Soldier, Poet, King: Faux Folk Mastery - Analysis

[@achilleus9918]

have to say, i went into this video mildly nervous because Soldier, Poet, King is one of my favourite songs - but you're absolutely right. as someone who enjoys both "real" folk music and folk pop/acoustic pop, it can be frustrating to see people get the two mixed up - but both are good! the mislabeling of genres you like can be annoying, but it also leads to arguments with pretty much every genre i enjoy - metalcore isn't "real" metal (and i apparently am not allowed to like both black metal and metalcore?), emo pop like mcr isn't "real" emo (and that makes it bad, apparently - again, i like both "real" emo and mcr), etc. part of me hopes that bands like the Oh Hellos will get young people interested in folk music, but at the same time there's nothing at all wrong with just enjoying folk pop and leaving it at that.

[@achilleus9918]

speaking of (and i realise this video is a year old so you might not be replying to comments), do you consider modern folk artists like Johnny Flynn as "real" folk or as a different genre? i only ask because i know comparatively little about folk music (the problem with liking a hundred different genres is that you don't dedicate enough time to learning about any one in depth) and since a lot of the folk i listen to is stuff i first heard at folk festivals (Jarlath Henderson is a good example, or Grace Petrie) and it definitely sounds different to me than the examples you gave of traditional folk music but it also seems pretty firmly in the tradition of folk music. i'm just curious about genre distinctions in a nerdy way, i enjoy this stuff regardless what genre it technically falls into

[@thanpersand]

Ah thanks so much for commenting! One of my worries was that I’d come across as a ‘hater’ so I’m glad my point came across to a fan of the song. I consider Johnny Flynn to be “folk pop” i.e. acoustic pop music that takes inspiration from folk. What I call “real” folk music, for lack of a better word, is a kind of ‘you know it when you see it’ sort of thing, once you’ve seen enough examples. Genre is a weird construct. I consider folk music the peoples music - music that has cultural value and generally passed from person to person. As opposed to a single artist coming up with a thing and that thing being solely their own. So old timey American songs like John Henry, songs like Greensleeves or Scarborough Fair, etc. That’s about the best I can probably do in a single comment lol. If you’re not ready for a deep dive just Keep an ear out, ask where songs come from, and you’ll start to recognize it. Speaking of Johnny Flynn, if you like English music the songs from the recent Emma movie are often good, classic folk stuff

[@robertkeating6036]

He tore my 🧱 down.

[@johnpini9592]

The soldier is David, the poet is Solomon, and the ruler is Jesus.

[@NateDawg063]

Thank you. A lot of people seem to try to twist this.

[@tylercraven2629]

@@NateDawg063 art and literature mean what you want it to man. you can interpret music however you want to. some people interpret hotel california as about drugs. some interpret it as the music industry. it’s whatever you want it to be man

[@user-xq4dr9uw8g]

@@tylercraven2629the original writers intended this song to be made about Jesus’ second coming. Although I do agree, these lyrics were made with this intention.

[@rachelmaerama6943]

Correct thank you fo correcting

[@tylercraven2629]

@@user-xq4dr9uw8g ok but i was replying to someone who said that some people try to “twist it” when art is open to interpretation. twist it is a negative connotation and it’s j dumb to gatekeep a meaning of a song

[@cranberrythecat4555]

oops, I though this was going to be an analysis of the themes of the album "Dear Wormwood" - and it kind of is - but it's made me interested in looking up more traditional folk songs, so I count this as an absolute win! :D

[@Seeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeal]

Hey just a tip if you’re still searching for an analysis on dear wormwood you should check out genius! The people that write annotations for the oh hellos music over there really go over and beyond and it’s just a very fun experience in general

[@marniethestargazer]

I came to youtube today to find some song analyses of the four winds series (4 EPs names for the four winds, Notos, Eurus, Boreas, and Zephyrus) by The Oh Hellos, and came across this instead. I really like this video, both the content and the vibes. Have a good one!

[@coopahtroopah1175]

Loved your insights on this amazing song. Also your cover of it is spectacular and can you make a full version please pretty please

[@thanpersand]

Ahh so glad you liked it! A full version of the song is a maybe, but we’ll see!

[@kaz_7133]

Me, a longtime listener of the Oh Hellos, cringing every time you call it a pop song. It’s surreal for me to imagine this song was (still is?) a huge TikTok trend because they always felt a little more unknown/indie to me. Anyway, they were the band that led me out of the gaggy contemporary Christian music (CCM) I grew up with, and into more allegorical, indie, and secular bands; they kind of opened my eyes to so many new genres and themes in music. I still don’t listen to a ton of true folk music, but I feel like I’m able to appreciate it a bit more because of their influence, if that makes sense. I like your version of the song at the end. Is it on Spotify? Also, I, too, hate lawn mowers. May grasses flourish, wildflowers grow, and gasoline not be wasted in mowing, haha.

[@thanpersand]

Glad you’re on team anti-lawnmowers lol. Rest assured that I’d call almost every indie band “pop” as well. I mean it in the sense that they use the general pop/rock format of how they write and distribute their songs - not trying to say they are in the same realm as contemporaries like Katy Perry. Really cool what the band means to you! I don’t have anything on Spotify. The cover is posted here, on my TikTok, and Instagram. My linktree should be in the description

[@micah_lee]

If you don’t like CCM, have you yet found the Soveriegn Grace musics of the worlds, the shane & shanes, the Cityalights, and other musicians who cover and create hymns? All these musicians make beautiful music but the lyrics are more focused into worship than the bethels and other ones out there. Cheers

[@cheeze588]

@@micah_lee YES CITYALIGHT

[@Jannfndnanakid]

this song's literally about biblical stories though

[@saoirsecameron]

Kate Rusby’s “I Courted a Sailor” and “Sir Eglamore” scratch a similar itch for me, but you are right that they don’t have the same prophetic feeling that “Soldier, Poet, King” does.

[@Preferred_Ari]

Analysises, music, humourous commentary and hilariously questionable choices are some of the things I enjoy most and this being a perfect blend of them all has earned this video its 1000th like and this channel its 801st subscriber who is about to binge the rest of the contents available.

[@Belen8888]

I really like SPK. Awesome analysis. Your content is great! Hopefully you keep making videos.

[@thanpersand]

Aw thanks!

[@officialbardofbaldwincounty]

so glad I found you! love your stuff on tiktok! I've noticed a similar stuff in the general alternative scene where lots of people characterize bands like The Front Bottoms as members of the folk-punk genre despite their music not really adhering to much of the "conventions of the genre" (i.e., anti-capitalism, addiction, etc.) outside of the (vaguely) acoustic instrumentation. like you said, squabbling about genre and what's "true" to a style is silly but always a fun debate! :) keep up the great work!!! really looking forward to the folk/tiktok documentary! lemme know if you ever need any help with anything! I'm studying anthropology at school and this is right up my alley. :^)

[@thanpersand]

Oh grand! And I totally get that w folk-punk; in spite of being stylistically v different from traditional folk there's a lot of similarities I think

[@Fancypants117]

the instrumentation and flow of the notes really gives it a very whimsical feeling that sets a nice mood and tone it's like "hey ya" nobody really pays attention to the lyrics and honestly I'm very much anti christian after leaving mormonism, but the tone and vague lyrics can make it easier to detach yourself from the original meaning and just connect with the more pagan roots of it kinda like how Christianity first converting the Irish people had to change and absorb a lot of that pagan mythology to convert the island, a christian twist on a forgotten time

[@owenmcdonough7720]

7:25 I think i know a similar song (i'm 99% sure it's original folk), "Parting Glass". it's kinda sadish and sorta slow in the beginning, but it picks up by the end (at least the version i listen to by the High Kings)

[@orchardhouse9241]

Because you have put me down the rabbithole of finding possible substitutes for Soldier, Poet, King, I think that the song Dúlamán might be it.

[@First-name.Last-name]

creating a playlist of songs you could realistically play if you were somehow transported to middle earth is so real and relatable

[@herosparkyferrum]

Wow, your videos are incredibly insightful and full of crazy quality. I'm someone who knows next to nothing about music genres and their histories, so seeing this video was such an educational experience. I'm a huge fan of how you add your own covers, and the constantly changing backgrounds are so fun and engaging. You're so thoroughly spoken, and your attitude is so immediately welcoming. I love love love how comfy this video felt, if that makes sense haha. Thank you for this video! I'm looking forward to looking at your other stuff :)

[@joshriley9123]

I whis someone would do a cover of this song like an actual traditional irish folk song, basically extending the first 1:30. That first half feel very folksy and then it stops and becomes a pop song.

[@inkylynx2777]

Colm Mc-i forgot his last name just made a cover fairly recently that'll scratch that itch!

[@Rouverius]

That first verse reminds me of John Donne's poem "Batter my heart, three-person'd God, for you" which is a man who realizes he is captive to sin and is calling out to God to rescue him from himself.

[@nickaborr]

man i really enjoy your videos! it's quite rare for someone to make visibly and audibly pleasing content around this sort of weird bedroom indie folk theme. like a decent youtube channel that's actually interesting and original. are you planning on uploading more frequently or is youtube just a side project for you?

[@thanpersand]

Hey, I appreciate it! And I definitely have more videos in the works. They just take a fair amount of time and I have “real life” to deal with as well lol. But hang tight, there’s some cool shit coming!

[@houstonburnside8985]

It will never not be funny to me how a song very clearly about Jesus has been appropriated by those mentioned and then didn’t get the references.

[@fatjellyfish9478]

Kinda make sense, it's hardly specific about its meaning. It's a more if you know you know kinda detail haha

[@Morpheusdarkson]

⁠@@fatjellyfish9478it can be infact be said to be about the anti christ. In the third stanza “hair parted with oil like David’s boy” the words like David’s boy can be used as a way to say that The Ruler is infact the anti christ whos acting as the second coming.

[@ohwellhey6221]

love what my recommendations are doin rn suggesting these interesting insight on not widely known stuff (orat least in my case it isn't). super cool to hear about!

[@i8MyChocol8s]

i agree!! :DD

[@Marcha-]

great work. You've got a knack for this sort of thing.

[@Chad-o9p]

More people need to see this! Keep the it up man.

[@SonofIiberty]

I loved this video. You addressed alot of the confusion I had with how misused it feels like this song has been.

[@TrueMexican775]

Bruh, I don't know who you are. You just showed up randomly in my feed. But, you definitely deserve alot more subs for the quality of videos u be posting. Cheers

[@thanpersand]

Thanks so much! They definitely take enough time 😬 but yeah more in the works

[@EclipsedAether]

I was 5 minutes into your video and immediately subscribed. Cant wait to watch more of your videos!

[@kylehill4819]

One way it's interpreted is through abuse and longing the soldier suffered from physical abuse and longs to rule and help make the kingdom he serves better, the poet suffered from emotional abuse and longs to have responsibilities like the soldier but can't because of his trauma, and the king suffered psychological or mental abuse and longs for the "freedom" of the poet even in the lyrics they describe the king as "still a boy like David's boy"

[@BarefootDani]

It's 'smeared with oil like David's boy' buy I REALLY liked your interpretation. i think that good art makes every person have a personal connection and interpretation, and the oh hellos definitely make excellent art!

[@jierdastormcrow]

I'd love to hear your take on Come Along by Cosmo Shelldrake, I love that song even though I know that it's not a traditional folk song

[@fuzzypanda2804]

As a non fundamentalist christian, if anyone asked them if they are chill with people taking their song and using it to kind of fit what their thinking it means, they would be chill with it. I think they'd just be happy that people are loving their work.

[@screwtapee]

I’d be interested to see what you think of the full album! It’s one of my favourite albums ever even though it’s not authentic folk music, I’m just here for the beautiful sounds

[@johncracker5217]

My new fav folk music KZbinr

[@BoarhideGaming]

This may be a bit less on the musical side and more on the cultural, but still: I have listened to the Oh Hellos for years, and I like them alot. They write pretty clever lyrics that question society and their own faith (though the constant faith aspect does bore me a bit), and put it to great music. From my perspective, they adapted parts of the legacy of Folk Music and used it to make something different with it. That is laudable. What annoys me about the whole "ah look at me I'm such a _quirky, cottage-core, hobbit, witchy, pagan, sparkly, Dungeons and Dragons dice collecting, renfair-fetishist Tik Tok user_ -Crowd is how completely baseless and tonedeaf their niche of the internet is. They have no historical or cultural background knowledge of anything they use. They don't adapt parts of something they understand and respect to make something new with it, like the Oh Hellos do, they take and twist and pervert it into the next trend, the next challenge, the next way to brag to the internet. Despite it being done primarily by peope in their bedrooms, it feels so hollow and commercialised. It's a pity, because a lot of those people are genuinely talented, but so entirely uneducated and tone deaf. It's the same thing that pissed me off to no end about the goddamn Wellerman trend. They took a sea song, one of the most boring ones at that, completely ignored any historical context, misnamed it as "Shanty" and made a goddamn bragging contest out of it. To me, it feels like cultural appropriation, but like...of your own culture's past. If I started a trend of putting feathers in my hair, painting my face red and doing an awful impression of Cherokee music, I would be rightly boo'd off the internet because I'm abusing a culture I don't understand for my own gain. But if people appropriate european sailors' music, dress in shitty amazon pirate costumes and make a damned electronic remix out of it, that's a huge trend. It's such a shame because there is such a wealth of beautiful historical music and amazing culture that get's absolutely buried under the spam of the uneducated who think that shitty corsets and horned viking helmets and furry bikinis and singing rousing drinking songs is what "ye olden times" was like.

[@princetannis9741]

First result he got was a recipe from Quincy, not surprised XD

[@daHammer5]

great video man. You are a talented dude.

[@nicoleg2544]

If you gays are looking for folk or faux-lk music with a happy upbeat tune and fantasy elements, look no further than Heather Dale’s entire library. She leans heavily into Arthurian legend and has plenty of POV worthy songs. As an added benefit, her songs don’t have the explicitly Christian overtones that people who dress up as faeries on TikTok seem to revile with their entire being. Go give Heather Dale some love

[@mickeystix]

I'm 3 years too late. But great video!

[@andorrasrevenge1683]

Traffic John Barleycorn is a wonder!

[@finchblue7322]

I don't really think I would classify The Oh Hellos as pop, or even as folk-pop (Faux-lk seems like the better term) because pop has the connotation of following a formula. I've been a fan of the band for a while, and from what I've seen, they like to tell a narrative, they like to mix up the structure of their songs, they like to pull out the poetics and make you think about the thematic elements of the lyrics. They have plenty of instrumental songs in their albums. I also wouldn't really classify their music as Christian music, necessarily, or Solider Poet King as a Christian song. It has both religious and secular influences and messages, especially in context with other songs. It really misses the very powerful points of the song to reduce it down to either "oh, fantasy folk vibe" or "this is a song about Jesus and Christianity." I think you put it well that it is also about overcoming hardship, using that christian imagery. In the context of dear wormwood, it is also about escaping an abusive relationship, which can be set beside an abusinve religious institution as well, given the Oh Hello's general focus on what it means to be a Christian when the church has a long history and current instances of abuse and bigotry. But now I'm rambling. tldr, I love the Oh Hellos, and they deserve a lot more love for their entire discography, not just this one song

[@lovehellmusic]

ure so charismatic

[@spormlastname267]

Great video.

[@ErikaCartet]

listening to this song makes me think about how christianity and paganism/folk traditions have intertwined throughout history, whether it be christianity adapting and presenting its stories and traditions to appeal to pagan populations or those populations incorporating and recontextualizing christian elements into folk tradition. while it has never given me cozy cottagecore vibes i do think it works so well as fantasy - like the grand good-and-evil and yet also humanized epics, the sort of lord of the rings appeal - because there is this heightened drama. it’s not as grounded as folk tales and fables with fantastical elements can still feel, it’s invoking this metaphysical structure and bringing forth this prophetic, messianic figure that’s beyond ourselves. it’s about apocalypse, but also salvation. it’s not a story to impart a moral, it’s a moment or a concept we are to hope and yearn for - that maybe also implies some sort of grand narrative that it’s a conclusion to, even if that narrative is not laid out in the lyrics. and perhaps in our human yearning for this divine intervention, we can express this ideal not just in our art but in our actions. even if i’m not religious, in the same way fantasy fiction and other epics that are meant to lay out a mythology appeal to me, i can enjoy the human and divine drama, the tragedy and the joy, of the christian mythology. all a long way of saying this song hits some sort of special spot for me of not being grounded cottagecore secular-folksy or too-remote christian band churchy-ness (don’t really know how to put this into words lol), but a heightened religious invocation of prophecy rooted in human emotion and experience. and that it’s also funny to me when people who like the song as christians are surprised or disgruntled about people injecting it into fantasy d&d wiccan whatever contexts that they personally culturally connect with when it’s so clearly a christian song, as though that hasn’t been happening to christianity by non-christians for as long as it’s been around haha.

[@IcathianRains]

Great video! Would love to see you do a breakdown of Vashti Bunyan's Here Before

[@neeharika422]

I watched through it all and decided to look at the description (as you do), and *2425* views??! 462 SUBSCRIBERS??! Make that 463

[@bflat4378]

My favourite John Barleycorn is actually Vulcan's Hammer's : two men, stereo, raw. It's not really the same version as Traffic, which I don't really like.

[@shawnjbray]

I wanna learn to cover Soldier, Poet, King on guitar. Cause my girl loves this song, and is an amazing singer. So we can both cover this song at bon-fires and family/friend get togethers

[@amytg777]

i clicked on this preparing to be incensed and hit it with a dislike, but it's a well done video, and pretty right, to boot. well done sir. love and peace to you.

[@kiabil6194]

Would you say that soldier poet king is essentially a variation on the Heroes Journey?

[@thanpersand]

I wouldn’t - the verses of soldier poet king are basically character+action, whereas heroes journey is about a cycle of growth with at least 3 stages. I suppose you could think of S P K as being pieces of a heroes journey story tho!

[@dugfern]

Industrial civ is going down. That's a difficult notion to absorb and accept. But the material basis for human civ is finite...

[@redneckpyromania6965]

Christ is the soldier the poet and christ is king

[@zachmccarver7375]

Love your thoughts on this song!

[@dumisanichilumpha4344]

I thought the whole thing about of Jesus

[@Eruidraith]

American folk music outside of like, Pete Seeger if that even counts, is just… mostly difficult to find a compelling performance of that isn’t just a pop re-work. Sure, eerie canal is fine but folk pop is the way I wish folk was-compelling and something you can connect to, thematically if not narratively. Sure, Irish folk does that, but despite my last name I am 100% outside of that culture. You can’t connect to anything but the most cotton eye Joe sounding shit culturally and anything that lets me pretend that isn’t true is great

[@thanpersand]

I used to feel that way too, but that’s just because the stuff you’re talking about is less visible. For one thing a lot of American folk music is very similar to English and Irish stuff - especially in the east but even like “streets of larado” is an English folk song with cowboy lyrics. Lots of stuff from Appalachia - offhand I’d try Jean Ritchie or Carolina Chocolate Drops. If you like Irish music there’s tons of similar stuff from New England culture. And Pete Seeger definitely counts! Nationalistic American culture is lying to you there’s tons of stuff there if you know where to look ☺️ Plus a lot of Irish music is similarly gimmickified so it’s an even playing field lol

[@ghxstybxy]

I wish you'd make another video like this about yaelokre who has started to similarly trend on tiktok... or my fyp i suppose. Just like to see your thoughts!

[@cemkaradeniz9142]

0:13 what kind of flute is this? it sounds really good

[@mohandossvellaichamy6455]

A recorder (a tenor or alto)

[@elphebathewickedwitchofthe6231]

Beautiful ❤️

[@ecarneylaw]

Its a jig.

[@toast_in_a_bucket7803]

Hi! Satanist here: I agree, you do not to be Christian to enjoy the song :) I feel like this kind of thing hits the same general spot as a game like Stardew Valley does It's the vibes of Cottagecore and going back in time and having a good communal time... But like do not take my phone away

[@NateDawg063]

Hi! Christian here: You do not need to be Christian to enjoy the song, but you do need to acknowledge it’s about Jesus and not twist it to another meaning

[@toast_in_a_bucket7803]

@@NateDawg063 My bad, my intention wasn't to twist its meaning, I am just saying that even if someone doesn't know it's about Jesus, they can enjoy the song because of the vibes it has. Or, as I do, knowing it's about Jesus *while* listening to it for the vibes

[@SonofIiberty]

lol "satanist"

[@toast_in_a_bucket7803]

@@SonofIiberty lol "liberty"

[@lovesomeceline]

Hello is this a religous song? :)

[@thanpersand]

Sort of! It’s allegorical. So it’s religious the same way The Chronicles of Narnia are

[@Adam-sh8vf]

@@thanpersand The soldier refers to the common expectation of the prospective Messiah of the Jewish people during the time of Christ. The Poet represents Who Jesus was in actuallity during his mortal ministry, a Preacher who preformed miracles while destroying the credibility of many religous leaders who tried to use rhetorical traps on him. The king refers to Christ after his death and cruxifiction, the crown refering both to his literal "crown of thorns" on the cross, and the burden of responsibility that came with his role as Christ, while oil represent both the literal oil that he was covered in as done in jewish burial traditions, and the glory of what Jesus did for mankind, a reference to Solomon "David's Boy" is evidence of this as Solomon was widely regarded as one the greatest kings in jewish history. The song is perpetually in future representing the constant charge of followers of Christ throughout history to watch for him, be it for his birth, his resurection, or his second coming.

[@timchalamettt2770]

Yea it’s a Christian song

[@Seeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeal]

Kinda, while the entire album of dear wormwood is based on the screw tape letters ( aka a Christian writing) it also has themes of leaving and healing from an abusive relationship, so while the oh hellos Christianity is a big part of their music ( hell, four winds is literally about leaving a toxic religious community and finding your own fate) and dear wormwood definetly has a lot of christian subtext and one of the most common interpretations is Christian, many interperate it as having those themes of abuse along with the Christian subtexts that are so prevelant in the oh hellos music. ( I’m sorry for the long winded comment lol, I really like analyzing lyrics.)

[@NateDawg063]

@@Seeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeal this song directly relates to Jesus

[@xyreniaofcthrayn1195]

so I thought that whole song was about a soldier who writes poetry whom is also wearing a crown because he happens to be a king of an invading country that seeks to impose his military doctrines, his assorted works and if noone obeys his laws executions would be done.

[@FiveTen007]

You should have more subscribers

[@stevieboudreau7048]

It’s about God

[@RocketSlime]

Its folk rock not folk pop lol

[@tobiassanders3831]

It warms my heart to see so many singing a prophecy of the Messiah without even knowing it. He is faithful to draw them to him one way or another. All creation yearns for his glory.

[@CatholicEdward]

It’s a Christian song, crazy that Gen Z uses it for witches and other modernist bs

[@thanpersand]

lmao what makes you think witchcraft is modern?

[@CatholicEdward]

@@thanpersand I meant it’s a modern trend

[@Edberk_]

@@thanpersand definitely became more acceptable in the west but they don't know how terrible it actually is.

[@histori6259]

To be fair, quite a few witches are also Christian Mysticists

[@SonofIiberty]

@@thanpersand *Wiccan

[@cassandrafayepatingo2432]

you look like me

[@thanpersand]

*high five*

[@degenerate6109]

Dude, based.

[@andioopdoge2246]

Best explanation is Anne with an E. Period

[@shenron4]

Your blm comment absolutely ruined the video

[@Detson404]

The Christ story is evocative, which is why it succeeded and spread around the world. Doesn’t make it one jot more likely to be true.

[@bestofyou-tube]

Resumen: hermoso sonido letra horrible...

[@Bluesonofman]

There will come a Merc, who carries a mighty rifle. He will tear your city down, oh lei-oh lai-oh Lord. Oh lei, oh lai, oh lei, oh Lord. He will tear your city down, oh lei-oh lai-oh Lord There will come a Mage, whose weapon is her staff. She will slay you with her magic, oh lei-oh lai-oh Lord. Oh lei, oh lai, oh lei, oh Lord She will slay you with her magic, oh lei-oh lai-oh Lord. There will come a Tejan Ranger, whose brow wears a black hat of the law. Oh lei-oh lai-oh Lord oh lei, oh lai, oh lei, oh Lord who wears a black hat of the law, oh lei-oh lai-oh Lord, Oh lei, oh lai, oh lei, oh Lord He will tear your city down, oh lei-oh lai... oh Oh lei, oh lai, oh lei, oh lai, oh Oh lei, oh lai, oh lei, oh lai, oh Oh lei, oh lai, oh lei, oh lai, oh lei, oh lai, oh lei, oh lai, oh