# Cold Wind to Valhalla



## manifold (Apr 21, 2008)

I've never been able to quite figure out what this is supposed to mean.  I was hoping some of the brighter minds here at USMB could help me out.

*Cold Wind to Valhalla*
by Ian Anderson

And ride with us young bonny lass ---
  with the angels of the night.
Crack wind clatter --- flesh rein bite on an out-size
  unicorn.
Rough-shod winging sky blue flight on a cold wind
  to Valhalla.
And join with us please --- Valkyrie maidens cry
  above the cold wind to Valhalla.
Break fast with the gods. Night angels serve
  with ice-bound majesty.
Frozen flaking fish raw nerve ---
  in a cup of silver liquid fire.
Moon jet brave beam split ceiling swerve and light
  the old Valhalla.
Come join with us  please --- Valkyrie maidens cry
  above the cold wind to Valhalla.
The heroes rest upon the sighs of Thor's trusty
  hand maidens.
Midnight lonely whisper cries,
``We're getting a bit short on heroes lately.''
Sword snap fright white pale goodbyes in the
  desolation of Valhalla.
And join with us please --- Valkyrie maidens ride
  empty-handed on the cold wind to Valhalla.


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## manifold (Apr 24, 2008)

Oh well...


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## Ravi (Apr 24, 2008)

Why don't you tell us?

I can almost never figure out their lyrics.


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## manifold (Apr 24, 2008)

Ravir said:


> Why don't you tell us?
> 
> I can almost never figure out their lyrics.




I don't know, that's why I'm soliciting opinions.


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## manifold (Apr 24, 2008)

I would've expected some of our most brilliant contributors like Shogun and Dogger to have this thing fully annotated by now.


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## Ravi (Apr 24, 2008)

I think it has something to do with the warriors screwing things up so badly they've extinctified themselves.


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## Abelian Sea (Apr 24, 2008)

manifold said:


> And ride with us young bonny lass ---
> with the angels of the night.



Hey, baby, what's up?



> Crack wind clatter --- flesh rein bite on an out-size
> unicorn.



That's right, over-sized horn right here. Like a horse.



> Rough-shod winging sky blue flight on a cold wind
> to Valhalla.
> And join with us please --- Valkyrie maidens cry
> above the cold wind to Valhalla.



You know you wanna take this rough-shod flight; you'll be cryin' to the heavens.



> Break fast with the gods. Night angels serve
> with ice-bound majesty.



There'll be a sweet breakfast in it for ya.



> Frozen flaking fish raw nerve ---
> in a cup of silver liquid fire.
> Moon jet brave beam split ceiling swerve and light
> the old Valhalla.



Woah, that shit's startin' to kick in...



> Come join with us  please --- Valkyrie maidens cry
> above the cold wind to Valhalla.



Oh, yeah.

_later..._



> The heroes rest upon the sighs of Thor's trusty
> hand maidens.



Ahhh... that was awesome.



> Midnight lonely whisper cries,
> ``We're getting a bit short on heroes lately.''
> Sword snap fright white pale goodbyes in the
> desolation of Valhalla.



Yeah, look, baby; I gotta get goin'.



> And join with us please --- Valkyrie maidens ride
> empty-handed on the cold wind to Valhalla.



See ya.


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## manifold (Apr 24, 2008)

Damn, I forgot rule number one with respect to Ian's lyrics:  Assume it's about sex first and you'll be right over half the time!


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## Said1 (May 3, 2008)

I always associate Valhalla withe Led Zeppelin's 'the Immigrant Song"......'We'll drive our ships to new lands, to fight the horde, singing and crying - Valhalla, I am coming!'

Here's what Wikipedia says:





> Valhalla (Old Norse Valh&#246;ll, "Hall of the Slain") is Odin's hall in Norse mythology, located in the Asgardian realm of Gladsheim and is the home for those slain gloriously in battle (known as Einherjar) who are welcomed by Bragi and escorted to Valhalla by the valkyries. (The "h&#246;ll" part of Valh&#246;ll means 'hall'.) The term 'Valhalla' has entered popular usage for an ideal, heaven-like destiny.



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valhalla


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## RetiredGySgt (May 3, 2008)

Yup It is a Norse realm of the slain heros. The women are the ones that go out and escort the warriors home when slain, they are mighty warriors themselves.

Not sure that Norse cared if day or night, I suspect the night stuff has to do with our more modern beliefs and how the dead are handled at night.

Or it is just a cool word that he researched a little and made shit up that sort of went with it.

Guess it depends if you think he is a poet or not.

My opinion is he knew exactly what the place and the women were and wrote with that specifically in mind. Also warriors would have loved to mate with those women.


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## Said1 (May 3, 2008)

RetiredGySgt said:


> Also warriors would have loved to mate with those women.



Mate?


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## RetiredGySgt (May 3, 2008)

Said1 said:


> Mate?



Would you prefer fucked?


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## Said1 (May 3, 2008)

RetiredGySgt said:


> Would you prefer fucked?



are those the only two options?


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## RetiredGySgt (May 3, 2008)

Said1 said:


> are those the only two options?



Mated is the appropriate word. It implies just what I mean. One of the Valkyries would make a perfect mate for a warrior hero. An equal partner in all things, war and peace. Someone to drink with, fight with, live with. Someone that could provide everything a man, a warrior, would ever need in a woman. His best buddy and sex partner.


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## Swamp Fox (May 3, 2008)

manifold said:


> I've never been able to quite figure out what this is supposed to mean.  I was hoping some of the brighter minds here at USMB could help me out.
> 
> *Cold Wind to Valhalla*
> by Ian Anderson
> ...



Seems to have something to do with the Viking belief that the brave warriors would go to Valhalla, where they would fight by day and party all night with good looking chicks.  Guess they feel there's a shortage of heros so the maidens have to go to Valhalla alone.


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## manifold (May 4, 2008)

Thanks guys.

I think Abelian nailed it.


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## AtlasShrieked (Jun 18, 2008)

> Cold Wind To Valhalla
> 
> The song contains several pagan connotations and offers a foretaste of things to come on later albums.
> In this case Ian derives elements from Norse/Germanic mythology.
> ...


let me see if I can figure out what it is you_ claim_ to not have gotten....

I've sent you here long ago... http://www.cupofwonder.com/minstre2.html


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