I Can't Possibly Be Wrong All the Time

In previous posts, I’ve talked about the excellent Game of Thrones concept album SEVEN from the Manimals. The album features seven characters from Game of Thrones, giving them each a point-of-view song. It’s a delight. (The album. I’m sure my discussions about the songs are tolerable.) Full details can be found on my introductory post.

This post will be talking about Good, a song from the perspective of the formidable fighter Brienne of Tarth.

GOOD (track #6)

(Check out the annotated lyrics to Good)

Name: Good

Whoozit?: Brienne of Tarth, Brienne the Beauty, the Maiden Fair (when there’s a Bear), the Wench (thanks, Ser Jaime.)

My Thoughts: All of the songs on SEVEN are kind of new wave/glam, with a hint of punk here and there. Good follows that mold, but there is something timeless about it, that makes me feel like it’s a much older song. As if I could hear it sung (with a modified arrangement) on the Game of Thrones television show. About Brienne of Tarth. The core of the song is an account of the three suitors that Brienne encountered (with varying results) over the years.

First one, a child like I was then
It was a chill that would kill him
The second was red as the rose that he carried
He said we’d never be married
But you know, I’d rather be buried

(That effing Red Ronnet Connington. Eff that guy.)

The third would have me in dresses and
A lady like the tradition says
I fought him then for that privilege, he suffered
Three broken bones, I discovered
I’d never know any others

The song so succinctly puts together the ill-fated “romantic” backstory for Brienne, I could easily hear Tom o’ Seven Streams singing it. (Or someone deeply influenced by his works.)

But the song, and word Good, speaks to Brienne’s demeanor and attitude. She’s comfortable, or “good” with who she is. She’d be fine living out her life as King Renly’s kingsguard, a man who she valued for his kindness. And this:

Someday I’m gonna make good
I am gonna make good
I am gonna make good on my promises
On my promises

Throughout the series, Brienne has been trying desperately to fulfill her oath to Catelyn Stark, and protect her children who were taken by the Lannisters when Cersei launched her coup against Ned. Finally, in the sixth season, some of that worked out.

One Seventh: Although Brienne could have been labeled as the Warrior, according to Haley, she’s associating Brienne with the Maiden. Hey, that fits too. And there’s something cool and subversive about the Maiden kicking the Hound’s ass.

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I’m almost done! My final post discusses the last song on the album, the imaginative song Summer, which features the perspective of the Wolf With Wings himself, Bran Stark. Hope to see you there.

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(Comments are always welcome. Super welcome! But if you want to talk spoilery Game of Thrones talk with me (also welcome) I’d invite you to visit my Safe Spoilers page on my backup blog. That way my non-book-reading friends won’t be shocked with foreknowledge.)

Images from HBO’s Game of Thrones (obviously.)

I make no claims to the artwork and only claims to the text that excludes Haley’s lyrics from Seven. So there.

If you liked this article, thank you! I have all of my Game of Thrones related articles on my handy-dandy Game of Thrones page should you want to read more but don’t want to navigate around my site.

© Patrick Sponaugle 2016 Some Rights Reserved