Stefan Weinerhall comments on each song on the album Among Beggars And
Thieves (2008):
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Field
Of Sorrows - A fast opener with alot of galopping and double bass
drums reminding a bit of the first album. Lyrically it is based upon the
Danish king Valdemar IV holding the Swedish port town Visby of ransom
in 1361.
Man
Of The Hour - Fast and rockish with intense guitar playing. Yet
again the Danes are involved in the lyrics. In 1676 the Swedish fleet
and its incompetent Admiral met the Danish fleet. The Swedish Admiral
in fact had never been at sea but his nobility apparently made him suitable
for the job. It all ended with the Swedish flag ship sinking without the
Danes doing much at all, the poor leadership and navigation of the Admiral
made the flag ship sink to the bottom.
Beggar
Hero - A short calm and acoustic song a bit like "Child of
innocence". Mathias in duet with Evelyn. Portraying a war hero crippled
and ending his days as a poor and starving beggar without anyone remembering
his past.
Vargaskall
- A power metal version of Mithotyn to my ears. The most
Nordic sounding song we've ever done. The lyric deals with the gathering
of villagers in the 18:th and 19:th century to join in the wolf hunt.
For many years the wolf was extinct after these hunts were done.
Carnival
Of Disgust - A rather groovy and folky song. Portraying a man sentenced
to death given a chance to live by becoming executioner. Hated but respected
in lives by himself outside society.
Mountain
Men - A quite theatrical powerful song, a lot of things happening
giving the song a very dramatic feel. It is based upon the Swedish national
hero Engelbrekt Engelbrektsson that in 1434 went from rebel leader to
states man. Rebelling against the Union king Erik of Pomerania who had
terrorized and dried out the country and isolating it due to wars. Engelbrekt
was assassinated in 1436.
Viddernas
Man - A slow and beautiful song in the veins of "The past
still lives on". The song is about a beggar roaming the country roads
selling his handy works for some food and clothes. Living day by day under
the sun and moon. Free and happy though with empty hands.
Pale
Light Of Silver Moon - A very fast power metal song, full of intensity
and adrenaline. Describing a thief/villain lurking the back streets of
a medieval town. A spawn of the gutter, a parasite to the community.
Boiling
Led - A very guitar oriented song reminding of the first album
again. Mathias first contribution is the lyrics that are about the Swedish
king Sverker the elder who was assassinated by his own coach on Christmas
day 1156 on his way home from church.
Dark
Ages - A very rock..n..rollish song sounding like something from
the 80..s. Therefor a bonus track. The song is based on the legend of
the sacrifice of Swedish king Domalde in the late 3:rd century. Legend
has it that after sacrificing both animals and slaves the starvation and
bad growth the elders said that the only thing that would please the gods
would be an ultimate sacrifice……the King.
Skula
Skorpa Skalk - Sounding like a trad. folk song but it's a Falconer
original just like "Himmel så trind". The inspiration
for the lyrics are taken from a trad. Lyric dealing with the hard life
of serfs and slaves before they became free men in 1337 (by law anyway……)
They were not allowed to own anything and they had no legal right, just
like animals.
Dreams
And Pyres - The most diverse, theatrical, operatic and difficult
falconer have ever made. 3 lead vocalists and a lot of orchestrating.
Allthough it sounds like a cliché, the lyrics are about the burning
of a witch. Based upon a true story. In 1676 Johan Grijs was burned at
the stakes 13 years old. For some time he had accused a lot of people
to be witches and getting the other children to play along and accusing
different people of witchery. Finally the tension between the children
became so strong that their union fell apart and many confessed that the
accusations were just lies. Some of them slipped away while others got
a taste of their own medicine.
Vi
Sålde Våra Hemman - Yet a bonus track. On "Chapters….."
we did a song called "We sold our homesteads", now we have done
it in the original Swedish tongue and without guitars or drums. The pianist
we use to work with (Johannes Nyberg) have orchestrated it and plays all
instruments.
Related links:
www.falconermusic.com
www.myspace.com/falconermusic