Encyclopaedia Metallum: The Metal Archives

Message board

* FAQ    * Register   * Login 



Reply to topic
Author Message Previous topic | Next topic
mr macabre
Metal newbie

Joined: Sat Oct 07, 2023 3:06 am
Posts: 126
Location: United States
PostPosted: Thu Oct 26, 2023 5:56 pm 
 

I'm a huge fan of WATAIN, I fucking love their music and going to a live show, they're amazing. I've listened to the Wild Hunt record who knows how many times, and I'm still not sure of something. Who or what is the song "They rode on" referring too?
I've read the lyrics along with the song, and on their own, but can't figure it out, what am I missing? Who/what are "they"?
Anybody got any ideas?

Top
 Profile  
rarezuzuh
Metal newbie

Joined: Sun Feb 21, 2021 1:33 pm
Posts: 217
PostPosted: Thu Oct 26, 2023 8:40 pm 
 

I interpreted it as a scathing indictment of cancel culture.

Top
 Profile  
SanPeron
Metalhead

Joined: Mon Jul 24, 2023 6:56 pm
Posts: 1022
Location: Buenos Aires, Argentina
PostPosted: Thu Oct 26, 2023 8:47 pm 
 

Probably about satanism like every Watain lyrics
_________________
Social Justice, Economic Independence and Political Sovereignty, in order to achieve the permanent objectives of the Movement: the Happiness of the People and the Greatness of the Nation.

Top
 Profile  
Oxenkiller
Veteran

Joined: Sat Feb 09, 2008 3:42 am
Posts: 3613
Location: United States
PostPosted: Thu Oct 26, 2023 9:11 pm 
 

I read the lyrics and it just seems like a typical homage to the "Wild Hunt of Odin" (asgardsrei or oskorei motif) that is a common theme in Scandanavian black, thrash, and death metal. As well as in Scandanavian or northern European mythology, where it originated from. I don't see any hidden metaphors to cancel culture; some things are just meant to be taken at literal meaning.

Top
 Profile  
mr macabre
Metal newbie

Joined: Sat Oct 07, 2023 3:06 am
Posts: 126
Location: United States
PostPosted: Fri Oct 27, 2023 3:57 am 
 

SanPeron wrote:
Probably about satanism like every Watain lyrics


Why do you have a problem with any band writing their lyrics based on their personal beliefs? Eric has stated countless times that everyone in the band is a dedicated Satanist. If not Satanism, their music is concerned with Occultism or folklore from their native country, Sweden.

Based on the lyrics in the song, I think it might be based on an old Swedish folktale or myth about the creation of the world, or the origin of older gods? It's definitely not Satanic in nature.
We may never know.

Top
 Profile  
Gravetemplar
Metal freak

Joined: Tue Mar 05, 2019 10:08 am
Posts: 4653
Location: Antarctica
PostPosted: Fri Oct 27, 2023 5:35 am 
 

Maybe the "they rode on" was taken from Cormac McCarthy’s works (Blood Meridian). This video also starts with a Cormac McCarthy quote.



Image

It's also worth noting that the video and sound of the song have kind of a western vibe.



They rode on and the sun in the east flushed pale streaks of light and then a deeper run of color like blood seeping up in sudden reaches flaring planewise and where the earth drained up into the sky at the edge of creation the top of the sun rose out of nothing like the head of a great red phallus until it cleared the unseen rim and sat squat and pulsing and malevolent behind them.”
― Cormac McCarthy, Blood Meridian, or, the Evening Redness in the West

Top
 Profile  
Korpgud
Metal newbie

Joined: Sat Jul 13, 2013 7:09 pm
Posts: 290
Location: Sweden
PostPosted: Fri Oct 27, 2023 11:40 am 
 

I wanna say I read somewhere that it's about staying true to oneself in the face of adversity, that it's a statement about where the band was at that time. I may be misremembering, but it seems like a plausible theme to me at least.
_________________
Botgörelsen - black metal

Top
 Profile  
mr macabre
Metal newbie

Joined: Sat Oct 07, 2023 3:06 am
Posts: 126
Location: United States
PostPosted: Fri Oct 27, 2023 7:44 pm 
 

Korpgud wrote:
I wanna say I read somewhere that it's about staying true to oneself in the face of adversity, that it's a statement about where the band was at that time. I may be misremembering, but it seems like a plausible theme to me at least.

That may be true, but the lyrics seem to be very specific about someone/thing.

Top
 Profile  
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Reply to topic


Who is online

Users browsing this forum: Google [Bot], hallowed78, omikiron666, SanPeron and 77 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum

  Print view
Jump to:  

Back to the Encyclopaedia Metallum


Powered by phpBB © 2000, 2002, 2005, 2007 phpBB Group