[Pre-amble: This is one in a series of posts which includes an alternative set of lyrics to a well known song. Each post will also contain a short introduction to the topic at hand, and a brief explanation of the song itself. A video of the original song will be included so that the reader can listen to the original song while reciting the alternative lyrics at the same time.]
The Song: Knows the Future (based on 'Show me Heaven' by Maria McKee)
I'd intended to write a love song this week, so I chose a fairly well known hit love song from the eighties, loaded it up on Winamp, played it a couple of times to re-familiarise myself with it, and typed down the words that popped into my head. This song is the result of what came out. It's not what you'd call a, um, [cough] typical love song... It mentions prognostication, Ragnarok (the end part of a cycle, like a solar year), and also reincarnation! Not your usual run-of-the-mill love song themes! Yet it's best to run with these things when they run with you. That's the way inspiration goes sometimes, it's waay out of your control!
This is a song with lyrics oriented around two well known Gods from the Norse religion: Odin and his wife Frigga.
 |
| One-eyed Odin. |
Odin has one eye because he cast the other one into the Well of Mimir (from the root word 'meme', as in 'memory') in order to gain knowledge of the future. His remaining eye 'blazes like the sun'. Because he knows about the future, he is able to change it according to his will. His will is that Yggdrasil (the World Tree which contains all of existence) lives on. To this end he 'schemes' and plots and battles with whatever tools he has at hand to preserve Yggdrasil as long as he can.
The four Norse terms in the song might need explaining, though it's not essential to know them to understand/enjoy the song.
- 'Gripped' is a modified version of 'engrippened'[LINK] (which is to do with being possessed, gripped, by a particular spirit).
- 'The Way' is one of Odin's names ('Way Tamer'[LINK]) which hints at his motive nature.
- 'Ragnarok'[LINK] is 'End Times', though it doesn't mean that the 'end of the world is imminent' rather that one period/phase is coming to an end. Like a day comes to an end, or a year, or a human life, or whatever. All things must eventually die, but Odin wants life to continue, for the 'World Tree' to continue to grow, hence he schemes to make sure that the enemies of the World Tree are not victorious.
- 'World Tree' is Yggdrasil[LINK], which is like an Ontological tree that includes all of the various branches of existence (e.g. mental and physical, male and female, up and down, and the other mundane opposites that we deal with every day).
Finally, it should be noted that scheming and thinking about the future is one of Odins many, many attributes and they are used for a good cause. It is an attribute that we might want to reproduce in our own lives.
# Knows the Future #
There he goes.
Blazing sun-light
From his eye.
Frig-ga,
Summons him,
And holds him tight.
She knows what's coming.
It's Ragnarok, end of-the world.
She's terrified,
And needs to know,
That she will be ok-aay,
because Odin knows the Way.
O-o-din
Knows what's coming,
Yes he does.
He-knows the future.
O-o-din,
Knows what's coming.
Yeah.
There he goes.
He's scheming to save World Tree.
Frig-ga,
Needs his mind,
To steady hers.
She knows what's coming.
It's Ragnarok, end of-the world.
Many will perish, even some good.
But the world will be reborn.
Like a new Golden Dawn.
O-o-din
Knows what's coming,
Yes he does.
He-knows the future.
O-o-din
Knows what's coming.
Yeah.
Odin'll tell what it's like,
to be reborn.
He will Grip you tight,
And lead you on.
O-o-din.
Knoweth.
Yes he does.
He-knows the future.
O-o-din,
Knows what's coming.
Yeah.
He knows the future.
He knows the future.
Yes he does.
Oh yeah.
He-knows the future.
O-o-din.
[End of lyrics.]
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