The Cage is a haunting and powerful song by those masters of metal from Finland, Sonata Arctica. It was first released in 2003 on the album Winterheart's Guild. Wonderfully written lyrics, well-executed emotive vocals and edgy, energetic instrumentals combine to form a musical masterpiece that really gets inside your head.
I personally love music that tells a story, and ye gods, what a story this one tells! It tells a tale of a wolf, taken by cruel and heartless captors, growing bitter and desperate in captivity. I do not have another year in me, you've got to set me free - this was the line that made me really perk up and actually pay attention to what I was listening to. When I fully understood the story this song was telling, it struck a chord with me. Some part of me empathised strongly with the wolf, caged and unable to be free, longing to just once actually see the other side of the tree, pining away. Perhaps it had to do with the parallels to my own situation at the time, or perhaps it was just Sonata Arctica's masterful storytelling, but this song actually managed to bring a tear to my eye.
Anyone who loves metal, and indeed anyone who loves music that tells a story with feeling, owes it to themself to listen to this song. In fact, the entire Winterheart's Guild album is well worth the money, but this is the top track on it. I've used this song to introduce several people to the genre of power metal, and not one has found it wanting.