Music Monday is a meme, created by Drew at The Tattooed Book Geek, where I focus on a song I absolutely love and feel needs to be shared.

Song: “Raido”
Artist: Wardruna
Album: Runaljod – Ragnarok

English from vinyl release lyric sheet; Norwegian lyrics can be found at genius.com

Dark clouds drift within
The longing lures, pulls my mind
Will you carry me?
I want to go

Fair fool, I bid you
Sacks rich with gold of the fields
Fare swiftly on flying hoofs
Carry me, and I promise you
Ride out
Raido

The storm is stilled, the mind it flies
The drum of hoofs lay the beat
The heart, it follows, two are one
Set me loose with speedy feet
Riding
Raido

Wild I ride rode and ran
Fair foal I spent
The ride is for the horse the worse
Pleasant and swift for the sitting
Raido
Raido

If I ride you
I ride more
As one is two
where knots are tied.
In bonds are bound
The whole world.
If I bond you
I can journey

If you carry me
You carry more
As one is two
where chains are forged
In bonds are bound
The whole world.
If you bond me
You can journey

“Raido” comes from the final album in Norwegian band Wardruna’s Runaljod album cycle. The song titles and themes are taken from the names of runes from the old Norse, and their music transports the listener to a time of poet-warriors. Using authentic instruments from the Viking period of history, Wardruna crafts epic songs that build in intensity such as “Raido”. Their work is percussive, haunting, and beautiful in its sincerity that hearkens back to a time when verse and physical prowess were intertwined. “Raido” exemplifies all of these things and more to showcase how unique and interesting Wardruna is in a world that glorifies musical mediocrity.

If you enjoyed this song, please feel free to check out the artist’s social media accounts below!

Band Links:
Website
Bandcamp
Twitter
Facebook

The image used in this post can be found through the hyperlink below.
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