In the series, "The Rains of Castamere" was introduced as a song written about Lord Tywin Lannister's crushing victory over rebellious House Reyne of Castamere and the destruction of the House at the end of their rebellion.
It was played by envoy by Lord Tywin Lannister to House Farman of Faircastle which grew truculent, it was enough to make Lord Farman reconsider his position.
The Rains Of Castomere
The National Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That I must bow so low?
Only a cat of a different coat
That's all the truth I know
In a coat of gold or a coat of red
A lion still has claws
And mine are long and sharp, my lord
As long and sharp as yours
And so he spoke, and so he spoke
That lord of Castamere
But now the rains weep o'er his hall
With no one there to hear
Yes, now the rains weep o'er his hall
And not a soul to hear
And so he spoke, and so he spoke
That lord of Castamere
But now the rains weep o'er his hall
With no one there to hear
Yes, now the rains weep o'er his hall
And not a soul to hear
The lyrics to The National's song "The Rains of Castamere" refer to a history of rebellion and vengeance. The song was written for the television series "Game of Thrones" and is about the Red Wedding, a violent event in which members of House Stark are betrayed and killed by House Frey and House Bolton, who had pledged loyalty to them.
The lyrics begin with a conversation between two nobles, the proud lord and the cat of a different coat, who is revealed to be from House Lannister. The proud lord questions why he must bow to the Lannister, but the cat explains that despite the different coats they all have the same ferocity. The next lines reveal the singer to be a Lannister, as he boasts about his power and sharp claws.
The repetition of the phrase "And so he spoke, and so he spoke" reinforces the idea that this is a history that has been passed down through generations. The final lines, "now the rains weep o'er his hall" suggest that the lord of Castamere is dead, and his house is now abandoned and forgotten.
Overall, the lyrics of "The Rains of Castamere" tell a powerful story of violence, betrayal, and vengeance. It showcases the depth and complexity of the world of "Game of Thrones."
Line by Line Meaning
And who are you, the proud lord said
The lord inquired of someone's identity
That I must bow so low?
The lord wondered why he must show respect
Only a cat of a different coat
The respondent is someone different in appearance
That's all the truth I know
The respondent cannot provide any further information
In a coat of gold or a coat of red
The respondent's appearance may vary
A lion still has claws
Despite the variation in appearance, the respondent is still dangerous
And mine are long and sharp, my lord
The respondent has equally sharp and dangerous claws as the lord
As long and sharp as yours
The respondent is not intimidated by the lord's threat
And so he spoke, and so he spoke
The lord continued to speak
That lord of Castamere
The lord is from the Castamere family
But now the rains weep o'er his hall
The lord's home has been destroyed, and it is raining heavily
With no one there to hear
No one is left to witness the lord's downfall
Yes, now the rains weep o'er his hall
The destruction of the lord's home is confirmed
And not a soul to hear
The lord's demise has gone unnoticed
Contributed by Joshua F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.