(Video: a recording of the song.)
“My name is Jainan nav Adessari of Feria. I might be easy to manipulate. But I am very difficult to break.”
A song for Jainan. It doesn’t cover all of my Winter’s Orbit feelings, but it’s a start.
(I don’t make it up, I paint it like I know it’s true, you can’t play me. / If it’s like this, I can take it, shore it up, I’ll work till it saves me. / Where I couldn’t save myself.)
Here are the lyrics if you’re curious (thanks @animatedamerican for asking
🐾)
The less descriptive lyrics get the more self-conscious I feel about them, even though I think that—paired up with music—they’re much better at conveying feelings. This one is probably somewhere in the middle on the descriptive-to-cryptic scale.
This came out of my desire to express the many, many facets to Jainan’s character. There’s a core (the chorus), then verse 1 is based on how he is with Taam / how he feels about himself around Taam, and verse 2 is based on how he is with Kiem / how he feels about himself around Kiem. (The one thing not true to the story is the “I couldn’t save myself” repetition in the refrain. I hope I can think of a more fitting line to replace it.)
Verse 1
So go ahead if you want me / either way, do I apologise / if it’s ruins that haunt me / fell to ruin when I fell for your little lies.
Even when it’s a struggle / even when it’s hard I’ll take it in stride / so come away, don’t you worry / you know better—and I don’t want a fight.Chorus
I don’t make it up, I paint it like I know it’s true, you can’t play me. / If it’s like this, I can take it, shore it up, I’ll work till it saves me. / Where I couldn’t save myself. (So come away, come away with me—I couldn’t save myself.)Verse 2
It’s alright to be nervous / you and me, we have walked for miles / tell me what they got for us / jewels and a crown and a waste of time.
Even when it’s a struggle / even when it’s hard I’ll take it in stride / so come away, don’t you worry / come and rest your head in my arms tonight.
(Hey @fan-music-appreciation, you should see this too!)
For those who don’t recognize the character’s name: this song is based on the novel Winter’s Orbit. I heartily recommend both the novel and the song.