The National create darkly serious and lush indie rock that reached critical mass with the group's fourth album “Boxer” in 2007 which ranked five on Billboard's Top Independent Albums chart. Formed in Brooklyn, New York, the band is composed of Ohio friends Matt Berninger, whose brooding; guitarist Scott Devendorf and his drummer brother Bryan; bassist Aaron Dessner and his guitarist brother Bryce.
The National's 2001 self-titled debut, self-released on Brassland Records, was heralded for its mix of melodic alt-country and bleak, introspective lyrics. After releasing a second Brassland album in 2003 the somber “Sad Songs for Dirty Lovers”attracted the attention of established indie label Beggars Banquet. The National became a full-time band with its 2005 Beggars Banquet debut “Alligator.”
It is such an amazing fling to know that this “dark band” have recorded “Rains of Castamere,” a song from the novel “A Song of Ice and Fire” or the more popular series “Game of Thrones”
It is a song referring a battle of Castamere, between the disobedient Lord Reyne of Castamere and his liege lord Tywin Lannister. The history here is that Reyne family were disrespectful to their liege lord Tytos Lannister (Tywin’s father) and ignoring to pay their loans or taxes. The sigil of House of Lannisters is the Lion, but also House of Reyne has a red lion on their sigil (in Westeros it is common protected families to have similar sigils as their liege lord’s houses.
In the first part of the song the “proud lord” is Reyne speaking to Tywin Lannister:
“And who are you 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.
He is speaking ignorantly to his liege lord, referring that Lannisters are nothing more important than his House and their strength.”
However the song is written to hail the victory of Lannisters and in the next part of the song the verse refer the complete destruction of the House of Reyne
But now the rains weep o'er his hall,
with no one there to hear.
This song is really an awesome way to feel all the hatred against the Lannisters (if you are a fan of Game ofThrones). And if you are not a fan, you can always be relaxed by The National’s unique dark sound. Play it while it rains and while enjoying the warmth of the fireplace. This song, with such minimal lyrics and passionate violin sounds should be added to your playlist.
