Alternative Lyrics to Well Known Songs 24 - Fighter in bare-skin

This weeks alternative lyrics series deals with the topic of berskerkers [1], or more accurately with the state of mind that berserkers experience following their fury/frenzy.  The principle characteristic of a berserker is well known, it's the reason that the word 'berserk' or the phrase 'going berserk' is in the English language.  It's a state of mind which is associated with intense rage-like emotions which cause the individual to 'see red' and attack any obstacle that blocks their path.  Unfortunately the emotions that the berserker experiences following their 'rage' are less well known.  If people knew more about these emotions then perhaps they would see berserkers in a different light.  As individuals with attributes which can be advantageous or disadvantageous depending on the situation, rather than as 'mentally unstable' or 'thugs' or other derogatory terms.  The emotional weakness that berserkers experience following is described in the wikipedia entry given below.  (emphasis added):

This fury, which was called berserkergang, occurred not only in the heat of battle, but also during laborious work. Men who were thus seized performed things which otherwise seemed impossible for human power. This condition is said to have begun with shivering, chattering of the teeth, and chill in the body, and then the face swelled and changed its colour. With this was connected a great hot-headedness, which at last gave over into a great rage, under which they howled as wild animals, bit the edge of their shields, and cut down everything they met without discriminating between friend or foe. When this condition ceased, a great dulling of the mind and feebleness followed, which could last for one or several days.
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berserker#Theories

It's this weakness, this emotional fragility that the song lyrics given below are about.  For every day their must be a night, for every up their must be a down and so on, so for the berserker they must experience the ontological opposite of what they experienced during their rage: coldness, loneliness, despair, acute awareness of self and other unpleasant emotions.

Odin is also mentioned in the song, and Odin's love for the berserker.  This may seem odd, saying that Odin loves the berserker knowing what we do that berserkers experience explicit loneliness.  One may think "What type of God would do this?" or "What kind of person would value a God that treats them this way, that makes them feel this kind of feebleness?".  Which is a perfectly reasonable question.  The only response that I can give is that most Gods in the Indo-European pantheon (which includes the Norse Gods) are dualistic, i.e. they have traits which lay on both sides of the proverbial see-saw, road, tree, or whatever.  In the case of Odin, his rage in the berserker period is balanced by the weakness following the berserker period.  This means that if you or anyone wants to experience something that a God has to offer (like the berserker rage), then you must experience the other half of the God (like the berserker weakness).  This is the only way that balance can be maintained.  It also explains why Odin loves berserkers even though he causes them to experience weakness, because at the end of the day, he is weakness as well as rage, so he loves them as much as himself.

Play the song in the music video above and sing along with the alternative lyrics given below.

# Fighter in bare-skin # 
Fighter in bare-skin
is-now are reaching the end.
His frenzy has ended
world turned on it's head
Anguish approaching
and also regret.
The might of these feelings
he cannot express.
Odin loves him.
Odin loves him.
Oh, Odin loves him.

Laying in darkness
as cold as the void.
His rage is all burned now,
it has left him behind.
No sort of comfort
anywhere can be found.
The rage that bought him here
has left him for dead.
 
Odin loves him.
Yes Odin loves him.
Oh, Odin loves him.
Odin loves him.
 
Fighter in bare-skin
has now pass-ed the end.
Regaining composure
regaining his mind.
Regaining some semblance
of his former self.
Why does he do this?
Experience this life?
 
'cause Odin loves him
Yes Odin loves him.
Oh, Odin loves him.
Oh, Odin loves him.

'cause Odin loves him
Yes Odin loves him.
Oh, Odin loves him.
Oh, Odin loves him.




Footnote
[1] Hence the name of the song 'fighters in bare-skin'.  You could change it to 'fighters in bear-skin' if you like.  Both names 'bare skin' and 'bear skin' seem valid explanations of the etymology of the name 'berserker' for different reasons: 'bare-skin' because the berserker is a manifestation of an extremely masculine trait, the trait of scrutinising or subjecting other things to scrutiny (the berserker is extremely assertive and so attacks and does nothing but attack).  Hence the berserker will be extremely sensitive to any thing that scrutinises him, including clothing because if something scrutinises him then it means that he is not being masculine/assertive enough.  Masculine is active and imposes it's will on others, feminine is passive and is imposed on by others.  Schopenhaur pointed this out when he said that male and female 'Will' is most clearly expressed in the reproductive organs.  'Bear-skin' is also legitimate because objects like bear skins are often used by shamans and other to induce a particular state of mind.  In the case of the berserker the individual uses a 'bear skin' to induce a bear state of mind.


[End.]