Awkward bard lyrics in Skyrim

[ObZen]

I want to talk about the lyrics of some bard songs in Skyrim, particularly of The Dragonborn Comes. I appreciate that bards sing songs in the game, but it always gets me how awkward they sound - Is there any real, in-lore reason to why the lyrics sound like they're clumsily translated from some other language, and on top of that, almost like it has been heavily modernized? They don't sound like it's from an old, legendary folk song. I mean, I'm sorry but it's more like something scribbled in 5 minutes with words that first come to mind.

"Our hero, our hero

Claims a warrior's heart

I tell you, I tell you

The Dragonborn comes

With a voice wielding power of the ancient nord art

Believe, believe the Dragonborn comes

It's an end to the evil of all Skyrim's foes

Beware, beware the Dragonborn comes

For the darkness has passed

And the legend yet grows

You'll know, you'll know

the Dragonborn's come"

There's just a lot of cringy immaturity to it. There is none of that elusive, crafty folk-ish spirit. It really does sound like it's written in 2011 instead of being "A legend we all know and love" from a long time ago. To me, it's far too straightfoward, banal and doesn't seem to use any lyrical tools to do anything. As if they were trying really hard to get a point across and avoid being too mystical, to the point where there's really nothing there anymore. (The Age of Aggression/Oppression are a little better imo, but they too have some very obvious rhymes and choices of words) At most, I think it has the tone of a lullaby, maybe.

Any comments?

[Moksha8088]

Well, it's not up to the lyric quality of Mogo's Mead, but what can we do?

[saurusmaximus]

After 1200 hours playing this game, I'm so sick of that song I wish someone would rewrite it... :sick:

 

Part of the problem is likely do to the fact that whoever composed the lyrics was doing so because it was part of their job and this individual was probably assigned the task of "writing songs". That's not to say they weren't interested in what they were doing, but in order to get that "crafty folk-ish spirit" you would need someone who is both really into the lore of the series and good at writing poetry. Skyrim is a fictional world, and it takes a certain kind of person to be able to imagine themselves in that world, to feel it, to where they could write a song like a native.

That's my half-baked explanation at any rate. :blush:

[Riprock]

I guess the Kingston Trio were already booked. But are real ones much better?

 

Ahem. Well. 1795. Really famous for his verse....Robert Burns:

 

"...Is there for honest poverty
That hangs his head, an' a' that
The coward slave, we pass him by
We dare be poor for a' that
For a' that, an' a' that
Our toil's obscure and a' that
The rank is but the guinea's stamp
The man's the gowd for a' that.."

 

Hum. Well. OK....how's this?

 

16th century, Scottish:

 

"When Johnie Scot saw this big, broad letter,
It caused him for to smile,
But the very first line that he did read,
The tears run down for a while,
But the very first line he did read,
The tears run down for a while..."

 

Yeah. um, moving on....

 

War! Violence! Hurt! Cool!

 

"...They came in the night when the men were asleep
This band of Argyles, through snow soft and deep
Like murdering foxes amongst helpless sheep
They slaughtered the house of MacDonald
Oh, cruel was the snow that sweeps Glen Coe
And covers the grave o' Donald
Oh, cruel was the foe that raped Glen Coe
And murdered the house of MacDonald..."

 

A little bit better but hardly epic, eh? At least it has murder.

 

How about...this one? Giving to the poor, stealing from the rich! The whole thing this time, by 'gowd'! Feast your eyes!

 

"There chanced to be a Pedlar bold,
A Pedlar bold there chanced to be;
He put his pack all on his back,
And so merrily trudged over the lea.

By chance he met two troublesome men,
Two troublesome men they chanced to be,
The one of them was bold Robin Hood,
And the other was little John so free.

O Pedlar, Pedlar, what is in thy pack?
Come speedily and tell to me.
I've several suits of the gay green silks,
And silken bowstrings by two or three.

If you have several suits of the gay green silk,
And silken bowstrings two or three
Then, by my body, cries little John,
One half of your pack shall belong to me.

O nay, O nay, said the pedlar bold,
O nay, O nay, that can never be
For there's never a man from fair Nottingham,
Can take one half my pack from me.

Then the Pedlar he pulled off his pack,
And put it a little below his knee,
Saying, If you do move me one perch from this,
My pack and all shall gang with thee.

Then little John he drew his sword,
The Pedlar by his pack did stand,
They fought until they both did sweat,
Till he cried, Pedlar, pray hold your hand.

Then Robin Hood he was standing by,
And he did laugh most heartily,
Saying, I could find a man of smaller scale,
Could thrash the Pedlar and also thee.

Go you try, master, says little John,
Go you try, master, most speedily,
For by my body, says little John,
I am sure this night you will know me.

Then Robin Hood he drew his sword,
And the pedlar by his pack did stand;
They fought till the blood in streams did flow,
Till he cried, Pedlar, pray hold your hand.

O Pedlar, Pedlar, what is thy name?
Come speedily and tell to me.
Come, my name I ne'er will tell,
Till both your names you have told to me.

The one of us is bold Robin Hood,
And the other is little John so free.
Now, says the Pedlar, it lays to my good will,
Whether my name I choose to tell to thee.

I am Gamble Gold of the gay green woods,
And I travelled far beyond the sea,
For killing a man in my father's land,
And from my country was forced to flee.

If you are Gamble Gold of the gay green woods,
And travelled far beyond the sea,
You are my mother's own sister's son,
What nearer cousins can we be?

They sheathed their swords, with friendly words,
So merrily they did agree,
They went to a tavern and there they dined,
And cracked bottles most merrily."

 

 

OK. Well, maybe this type of thing basically just sucks....

[BeowulfNorthWind]

Ive been thinking that some of the lyrics written by the band Amon Amarth would make epic sounding songs in Skyrim. Runestones of my memories sounds like a nordic song lyrically as well as the cry of the blackbird. Much more epic than the dragonborn comes...

[Deleted3507349User]

My biggest issue with the bard songs is the long pause between stanzas. I'm assuming that's a game limitation most likely to do with subtitles.

[Lachdonin]

Skyrim's lyrics aren't really that bad, based on some of the truely horrible songs humans have put to tune. It's main problem is, none of the voice actors could sing. There isn't a Bard in the province who would actuallly earn their keep.

 

Rhyming, repitition and musical flow are really more modern constructs, and haven't influences the overwhelming majority of human music.

[MightyZ0G]

the bards, troubadors and wandering minstrels of old were their equivalent of the modern media with its mixture of news, comedy, satire and propaganda.
it didn't matter so much if the teller couldn't carry a tune as long as they remembered all the words.

in the months following the events of Skyrim there will be songs about Tullius' head bouncing round Castle Dour or Ulfric's head on a spike at Windhelm.
songs of how the Dragonborn defeated Miraak and Alduin or how he led the Dawnguard to victory angainst Volkihar vampire clan, etc

the songs will change over time as they are retold and the topical relevence of them fades so that only fragments are remembered, or the political climate becomes one where the songs have to be retold in code and remains as a meaningless nursery rhyme or folk song that has scholars debating the oringinal meaning for years.

[Daggdag]

The songs are fine, but there are not enough of them. They get repetative.

 

And the lack of songs does not meet skyrim lore. In a land based on warrior poets, there should be many more folk songs

[UlfrikStormklouk]

Yeah there's like four songs in Skyrim. They should have done at least a dozen.