopainen | 4:42 |
4. | "The Making of Nemo" (video / stereo) |
Live performances
Nemo is the most played song by Nightwish, with well over 500 times as of March 2018.[6]
Charts performance
Once topped the album charts in Finland and Hungary.[7] In the UK it could only chart at #87 after a chart entry of #101 the week before, but spent over 20 weeks on the top 200 plus a few re-entries.[8] However it has been in the top 10 of the UK Rock Chart as recently as May 2008, highlighting the recent acclaim the band has had in the United Kingdom.[8]
Nemo was certified with Gold Disc in Finland one week after release, with more than 5,000 sold copies,[9] and got Platinum disc after two weeks, with more than 10,000 sold copies.[9]
Chart (2004-2008) |
Peak position |
---|---|
Brazil (ABPD)[10] | 51 |
Finnish Top 40 Singles | 1[11] |
Brazilian MTV Top 10 Charts | 1[4] |
Hungarian Singles Chart | 1[12] |
Greek Singles Chart | 2[8] |
Portuguese Top 50 Singles | 3[8] |
Norwegian Singles Chart | 4[13] |
German Top 100 Singles | 6[14] |
Slovakian Singles Chart | 8[8] |
UK Rock Chart | 8[8] |
European Hot 100 Singles | 11[8] |
Austrian Ö3 Top 40 | 12[15] |
Swedish Top 60 | 12[16] |
Swiss Top 100 Singles | 14[17] |
Dutch Mega Single Top 100 | 64[18] |
Personnel[20]
The band
|
Main crew
|
References
- "Once: Nightwish". Allmusic. Retrieved 2010-06-01.
- http://www.soundtrack.net/albums/database/?id=3772 “The Cave: Music theme” at Soundtrack.net Retrieved 2011-7-14
- Ollia, Mape."Once Upon a Nightwish: The Official Biography 1996–2006". Bazillion Points, 2008, ISBN 978-0-9796163-2-7, p. 222
- ""Nemo" #1 on Brazilian videocharts". Nightwish's Official Website. 2004-06-02. Archived from the original on 2020-01-24. Retrieved 2009-11-15.
- Klaudia Weber: Nightwish Interview Archived 2007-09-30 at the Wayback Machine at Underground-Empire.com (German) Retrieved 2011-7-14.
- Nemo by Nightwish
- "Nightwish Label Information". Spinefarm Records. Archived from the original on 2020-01-24. Retrieved 2009-11-15.
- ""Nemo" charts positions". Nightwish's Official Website. 2004-04-14. Retrieved 2009-11-15.
- "Tilastot: Nightwish". IFPI Finland. Retrieved 2010-06-01.
- "Brazil" (PDF). ABPD. October 6, 2001. Retrieved April 1, 2014.
- "Extended Search: Nemo". Allmusic. Hung Medien. Retrieved 2010-06-01.
- "Archive: Nightwish". Mahasz. Retrieved 2010-06-01.
- "Extended Search: Nemo". Allmusic. Hung Medien. Retrieved 2010-06-01.
- "Charts- Nightwish/Single". PhonoNet. Archived from the original on 2013-07-08. Retrieved 2010-06-01.
- "Extended Search: Nemo". Allmusic. Hung Medien. Retrieved 2010-06-01.
- "Extended Search: Nemo". Allmusic. Hung Medien. Retrieved 2010-06-01.
- "Extended Search: Nemo". Allmusic. Hung Medien. Retrieved 2010-06-01.
- "Extended Search: Amaranth". Allmusic. Hung Medien. Retrieved 2010-06-01.
- "IFPI Tilastot: Nightwish". Retrieved 2010-01-03.
- "The Band - Releases: Once (2004)". Allmusic. Nightwish's Official Website. Archived from the original on 2010-04-18. Retrieved 2010-06-01.