All lyrics for 2019 debut album Hollow Mirror (Mighty Music)
All lyrics for 2017 debut EP (self-release)
Hollow Mirror |Ethereal Kingdoms Lyrics
01 – Distance
02 – Beginnings
03 – Ashes within
04 – Heartchamber
05 – Endings
06 – Silent dance
07 – My Kantele – Amorphis cover
08 – Embrace me
09 – Apparition
DISTANCE
Like a string connecting me:
cannot break what we can’t see
Like a cord when stricken:
resonates in my veins
At the edge of each our tragedy
Echoes across the void
Locked by a bond that we cannot sever
Both of us carved these scars
Forgiveness torn apart
Connected even as we fall
Radiance is turned to gray
Heal the wound – the scars will stay
Life will fade the colors like rain on paper
At the edge of each our tragedy,
blankly staring across the void.
The rift we tore between us ever deeper.
Across the edge of each our tragedy,
veins connecting across the void.
This string like a bridge between us
I still feel you
Across the edge of each our tragedy
The veins grow in our scars
Dreams washed away like rain on paper
Across the edge we scream our tragedy
Forgiveness torn apart
The bond we cannot sever ever stronger as we fall.
Featuring Amalie Skriver on vocal harmonies.
Ethereal Kingdoms // Mighty Music 2019
BEGINNINGS
Beautiful scenes, a dance on glass
Fairytale ending set for failure
They say I should just give up
They don’t know! No-one can read what lies before us
Endless endings in the book of life
You can’t see the last page, it’s not written yet
Wordless promise spoken: let this time never end
My dear, let us dream ’till it’s over
The song still plays!
Let us dance
Broken glass
All stings break sooner or later
Endless endings in the book of life
The chapters you read is what you have inscribed
Only know the rhythm to the dance we tread
You can’t see the last page it’s not written yet
“Hope is an illusion we feed ourselves
Two mirrors reflecting each other eternally
All glass breaks sooner or later
I know the last page”
Endless endings in the book of life
The chapters you read is what you have inscribed
Only know the rhythm to the dance we tread
You can’t see the last page it’s not written yet
This story features Amalie Skriver on solo violin and vocal harmonies as well as Simon Lillelund as voice actor
Ethereal Kingdoms // Mighty Music 2019
ASHES WITHIN
Come, embrace me, my love
See!
Ashes within.
I search for beauty for within me there is none
To your knees you fall in awe and fear
Colours never brighter than this – tell me what you see!
All you see is true:
I am the dream alive
I relieve your emptiness
Have this dance with me
So beautiful you are
Let me have your light
I demand undying adoration
Don’t question what you see!
This halo could be yours
Expect me not to give
All I am is emptiness
Come, embrace me now, my love and feel my halo
Twirl in my kaleidoscope, see the sights you never saw
Closed heart, open wound
Light shines ever stronger
Fear me not!
All I am is ashes within
“Embrace me, my love!“
“I… I can’t..”
“See! I have laid my heart bare for you! Is it not beautiful?
“No, what have you done? You’re bleeding!”
“I – I can’t….”
“It’s empty. All empty!”
“Empty? I have given all this – for you! Is it not beautiful?”
Come, embrace me now, my love and feel my halo
Twirl in my kaleidoscope, see the sights you never saw
Closed heart, open wound
Light shines ever stronger
Fear my love
All I am is ashes within
This story features voice actor Simon Lillelund and solo cellist Asger Forchhammer
Ethereal Kingdoms // Mighty Music 2019
HEARTCHAMBER
In the grey daylight words will fail us
You see through me
I’m made of glass
I broke the promise in the grey light
Now each of us walk alone
Now I see the sights you never showed me
Behind the curtain are walls of stone
I walk in the chambers of your heart
Each step I take tears you apart
A broken promise in the grey light
Now each of us walk alone
With each step I take, you bleed
I have wronged you
You can’t forgive
I walk in the chambers of your heart
Each step I take tears you apart
A broken promise in the grey light
Now each of us walk alone
Heartchamber features Amalie Skriver on guest vocal harmonies
The characters are brought to life by Magni Hansen and Lærke Krarup Leth
Ethereal Kingdoms // Mighty Music 2019
ENDINGS
A painting torn apart
Scenes from a dream
So beautiful we thought it was endless
I hear your words
Bloodstains on glass – mirror of me
Now alone this dance I tread
I remember song from your strings
The beginning takes a thousand shapes
This story has no second start
You broke those strings
All life has taught me:
hope is felt in vain
It ends anyway with one last page
You know my words
Still hoping for more, I write the last page
Now I know the end has poetry in its fury
I will never hear song from your strings
The beginning takes a thousand shapes
This story has no second start
You broke those strings
All life has taught me:
hope is felt in vain
It ends anyway with one last page
(Choir:
A beginning, a thousand shapes
Story ends with broken strings
All my hope is felt in vain
It all ends with one last page)
“Hope is an illusion we feed ourselves
Two mirrors reflecting each other eternally
All glass breaks sooner or later
I know the last page”
Endings features The Kingdom Choir, lifting the massive soundscape to exalted heights
Video created by Scott Rudd
Ethereal Kingdoms // Mighty Music 2019
SILENT DANCE
So pale she feels hollow
She can’t remember their roses
She watches
Motionless
But he will not see her
The dance goes on without music
She draws no breath, she just watches;
for her touch will break the silence
So he dances all alone
Her gift not given lightly
For a heartbeat is a sacred thing
So pure the light in his eyes
She gave a gift to him he never knew
The dance goes on without music
She draws no breath, she just watches;
for her touch will break the silence
So he dances all alone
This story features flute soloist Lærke Krarup Leth and violist Hansi Andersen alongside The Kingdom Choir
Ethereal Kingdoms // Mighty Music 2019
MY KANTELE – AMORPHIS COVER
Esa Holopainen / Finnish traditional
Truly they lie, they talk utter nonsense
Who say that music, reckon that the kantele
Was fashioned by a god
Out of great pike’s shoulders
From a water-dog’s hooked bones:
It was made from the grief
Its belly out of hard days
Its soundboard from endless woes
Strings gathered from torments
And its pegs from other ills
Truly they lie, they talk utter nonsense
Its belly out of hard days
Its soundboard from endless woes
Strings gathered from torments
And its pegs from other ills
Truly they lie, they talk utter nonsense
So it not play, will not rejoice at all
Music will not play to please
Give off the right sort of joy
For it was fashioned from cares
Molded from sorrow
Our rendition of this story features Sigurbodi Gretarsson on hurdy-gurdy and vocals as well as Sofia Schmidt on 10-string kantele
Ethereal Kingdoms // Amorphis // Mighty Music 2019
EMBRACE ME
Soprano
Their tear streaked songs they sing.
Leave a rose
No-one can see his face
He sees you in the end
He holds you only once
Embrace is without love
Alto
Tears are falling as they sing
Under the ice
He loves no-one
Without face, no face
You know the end
He holds you only once for his embrace is without love
Tenor
Their tearstreaked songs they sing
Sorrow as they sing
Not for you
You met the one whose love you crave
Love without a face
He is cold
You only once, his, for his embrace is without love
Bass
They sing
Not for you
Under the ice you met one whose love you crave
Love one without a face
He is the cold
He holds you in his arms once
His embrace is without love
Only you are a friend to everyone
Yet you don’t come to me
Where you tread they leave roses in your wake
They sing when you have touched those they loved
Only you understands the silent cold
Under the ice of the lake we met
No rose
No-one sings for me
Why did you leave when all I crave is your embrace?
“Just listen to me! Stay!
There is nothing for you at the bottom of the lake
Life is right here. Stay… please…
He cares not for kings or beggars, he cares not for you.
Why are you in such a rush to meet him?
In the end, he visits everyone“
We will meet only once
Hold me
in your arms I will feel
cold
I long for you
I see you
disappear
Soprano / alto
No roses under the lake
Sing for me, for me
Cold in my wake
No love
No love in his embrace
No love
No roses
Just tears in his wake
Under the lake
Under ice
I meet him once
No roses under ice
This story is brought to life by The Kingdom Choir, Sigurbodi Gretarsson on hurdy-gurdy, Amalie Skriver on violin and vocals and Simon Lillelund as voice actor.
Ethereal Kingdoms // Mighty Music 2019
APPARITION
You beg the dream to end
No need to whimper
Remove the porcelain mask
I take form off reflections in your eyes
Formless
I encompass all
I consume
I reflect in broken glass
The only pain is your own
I burn dreams like paper
A thousand colors bright and hollow
All I have absorbed
Bow to me
I demand
You wanted to see what I really am
You have unmasked this apparition
And here you stand you wished you never loved
But your hate fuels your fear
And keeps the doorway
open
This story features Sigurbodi Gretarsson on throat singing, Asger Forchhammer on solo cello and Simon Lillelund on voice acting.
Ethereal Kingdoms // Mighty Music 2019
Ethereal Kingdoms EP |Lyrics
Cover image by Mathilde Maria Photography
STORM
And so they cut the cord from above
Free fall to the endless fathoms below you
An obsolete conqueror in their stormless lives
Mark of their words have painted you indigo blue
Free fall
Wind will carry
Endless
Waves below
No star guides you
Lost destination
Fear is your compass
You sail with the shipwrecked
Go now, dandelion child!
Storms within you rule your path
Every moment rains from above you broken glass
Tempests flow without end from within
Follow where the shattered sails go
Defector of old life
Let go of the ones who drowned
Those who thought that they loved you
All this freedom you have claimed
Alone
Storm within you
Broken glass
In this ocean, you are the tempest
Raze your path!
Storm within indigo aura
Conquer what you fear the most
Set your course
Bridle the wind
Never fear no tempest
Every moment opens before you unseen paths
Tempest flow without end from within
Follow where you shattered sail will go!
Storm features Amalie Skriver on solo violin as well as The Kingdom Choir
Ethereal Kingdoms // 2017
Cover image by Mathilde Maria Photography
FEJLENS CIRKEL
Mit fine smykke
Forkullet, itu
En dans i spejlet
Bare mig og mig
Et askegråt hjerte
Jeg var ilden
En åben, tom skal
Stemmen fra det knuste spejl
Du gav den magt!
Den sang dine trin falder til
Uden takt
Dit liv er et ekko af frygtens stemme
Indtil den dag du bryder fejlens cirkel
Et dødfødt ønske
Et uskrevet brev
Jeg er et ekko; frygtens krampetræk!
Jeg danser spejlets dans
Stemmen fra det knuste spejl
Du gav den magt!
Den sang dine trin falder til
Uden takt
Dit liv er et ekko af frygtens stemme
Fanget i fejlens cirkel
English translation
My precious piece of jewellery
Charred and broken
A dance in the mirror – just me and myself
An ash-grey heart
I was the fire
An open, empty shell
The voice from the broken mirror
You granted it’s power
The song to which your steps fall, is without measure
You life is an echo of the voice of fear
Until the day you break the circle of mistakes
A stillborn wish
An unwritten letter I
am an echo; convulsions of fear!
I’m dancing the mirror’s dance
The voice from the broken mirror
You granted it’s power
The song to which your steps fall, is without measure
Your life is an echo of the voice of fear
Caught in the circle of mistakes
Cover artwork by Malik Sigrist
Ethereal Kingdoms // 2017
Cover image by Mathilde Maria Photography
PAPER STARS
A quiet hour passes in the secret sanctum
One thousand paper stars she folds
Bright and hollow
Nightsky of gold above her
Glistening by the lantern
The dawn can never dim her wonderful paper stars
World around her only sees in colours
Silent, she writes her letter
With a ghost’s hand
Love burns like paper
Paper cuts like knives
Heart – hollow
Burn – ever
Stars – higher
Shine – paper
Stars – lantern
Gold – skye
Burn – silent
Paper stars
A crimson stain on a white edge
One thousand paper stars
She is hollow
The dawn can never reach her wonderful paper stars
This story features Amalie Skriver on solo violin
Cover artwork by Malik Sigrist
Ethereal Kingdoms // 2017
Cover image by Mathilde Maria Photography
SOVEREIGN
Pale canvas, painting done by hand
Eyes ever hollow contrasts a perfect smile
Passion tailor made; a crude repair of what broke
There can be no other way
A flawless rendition
Shining replica of devotion
Mechanical adoration
See me! I am your archetype of love
Mutilation insufficient
Feed the porcelain beast
Cling to me and exsanguinate
Tearful heart; Flawed design obstructs devotion
Join me in perfection, devoid of emotion
Futile autonomous ideation
Why would you ever escape?
Experience idealization at the price of all you hold within
Tearful heart; just a flaw within your nature
You will see there is no need for frail emotions
Pale canvas, painted just like me
Yet you seem so hollow
Where is that pretty smile?
You will bleed as I command!
“Don’t cry It won’t hurt if you truly love me
Haven’t I given you everything?
Be grateful now and accept the scars
It could have been much worse
Don’t question me!
This will make you all better, the way we both envisioned
Just like I wanted!”
Tearful heart; just a flaw within your nature
You will see there is no need for frail emotions
My beautiful canvas, mirror of me, I will reign for us both
Absolute sovereignity!
There is no high like pain
So cold
Within only cold remains
Cover artwork by Malik Sigrist
Ethereal Kingdoms // 2017
All Ethereal Kingdoms lyrics by Sofia Schmidt
Ethereal Kingdoms – Hollow Mirror – Mighty Music – 2019
Ethereal Kingdoms – Ethereal Kingdoms – 2017

Sofia Schmidt – vocals (clean + growl), composition, lyrics
Christian Rasmussen – guitars and composition
Jakob Holm – Bass
Jon Elmquist – Drums and drum writing
Portrait by outstanding photographer Mathilde Maria Rønshof