A Wanderer

[feral-troubadour]

PSA for anyone else who may have skipped the credits, Joey Batey sings on three songs in the Witcher soundtrack:

[kassysyd]

Our talented bard doesn't just sing them...

Joey wrote Jaskier's songs!!

Check out the Netflix Q&A with Joey Batey for details 😍

NETFLIX

How much input do you have on Jaskier’s songs? Check out the rest of Joey Batey's Answer Time right here.

[joeybateydearly]

As for IRL presents, Batey says the most treasured things he’s received—and given—are “gifts that people have created or made, rather than just splashing out.”

Joey Batey’s guide to bloody good gifts - menshealth.com

[trekkiepirate]

Okay but these pictures are RIDICULOUS and I will never stop laughing. This photoshoot nonsense just keeps. On. Giving. The nespresso pods around him like jewels, the pinky extended as he holds the sword, the very very Done look on his face as he hefts a barrel on his hip. It took me several minutes to have heart palpitations about how goooood his forearms look in the lumberjack shot because I got distracted by cat head on the mantle. What the pumpkin spiced fuck was the idea with the sword and the golf balls and golf clubs? Hell if I know but the sword creates an interesting shadow on his trousers and I am giggling because I am 12.

Like this is pure serotonin. I cannot help laughing. I hope Madeleine is plastering their house with these. They are hysterical. I am buying at least two copies of this magazine because I am putting these up on the wall!

However the photoshoot stylist did not get the Allergy to Buttons memo. Undo more buttons! Chest hair is being contained and I am against this! (Which if nothing else, the fact I said that sentence shows just how much Joey Batey as rewritten all my rules of attraction to narrow down to just his stupid face 😂)

EDIT: Here is the article: https://www.menshealth.com/technology-gear/a38279348/best-gifts-to-buy-for-yourself/?utm_campaign=socialflowTWMH&utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social-media The stupidly expensive gifts you should apparently be buying for dudes and honestly, 100,000 Bonus Points to Joey for getting roped into doing a piece shilling expensive clothes and equipment and taking what little words they allow him to mention his clothes are vintage and he prefers handmade gifts to “splashing out”. What an icon. (also tell us more about the funny faces Henry makes off camera, Joey! TELL US!)

[kassysyd]

'Ruin' by The Amazing Devil.

Promo shot 😍

[izzy-hands]

GERALT AND JASKIER in THE WITCHER SEASON 2 Premieres Dec. 17

[kassysyd]

Heartbreaking Lyrics from 'Ruin' by The Amazing Devil

💔💔💔

1. Please let her live just one more day, cos she is so much more than all her scars. And if she doesn’t have the will, but it seems the world does. I’ll stay, because I will be the man my father never was.

2. And you said, “I love you less than when it all began”, and I said “fewer”, cos I make jokes to show how broken I really am

3. And you hurled curses at the land. We didn’t talk. We made universes out of bitten lips and broken hands.

4. And I can hear him break and he doesn’t understand, and I wish that I could take his hand. But where I’m going is for me and me alone.

5. If I don’t make it back from where I’ve gone, just know I loved you all along.

6. And I know she’s giving up and I don’t know what to do, how to help her.

7. I wish I’d known these stones were something I could save.

8. I will bring you ruin in everything I do. It’s never my intention but it happens all the same.

9. We can rest, you say, in the pieces of what’s left.

10. “You’re better than this,” He says as a hand slaps my face.

11. Who has left me, he’s left me at last and I laugh, and I laugh, cos laughing right now, it’s all, all that I have.

12. You're brave because they broke you, yet broken still you breathe. So breathe, breathe just breathe.

13. Cos I’ve been here so many times before. Don’t you think I look pretty curled up on this bathroom floor, cos where you see weakness I see wit.

14. Sometimes I fall to pieces just to see what bits of me don’t fit.

15. Walk into your waves my loves. Tell them all your names. Go tell them how we failed you and gift to us all your blame, cos we’ll be all that you hate about yourself so you can grow.

16. Now I’m lying on a bed full of coats trying desperately to cope.

17. I walked into the river to wring those embers from my broken heart and broken liver.

18. I look into the water and see a face I don’t understand.

19. I close my eyes ‘Cos I’m between that just one more and drank too much again and I promise you I’ll write I love you with my fingers on your sleeping hand. And when that fox howls I’ll howl with it. In it’s cries I’ll find an end.

20. In the waters I see a face I don’t want look back.

21. Oh I look into the waters. Long ago that current caught us and we tried. I tried, I really fucking tried, but the rain kept coming down. I watch that woman drown.

[kassysyd]

So Joey wrote all the songs?

That changes the analysis a bit. I assumed they both contributed songs, and therefore they were written from two different perspectives. Very Interesting!!

*Looks back over the lyrics, and all the many, many sad links/connections between the songs*

Geez that's also kinda heartbreaking

❤️💔❤️

Also, damn Joey!! Talk about multi-talented!! 🎶🎸🎵🥁🎼🎹🎧

[kassysyd]

All the lyrics from 'Ruin' by The Amazing Devil ❤️💔❤️

[kassysyd]

'Inkpot Gods' - From 'Ruin' by The Amazing Devil

Jesus Christ!

I mean WHAT the FUCK was that?!?

*starts the album again. Listens through*

Ok.... So... You definitely earned the amazing in your name then, ha?

*This album deserves a full lyrical analysis. Check back here soon for that because... 💔💔💔

[kassysyd]

'The Old Witch Sleep and the Good Man Grace' - from 'Ruin' by The Amazing Devil.

Holy Fucking Hell!

I was NOT prepared for THAT.

*listens another 700 times on repeat. Still not fucking done. Jesus Christ.

[kassysyd]

'Ruin' from The Amazing Devil. Promo shot 😍

[kassysyd]

The Trauma and Bravery of Bucky Barnes.

Let’s talk about Siberia.

First of all, he has to return to the place that basically destroyed him. Where they tortured and wiped him again and again. Where they forced him to obey, to kill and who knows what else. He has to walk into hell and he does it willingly to protect others. Not even specific people he cares about but hypothetical people who might be targeted by the super soldiers, by Zemo.

He has to face the man who triggered him before and risk being triggered again. His greatest fear, the one thing that has him ask to go back into cryo and give up life itself. And he does that willingly too. He puts himself and Steve at risk to protect others.

He’s forced to watch himself killing Tony’s Mom and Howard, his friend. Revisit the trauma of the act all over again, the guilt and the pain. Then he has to stand there and face the anger and blame of Howard’s son, and his violence. And his reaction to being attacked? To run. He tries so hard to get away.

While standing in the middle of his own personal hell, watching himself commit acts that he had no power to prevent on people he cared for, all the while risking getting triggered all over again and hurting the person he cares for most of all. And then he gets attacked for it. Blamed for it. On top of his own horrific guilt, he has that trauma too.

Bucky tried so hard to do the right thing. Instead of running again. Going to ground. He went back there and he faced it all. Risked it all.

So fucking brave!

[kassysyd]

Jaskier in season two looks like a Pirate and I'm digging it!!

At least they didn't artificially age him up. That would have been disastrous. Boy need a shave though!

Can't wait for December!!

[roachandrenfri]

Joey Batey when he discovered Jaskier and The Amazing Devil fans on Tumblr:

Joey Batey when he actually *looked* at the fandom content:

[kassysyd]

Marbles - By The Amazing Devil: A Lyrical Analysis

 Forewarning: Before we start this analysis, I just want to tell you all that this song first made me smile, then made me laugh right out loud (on a public bus) and then it smashed my heart into a thousand sharp broken pieces. Once I realized what it was actually about, I broke down and cried openly – Now when I listen to it, I feel all of those emotions all at once, and that hurts.

 This song tells a story about loss and love, but so very much more than that.

 It’s about meeting someone and spending a lifetime loving them only to lose them slowly as agonizing, fading fragments of their mind slip away. It’s about celebrating the memories that you have built together, of shared jokes and fond mistakes, as those same memories gradually fall away.  It’s holding each other tight as dementia steals away the other half of your soul, but still having hope in the darkness. 

This song reminds us of everything love should be, and one day when I am old and my memories are fading, I can only hope that someone pulls me just as close and tells me that there is hope. 

   I’ve held your hand since nineteen seventy-nine

You were in a band - still am - yeah but back then you had hair and your smile was so sublime

And I chipped my teeth on every joke you cracked

 The song starts with a cheerful tone; a conversation between an old couple, who have been together for 40 years, as they recount the story of their life together. He was young and ‘sublime’ and she fancied him for his full head of hair and pretty smile. You can hear the bantering, overlapping flow of their conversation that comes from their intimacy. They talk of supporting each other, of jokes, and music, and years passing by. She laughed so hard at his jokes she ‘chipped her teeth’ each time (figuratively speaking).

 You used to buy me scotch - still do - yeah but now too much is never enough

To take me back to that dance hall where you got thrown out cos they thought you were drunk -I wasn’t -

You couldn’t lie then and you sure as hell can’t lie to me now

 The conversation soon sees them move back into specific memories; a night at a ‘dance hall’ where he bought her scotch (still does) and then got kicked out because they ‘thought you were drunk’, which she charmingly calls him on ‘can’t lie to me now’. This is illustrative of their shared history, laughing over stories from long ago, and habits that even now continue (buying her scotch). It shows how close they still are, how they can read each other’s lies, know the truth of each other and still come out amused.

 You stole the best years of my life

I’ll give them back

You got fat

And you’re the thigh-high hemline I just can’t stop staring at

 They’re teasing each other (‘you got fat’), then expressing their appreciation for each other (you’re the thigh-high hemline I just can’t stop staring at). Back and forth they recount what they mean to each other, the good and the bad that comes with years of intimacy.

 I will wait and hope

Your eyes aren’t rivers there to weep

But a place for crows to rest their feet

 This stanza, for the first tie, they sing together. Their voices pulling together as age and time weary them and create wrinkles around their eyes (crows feet). But instead of sadness they ‘wait and hope’, reassuring each other that their trauma is shared, and not to ‘weep’.

 I will wait and hope

And rest my head at night content

Knowing where my marbles went

 They repeat together that they ‘will wait and hope’ the repetition serving to reinforce their determination stay strong together. The third line is a play on the cliché ‘I’m losing my marbles’ which alludes to dementia and age-related memory loss, this is the first time the audience realizes what the song is about, their loss. But, in changing it to ‘knowing where my marbles went’, they reassure each other that their memories aren’t lost, they’re carried by the other.

 The flat we rented was a palace for my queen

If by palace you mean that asbestos and beans from a tin, and the gin that we brewed in the bathtub

You sang ‘do you think I’m sexy’ And oh god I really did

 Their story continues in this stanza. They share with us a glimpse into their humble lives. They live in an unsafe apartment (asbestos) that they rented, where they scraped by on simple meals (beans) and brewed their own alcohol ‘in the bathtub’. It’s clear that it is a god memory, their tone is joyful because although they didn’t have much, they felt like they lived in a ‘palace’ and he treated her like a ‘queen’. They’d sing to each other; she was flirtatious and sweet, and he would respond with desire. They were happy even though they didn’t have much.

 You’d swoon, you’d sigh, working shifts till we cried

Oh if one more guy calls me darling then I

Swear to you and to god I will murder them all, all the bastards applaud when I show that I’m flawed

You’re not flawed darling, you’re just a little under-rehearsed

 However, not all was easy for them. The next stanza gives us a more realistic look the difficult lives they led, as they worked ‘shifts till we cried’, and she got hit on and harassed. She recounts men calling her ‘darling’ and goading her, applauding when she failed. Together they sing “I will murder them all” then he reassures her that even when she fails, it’s not her that is flawed, it’s just a momentary lack of preparation. Instead of giving into the pain and anger, he helped her make light of the unfairness of life, a world cruel to women.

 And I’d get in. And for some reason, you’ve painted the kitchen lime green

And I’d sink to the floor, what’s the point anymore

And you, you’d reply with a glint in your eye

(And you, you’d reply with a drink in your hand)

Saying ‘I don’t know, but I’m here, I’m all yours, dear heart don’t cry’

 A memory hits her, a time when she got home and he’d ‘painted the kitchen lime green’ and she just couldn’t cope anymore. Life was just too hard. She’d sunk to the floor, desperately asking him ‘what the point anymore?’. But he’s singing this part too, because there were times that it was him sinking to the floor begging her to tell him why he should go on. They held each other together through the years.

 And each time they’d reply to the other ‘I don’t know, but I’m here, oh dear god, dear heart don’t cry’- each time neither knew what to do,  only that they loved the other and couldn’t bare to see them cry. This beautiful mirroring of sentiment shows that, in fact, they did know exactly what to say. That just to express their love was enough; to show their imperfection honestly and reassurance that they would be there, always ‘I’m all yours’.  Because they are imperfect, human and flawed, and very much in love.  

 I’ve loved you, for a hundred years

Certainly fucking feels like it

The minute I met you the colours of my life begun to pour

I’m scared of the dark

 Here he uses hyperbole to expresses how it feels to him to love her – ‘loved you, for a hundred years’, but she makes a joke about it, trying to lighten the mood ‘certainly fucking feels like it’. But he doesn’t let her, telling her that when he met her his life flooded with ‘colour’. She can admit her feelings then, her fear of losing herself, and because he was comforting her, she can tell him that she afraid of the dark.

 The ‘dark’ is powerful symbolism for the unknown, loss and death, a place without identity and time. While ‘colours’ symbolise the bright memories that they made together. She is scared because her ‘colourful’ memories are fading away and she will be left in the ‘dark’ alone.

 And now, even though you’re mad and these memories won’t stay, it’s okay

Cos now I get to meet you for the first time every single day

 But he continues to reassure her, that he knows she’s scared, but that it will be ok. He will love her even when she does not remember him anymore. When every day that he will spend with her, will be like the first time they met. And he will love her just as much.

 I’ll wait and hope

Your eyes aren’t rivers there to weep

But a place for crows to rest their feet

  I’ll wait and hope

And rest my head at night content

Knowing where my marbles went

  And I will wait

And I will wait

And I will wait

And hope

 The song ends with the word hope, because that is what they give each other. Through their difficult lives, they have been there patiently waiting. And they will continue to be there, holding each other together through the years.

[do-what-the-knight-tells-you]

So i really dig this, and just wanna add, on another pass, i think the “now too much is never enough” line is actually the earliest reference to the tragedy they are going through now. Like, cuz of the “now”, and I’m not sure exactly what it means, but “certainly can’t lie to me now” could be both a genuine-sweet “you were a shit liar then, and now I know you too well, anyway”… But could also be a little more bitter, in light of their current situation– if she’s loosing pieces of her memory, relying on him to fill in the gaps, then not only could he probably lie to her, for the first time in decades, and get away with it, but also it would be so beyond wrong to do so. He can’t lie, even badly, because it would be a betrayal in the way she is most vulnerable.

You were a bad liar then, and you morally can’t now.

[ligeiasand]

Thank you @kassysyd for typing this out! The moment I realised that this almost light love song was actually about dementia I teared up, heard it for another time really carefully and never listened to it again… I interpret the “now” even more bitter then @do-what-the-knight-tells-you does. He comforts her throughout the song, keeps the mood light while she looses herself, assures her that he will wait and he’s still hopeful - and her answer, her inner feeling is “you sure as hell can’t lie to me now“ as she sees right through it.

[do-what-the-knight-tells-you]

Shit, with that darker interpretation, @ligeiasand , “now too much is never enough” he’s drinking to cope, and he can’t lie to her about that either? Damn.

[kassysyd]

@do-what-the-knight-tells-you and @ligeiasand ... and you have both just broken my heart a little bit more.

Each time that I listen to this song, I hear more nuances of tone and meaning. I chose to analyse Marbles first as it's the easiest conceptually, but Joey is such a brilliant lyricist that they're all so complex. I almost want him to start publishing poetry just so I can analyse that too.

[kassysyd]

Marbles - By The Amazing Devil: A Lyrical Analysis

 Forewarning: Before we start this analysis, I just want to tell you all that this song first made me smile, then made me laugh right out loud (on a public bus) and then it smashed my heart into a thousand sharp broken pieces. Once I realized what it was actually about, I broke down and cried openly – Now when I listen to it, I feel all of those emotions all at once, and that hurts.

  This song tells a story about loss and love, but so very much more than that.

 It’s about meeting someone and spending a lifetime loving them only to lose them slowly as agonizing, fading fragments of their mind slip away. It’s about celebrating the memories that you have built together, of shared jokes and fond mistakes, of knowing someone intimately that their stories are also your own.  It’s holding each other tight as dementia steals away the other half of your soul, but still having hope in the darkness because you know that you are not alone. 

This song reminds us of everything love should be, and one day when I am old and my memories are fading, I can only hope that someone pulls me just as close and tells me that there is hope. 

  I’ve held your hand since nineteen seventy-nine

You were in a band - still am - yeah but back then you had hair and your smile was so sublime

And I chipped my teeth on every joke you cracked

 The song starts with a cheerful tone; a conversation between an old couple, who have been together for 40 years, as they recount the story of their life together. He was young and ‘sublime’ and she fancied him for his full head of hair and pretty smile. You can hear the bantering, overlapping flow of their conversation that comes from their intimacy. They talk of supporting each other, of jokes, and music, and years passing by. She laughed so hard at his jokes she ‘chipped her teeth’ each time (figuratively speaking).

 You used to buy me scotch - still do - yeah but now too much is never enough

To take me back to that dance hall where you got thrown out cos they thought you were drunk -I wasn't -

You couldn’t lie then and you sure as hell can’t lie to me now

 The conversation soon sees them move back into specific memories; a night at a ‘dance hall’ where he bought her scotch (still does) and then got kicked out because they ‘thought you were drunk’, which she charmingly calls him on ‘can’t lie to me now’. This is illustrative of their shared history, laughing over stories from long ago, and habits that even now continue (buying her scotch). It shows how close they still are, how they can read each other’s lies, know the truth of each other and still come out amused.

 You stole the best years of my life

I’ll give them back

You got fat

And you’re the thigh-high hemline I just can’t stop staring at

 They’re teasing each other (‘you got fat’), then expressing their appreciation for each other (you’re the thigh-high hemline I just can’t stop staring at). Back and forth they recount what they mean to each other, the good and the bad that comes with years of intimacy.

 I will wait and hope

Your eyes aren’t rivers there to weep

But a place for crows to rest their feet

 This stanza, for the first tie, they sing together. Their voices pulling together as age and time weary them and create wrinkles around their eyes (crows feet). But instead of sadness they ‘wait and hope’, reassuring each other that their trauma is shared, and not to ‘weep’.

 I will wait and hope

And rest my head at night content

Knowing where my marbles went

 They repeat together that they ‘will wait and hope’ the repetition serving to reinforce their determination stay strong together. The third line is a play on the cliché ‘I’m losing my marbles’ which alludes to dementia and age-related memory loss, this is the first time the audience realizes what the song is about, their loss. But, in changing it to ‘knowing where my marbles went’, they reassure each other that their memories aren’t lost, they’re carried by the other.

 The flat we rented was a palace for my queen

If by palace you mean that asbestos and beans from a tin, and the gin that we brewed in the bathtub

You sang ‘do you think I’m sexy’ And oh god I really did

 Their story continues in this stanza. They share with us a glimpse into their humble lives. They live in an unsafe apartment (asbestos) that they rented, where they scraped by on simple meals (beans) and brewed their own alcohol ‘in the bathtub’. It’s clear that it is a god memory, their tone is joyful because although they didn’t have much, they felt like they lived in a ‘palace’ and he treated her like a ‘queen’. They’d sing to each other; she was flirtatious and sweet, and he would respond with desire. They were happy even though they didn’t have much.

 You’d swoon, you’d sigh, working shifts till we cried

Oh if one more guy calls me darling then I

Swear to you and to god I will murder them all, all the bastards applaud when I show that I’m flawed

You’re not flawed darling, you’re just a little under-rehearsed

 However, not all was easy for them. The next stanza gives us a more realistic look the difficult lives they led, as they worked ‘shifts till we cried’, and she got hit on and harassed. She recounts men calling her ‘darling’ and goading her, applauding when she failed. Together they sing “I will murder them all” then he reassures her that even when she fails, it’s not her that is flawed, it’s just a momentary lack of preparation. Instead of giving into the pain and anger, he helped her make light of the unfairness of life, a world cruel to women.

 And I’d get in. And for some reason, you’ve painted the kitchen lime green

And I'd sink to the floor, what’s the point anymore

And you, you’d reply with a glint in your eye

(And you, you’d reply with a drink in your hand)

Saying ‘I don’t know, but I’m here, I’m all yours, dear heart don’t cry’

 A memory hits her, a time when she got home and he’d ‘painted the kitchen lime green’ and she just couldn’t cope anymore. Life was just too hard. She’d sunk to the floor, desperately asking him ‘what the point anymore?’. But he’s singing this part too, because there were times that it was him sinking to the floor begging her to tell him why he should go on. They held each other together through the years.

 And each time they’d reply to the other ‘I don’t know, but I’m here, oh dear god, dear heart don’t cry’- each time neither knew what to do,  only that they loved the other and couldn’t bare to see them cry. This beautiful mirroring of sentiment shows that, in fact, they did know exactly what to say. That just to express their love was enough; to show their imperfection honestly and reassurance that they would be there, always ‘I’m all yours’.  Because they are imperfect, human and flawed, and very much in love.  

 I’ve loved you, for a hundred years

Certainly fucking feels like it

The minute I met you the colours of my life begun to pour

I’m scared of the dark

 Here he uses hyperbole to expresses how it feels to him to love her – ‘loved you, for a hundred years’, but she makes a joke about it, trying to lighten the mood ‘certainly fucking feels like it’. But he doesn’t let her, telling her that when he met her his life flooded with ‘colour’. She can admit her feelings then, her fear of losing herself, and because he was comforting her, she can tell him that she afraid of the dark.

 The ‘dark’ is powerful symbolism for the unknown, loss and death, a place without identity and time. While ‘colours’ symbolise the bright memories that they made together. She is scared because her ‘colourful’ memories are fading away and she will be left in the ‘dark’ alone.

 And now, even though you’re mad and these memories won’t stay, it’s okay

Cos now I get to meet you for the first time every single day

 But he continues to reassure her, that he knows she’s scared, but that it will be ok. He will love her even when she does not remember him anymore. When every day that he will spend with her, will be like the first time they met. And he will love her just as much.

 I’ll wait and hope

Your eyes aren’t rivers there to weep

But a place for crows to rest their feet

 I’ll wait and hope

And rest my head at night content

Knowing where my marbles went

 And I will wait

And I will wait

And I will wait

And hope

 The song ends with the word hope, because that is what they give each other. Through their difficult lives, they have been there patiently waiting. And they will continue to be there, holding each other together through the years.

[kassysyd]

To Joey Batey and Madeleine Hyland,

Thank you for single handedly convincing tumblr to listen to contemporary folk music. It has been such a delight to watch everyone collectively loosing their minds over your gorgeous new album. And rightly so, it's a brilliant work.

My whole life I have been obsessed with folk music (it's my genre) and I can honestly say that your album absolutely floored me. It is one of the most lyrically intricate and brazenly beautiful albums I have ever heard. Congratulations, both of you!!

Here's to celebrating that ancient, wild, versatile, brilliant, bawdy and beautiful genre!

To everyone loving folk for the first time,

Don't stop there! If you love the hauntingly beautiful music and wildly clever lyrics of The Amazing Devil you should also go out and discover some of the other incredible yet underappreciated artists and bands in the folk world. And go to a folk festival or a concert, because folk needs to heard live.

I promise you won't be disappointed!!

[kassysyd]

“Her Sweet Kiss” - A Short  Analysis

Preface: In my job, a key part of my role is to select and analyse various different forms of poetry (yes, lyrics are a type of poem) so, I am keenly aware of the difference between what could be considered quality poetic verse and the doggerel we frequently hear passed off as lyrics in modern songs. I was expecting the latter from the soundtrack to Netflix’s The Witcher, I was wrong.

 Although, at first listen “Her Sweet Kiss” appeared to be a simple love ballad, the uncommon depth and intricacy of the symbolism stunned and forced me to take another listen. Additionally, its arrangement within key scenes of the episode, as well as the inclusion of both alternative lyrics and instrumental versions was ingenious. I don’t have time to do a full analysis, instead, I have pulled together a basic overview of the key elements which stood out to me from this marvellously complex song. I hope this may assist you with your own interpretations.

 Before we start analysing the lyrics, let’s look at the contextual placement of this song within the episode 'Rare Species'. It is featured at three key moments; the opening scene showing Jaskier composing the song, the sex scene between Geralt and Yennifer and then finally played over the credits.   

 In the opening scene, Jaskier is shown singing and composing while waiting for Geralt to return from a hunt. The lyrics are slightly different here and include the adjectives ‘gorgeous’ and ‘lovely’ in reference to the ‘Garroter’ character. He asks the men nearby whether the metaphorical use of ‘garroter’ is too ‘cerebral’, indicating that it is indeed symbolic of someone (Geralt). The lines “I’m weak, my love, and I am wanting… Gorgeous Garroter, jury and judge”, are sung by Jaskier and introduce the concept that the narrator is in love with someone but is also conflicted about their choice to follow them on 'The Path' (more on this later). It is also important to note that the notebook resting on his thigh contains an alternative version of the lyrics which do not feature the secondary 'her' character yet and instead focus instead on the narrator’s own weakness and inability to leave what he feels in an unfair relationship 'If I were a man of more merit,  if I were a man of resolve I’d leave you behind, get my fair peace of mind'.  

 The second time the song is heard during the sex scene between Geralt and Yennifer. This time the song is purely instrumental. The moment where they first kiss, the chorus line 'She’ll destroy with her sweet kiss' is playing. As the audience had already heard some of the song, they would recognize it. But as they only heard the earlier version, which describes only the narrator’s willingness to suffer to be with the one he loves, the full significance of the song is not yet established with the audience. This lack of audible lyrics further symbolizes the narrator’s uncertain feelings towards their relationship at this point in the episode. But also unambiguously associates the song with both Geralt and Yennefer, establishing it as a proxy theme song for their romance and further supporting the argument that the characters from the song are indeed Geralt and Yennifer.

 The final time this song is heard is over the end credits, this time the song is sung by Jaskier and plays in full. The previous ambiguity is sharply contrasted here when the revised set of lyrics are presented to the audience and the true theme of the is song revealed (Jaskier’s anguish). The final scene between Geralt, Yennifer and Jaskier is key to contextualizing these lyrics as it directly foreshadows many lines and themes explored in the song. For example, in Jaskier’s line 'that’s not fair' echoing the lyrics directly and the show’s constant depiction of Yennefer using storm imagery (both themes explored in more detail below).

 The Characters

The song contains three distinct characters 'I/Narrator', 'You/Garrotter' and 'Her'.

 'I/Narrator' – The narrator of the song, possibly Jaskier – It has been established in songs such as ‘Toss a Coin to Your Witcher’ that Jaskier frequently writes from his own perspective and as clearly illustrated in the lines 'When a humble Bard, graced a ride along with Geralt of Rivia along came this song' frequently portray Geralt as their protagonist (this is also canonical for the books, but, I’m limiting my interpretations to the show). Additionally, many key themes and concepts from the lyrics directly reference Jaskier’s own life and experiences (explored in more detail in later paragraphs). It is later shown that Jaskier has written so many highly successful songs about Geralt that the prostitute in the opening scene of ‘Betrayer Moon’ was able to identify his scars by their relevant songs and was surprised to find one that she did not recognize. It can plausibly be argued that ‘Her Sweet Kiss’ is both autobiographical and includes Geralt as a key character.

 'You/Garotter' - The love interest of the narrator and also addressed as 'My Love' and 'Fool'  -  We can connect this 'Garotter' character with ‘Geralt’ through both the phonological similarity between the words and in scene featuring Marilka in the episode 'The End’s Beginning' when she points out 'Geralt'… like Garroter?' a canonically explicit linking of the names. ‘Garotter’ is a term for a killer, specifically, someone who does so through strangling, symbolic of Geralt’s employment. Jaskier himself points out that the ‘metaphor’ may be to ‘cerebral’, indicating to us the audience the need to interpret the line figuratively rather than literally.

 'Her'- The rival for the narrators love interest - A woman described as a destructive and unjust force, using wild, nature-based metaphors such as ‘storms’ and ‘currents’ to describe her ‘love’. Repeatedly throughout the show Yennefer is also described using similar nature/storm imagery, such as Geralt’s description of her 'like a tornado wreaking havoc' (a line Jaskier is shown to have overheard as the camera pans to him).  

 The evidence then supports the supposition that the song may well be written from Jaskier’s perspective, exploring his feeling regarding Geralt’s and Yennifer’s relationship (for a discussion on the dubious nature of consent in this relationship see my other post). For convenience of analysis, from here on I will be assuming the narrator is Jaskier, the 'Her' character is Yennifer and the 'You/Garotter' character is Geralt'.

 The Lyrics

  The ‘’fairer sex’’ they often call it, but her love’s as unfair as a crook.

  Jaskier opens the song by comparing the cliché of women being 'the fairer sex' with the simile 'love’s as unfair as a crook' (an old-fashioned term for a criminal or thief). As ‘fair’ has the dual meaning of both beauty and justice, his description of her as ‘unfair’ attacks both her beauty and her morality. The simile comparing her to a 'crook' (an old-fashioned term for a criminal or thief) suggests that Jaskier feels that she acts both unjustly and steals her love (a possible oblique reference Yennifer’s willingness to use magic to coerce sexual behaviour and disregard consent – as illustrated by the scene Jaskier witnessed in ‘Bottled Appetites’ where she compels a large group of apparently unwilling participants to engage in group sex). The song also echoes Jaskier’s dialogue 'That’s not fair' after Geralt unfairly lashes out at him after his argument with Yennefer, providing further evidence for the autobiographical nature of the song.   

  It steals all my reason, commits every treason of logic with naught but a look.

  Yennifer’s ‘love’, he argues ‘steals’ (continuing the symbolism of her immorality) and commits ‘treason’ (the crime of betrayal) furthering the description of her as being both unlawful and ‘unfair’ in her relationship with Geralt. These lines also illustrate the despair Jaskier feels over not being able to convince Geralt of her corrupt nature. He feels that she can defeat or prevent his ‘logic’ and ‘reason’ easily, ‘with naught but a look’.

  A storm raging on the horizon of longing, and heartache, and lust

 The show repeatedly correlates Yennifer’s behaviour with the destructive forces of nature, and storms in particular. Scenes such as that at Aretusa where she bodily subsumes lightning then uses it to attack another student and when Geralt describes her as a ‘tornado wrecking havoc’ among others, highlight this correlation. Jaskier describing her as a 'storm' that is 'raging' highlights his perception of her as both destructive and aggressive. The storm in this line is be symbolic of Yennifer herself, showing that Jaskier recognizes her arrival as leading to ‘heartache’ and ‘lust’ rather than genuine love between her and Geralt.

  She’s always bad news, it’s always lose-lose

 The repetition of ‘always’ in these lines clearly illustrate how desperately Jaskier feels about the situation. He argues that involvement with her will inevitably lead to pain and loss for all of them, there is no way to win.

  So, tell me, Love, tell me, Love. How is that just?

  This line is a direct address to Geralt (his ‘Love’), begging him to explain, to see, to speak to him and understand. The rhetorical question 'How is that just?' again draws back to the concept of the ‘unfairness’ and injustice of her relationship with Geralt, Jaskier feels that she ‘steals’ love rather than earning or winning it (again a possible reference to lack of consent). The use of a rhetorical question also implies that he feels powerless and unable to expect any response to his pleas.

  But the story is this. She’ll destroy with her sweet kiss. Her sweet kiss

  Here Jaskier is using juxtaposition to show how her ‘sweet kiss’ (symbolic of her sexual relationship with Geralt) will ‘destroy’ him. He sets the tone by stating as fact that ‘The story is this', affirming his opinion that no other possible narrative exists beyond her storm-like destruction of their relationship and Geralt himself.

  Her current is pulling you closer, a charge in the hot, humid night.

  This line again uses the theme of the destructive power of nature, Yennefer is like a ‘current’ pulling Geralt towards her. The repeated portrayal of Yennefer as a destructive force of nature somewhat dehumanises her, correlating her actions with an uncaring inhuman force rather than that of a woman with genuine affections.

 The red sky at dawn is giving a warning. You Fool better stay out of sight

 This line references an ancient mariners rhyme 'Red sky at night, sailors' delight.Red sky at morning, sailors' warning.' meant to warn sailors of an impending storm when a red sky is seen at dawn. Jaskier is again using the ‘storm’ metaphor to warn Geralt about Yennifer. He addresses Geralt directly, calling him a ‘fool’ and advising him to hide from her destruction. 

  I’m weak, my love, and I am wanting. If this is the path I must trudge.

  This line provides a key insight into the identities of the characters and their relationship to each other. In Witcher canon 'The Path' is the name given to the life of a Witcher as he journeys around the continent battling monsters. It’s somewhat comparable to the religious concept of a 'calling'. By describing his choice to accompany Geralt on his quests as 'trudging' indicates that he does not enjoy the journey aspect of their relationship, but also signals his acceptance of this as the price he must pay for a relationship with Geralt.

 To further this point, in the show Jaskier does not always join Geralt in his actual monster battles, instead, it is implied that Geralt himself later recounts the stories. This is evidenced by the lines 'Geralt’s usually so stingy with the details' and later 'I’ll go get the rest of the story from the others'. This habit of receiving the tale after the events reveals that there is no need for Jaskier to continuously accompany Geralt on his journeys, multiple tales could just as easily be collected from Geralt or others (as seen in the tavern scene) at a later date. It can be supposed then that Jaskier, therefore, chooses to accompany Geralt for ‘love’, a reason which is also explored in the notebook version of the lyrics, 'If I were a man of more merit, if I were a man of resolve I’d leave you behind, get my fair peace of mind' It is implied here that he should leave but can’t because his love for Geralt is too powerful.

  I’ll welcome my sentence, give to you my penance. Garroter, jury and judge

 Jaskier’s conflicted feelings about his choice to accompany Geralt is explored further in the line above. He described the act of joining 'the path' as a form of punishment ('sentence' and 'penance') for being 'weak' and desirous ('wanting' Geralt). This ‘sentence’ is enforced by a 'jury and judge', the Garotter (Geralt).  

 The song’s repeated use of justice/legal symbolism is interesting. He places Geralt into the role of a 'Jury and Judge' passing out sentences from a position of power and control over Jaskier (and arguably Yennefer). Yennifer is described as a 'crook' who 'steals' and commits 'treason', but is not punished for these criminal acts. Instead, it is Jaskier himself who is punished, made to give 'penance'. He feels this is an injustice and 'unfair'. This sentiment neatly reflects the events of 'Rare Species', where after his disastrous romance with Yennefer, Geralt lashes out at Jaskier, accusing him of causing all of his misfortune.

 It can be imagined then that Jaskier may have taken his half-composed love song and written new lyrics in direct reaction to that betrayal; his pain laid bare in verse.