The Rains of Castamere
Tina Guo Lyrics
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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.
The lyrics of Tina Guo's The Rains of Castamere is a conversation between a proud lord and a lower man, wherein the lord questions the man as to why he must bow so low. The man claims to be a cat in a different coat, indicating that he is not different from the lord, but just looks different. Despite the differences in their appearance, the lion still has claws, and his are as long and sharp as the lord.
As the lord owns the titular Castle Castamere, he speaks of his pride and power in the next few lines. However, as the songs progress, the lord is no longer present, and the rains are weeping once again over his hall, with nobody around to hear them. The song is a symbol of power struggles and the inevitable fall of those who hold too tightly onto their power.
Overall, the lyrics of the song represent the fragility of power and the cycle of those in power being brought down, often with nobody to hear or witness their downfall.
Line by Line Meaning
And who are you, the proud lord said,
The lord is asking who the person is, that he must bow to.
That I must bow so low?
Questioning the reason for bowing so low.
Only a cat of a different coat,
Assuring that only a person of different personality and character is present.
That′s all the truth I know.
Insisting that there is nothing else to know.
In a coat of gold or a coat of red,
Referring to the fact that a person's appearance does not matter.
A lion still has claws,
Despite the appearance, the person still has the ability to fight back.
And mine are long and sharp, my lord,
Personalizing the statement by indicating they themselves have long and sharp claws.
As long and sharp as yours.
Asserting that their claws are just as powerful as the lord's.
And so he spoke, and so he spoke,
Recalling the words of the Lord of Castamere.
That Lord of Castamere,
Referring to the lord in question.
But now the rains weep o'er his hall,
The hall is empty and abandoned, and the rain reflects the sadness of the situation.
With no one there to hear.
Nobody is present to witness the emptiness and sadness of the hall.
Yes now the rains weep o′er his hall,
Reiterating the sadness and loneliness of the situation.
And not a soul to hear.
Confirming the utter emptiness and isolation of the hall.
Writer(s): George R. R. Martin, Ramin Djawadi
Contributed by Luke T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Sarah Andrea Royce
The song is killer at weddings...
James Leon
Sarah Andrea Royce yes it really gets the blood flowing!
Walder Frey
Yeah you tell me...
Sarah Andrea Royce
Yes, Mylord. Your parties are legendary. I also heard only the pie served. Secret family recipe, they say.
Walder Frey
Sarah Andrea Royce Yes, family recipe indeed, they really threw themselfs into it.
Rahul Nandwani
xD oh i'm sure they did
Stephen Parallox
My fiancé and I have agreed to play this at the end of our wedding reception. Partly to let guest know the show is over, and partly to scare the crap out of them. :)
Tina Guo
Stephen Parallox Hahahah I love it!
Power Metallistic
Did they get the message?
Fabien Dubord
I gave it six months...they have one left.