Spencer Kornhaber: Tell me about your assignment for “Jenny of Oldstones.” Ramin Djawadi: That came together like some of the other songs we’ve done in the past, like “Rains of Castamere.” The song was written into the show, so they needed this piece before they were shooting. Normally I come in after the episodes were shot. But this one, they gave me the lyrics and said, “Write us a song.” Kornhaber: How do you approach writing a song with lyrics when most of your music is instrumental? Djawadi: It’s definitely different because I already have something preexisting. I try to find the rhythm within the lyrics and put a melody to it where, when you sing the song, it just feels natural. A lot of times, you’d think the song comes first and then you put lyrics to it, but there are definitely occasions—Elton John being a very famous example—where the lyrics exist before. Kornhaber: So you read the lyrics and hear music in them. How would you describe the mood, the tone, that you felt the words called for? Djawadi: Definitely something somber. Obviously it’s the night before the big expected battle. It’s haunting and lonely. Those things that go on in your head when you think, Are we going to die? That’s what I was going for. Kornhaber: Florence Welch said it reminded her of “a Celtic folk song.” When you’re writing a song that’s supposed to exist within the world of the show, do you look to any historical sources or styles of music that seem like what they’d be singing in Westeros? Djawadi: Not really. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. We’ve done it with the score as well: I try to stay away from something that you might expect from a medieval time. Obviously it can’t be a song that’s so contemporary in terms of harmony and melody that it feels completely out of place. But also I don’t want to write it specifically, stylistically, for medieval times. I just try to come up with a melody that is hummable and memorable. I love [Welch’s] version of it. It’s beautifully performed. The version I sent to her was very stripped down, and she did an amazing interpretation. Kornhaber: What did you think of the voice of Daniel Portman, the actor who plays Podrick? Djawadi: I was really impressed. His version is very toned down and, in fact, the harmonies in that version I simplified even more from how I originally had written the song. I almost wanted him to sing it a cappella. Florence’s version is like I originally wrote it, with more chord changes. Kornhaber: Do you think the lyrics are reflecting anything going on in the show, or is this just the song that happened to come into Podrick’s mind? Djawadi: That’s open to interpretation, right? Clearly the relationship dilemma with Jon and Daenerys you could relate to Duncan and Jenny. Now that [Jon] knows who he is, and Dany knows who he is, you can draw a comparison to the conflict or the decision to come.<doc-sep>She never wanted to leave. In the second episode of Game of Thrones Season 8, “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms,” Ser Brienne of Tarth’s squire, Podrick (Daniel Portman), regales his inebriated companions with a touching rendition of “Jenny of Oldstones,” a song with poetic lyrics loaded with Westeros history. (English singer Florence Welch, of the band Florence and the Machine, performs a cover that’s played during the episode’s closing credits.) While the song guesses at the fate of Jenny of Oldstones, an influential yet unseen figure in Game of Thrones, the lyrics might also serve as an omen to a dark twist in the coming Battle of Winterfell. Only minor, potential spoilers for Game of Thrones ahead. “Jenny of Oldstones,” also known as “Jenny’s Song,” tells the story of its titular character. A little over 50 years before the events of Game of Thrones, Jenny was a no-name commoner who captured the heart of Prince Duncan Targaryen. The two married against the wishes of Duncan’s father, King Aegon V Targaryen, in a calamitous union that would lead to all the tension and bloodshed that’s played throughout George R. R. Martin’s saga. Subscribe for free to Multiverse and get Game of Thrones coverage delivered to your inbox the night the episode airs. “Jenny’s Song,” introduced as a “soft and sad” song in the book A Storm of Swords, honors its subject, who was beloved by the common folk as a figure who came from nothing and ascended into royalty. While Duncan died in the Tragedy at Summerhall, Jenny’s fate is unknown. This song, with mysterious origins in Martin’s novels, is just a guess at what became of Jenny of Oldstones. In the books, the song is initially heard by Arya Stark when she’s taken to meet the ghost of High Heart. Only the first line is revealed: “High in the halls of the kings who are gone, Jenny would dance with her ghosts.” The HBO series, with Podrick’s singing, reveals the full lyrics for the first time. High in the halls of the kings who are gone Jenny would dance with her ghosts The ones she had lost and the ones she had found And the ones who had loved her the most The ones who’d been gone for so very long She couldn’t remember their names They spun her around on the damp old stones Spun away all her sorrow and pain And she never wanted to leave, never wanted to leave Never wanted to leave, never wanted to leave They danced through the day And into the night through the snow that swept through the hall From winter to summer then winter again Til the walls did crumble and fall And she never wanted to leave, never wanted to leave Never wanted to leave, never wanted to leave And she never wanted to leave, never wanted to leave Never wanted to leave, never wanted to leave (The outro of the song repeats the opening verse acapella.) Now, as Game of Thrones comes to a close, “Jenny of Oldstones” gives fans, and the characters who inhabit this universe, a moment to reflect on the events that got them to this point. “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms” is pretty much fan service of the highest order, as the episode closes out many (though not all) dangling character arcs and story threads. But looking at the lyrics of “Jenny of Oldstones,” its imagery strongly alludes to the coming Battle of Winterfell. A popular theory speculates that the Night King will raise the dead inside the tombs of Winterfell as his trojan horse to destroy Winterfell where it hurts. A close look at the lyrics of “Jenny of Oldstones” says as much: “High in the halls of the kings who are gone … Jenny would dance with her ghosts … The ones she had lost and the ones she had found … And into the night through the snow that swept through the hall … Til the walls did crumble and fall.” Let’s take a closer look at Jenny and break down how “Jenny of Oldstones” reveals the potentially tragic end of Jon Snow’s battle with the Night King’s army. Winter has come to Winterfell, from Season 8, Episode 2 of 'Game of Thrones'. HBO Who Was Jenny of Oldstones? Little is known about Jenny of Oldstones herself. Rumor has it that Jenny descended from the ancient kings of the First Men, but because they were wiped out 6,000 years ago during the Andal Invasion, there is no way of knowing if Jenny was, in fact, of the Oldstones ruins. In the novel A Dance With Dragons, Jenny was informed of her alleged heritage by the same woods witch who prophesied the Prince That Was Promised, in which a savior will be born of a song of ice and fire. Oldstones or not, Jenny was a nobody whom Prince Duncan, heir to the Iron Throne, fell in love with. This was unacceptable to King Aegon V, who had promised Duncan to a daughter of Lord Lyonel Baratheon. Marrying plain Jenny, who spoke nonsense about her ancient bloodline, put the kibosh on those plans, and so the Baratheons rebelled. While the Baratheons were defeated (this time), the rebellion allowed the sickly Jaehaerys II Targaryen to assume the throne. Dying shortly afterward, Jaehaerys’ son, Aerys II, took over as the new king. You might know King Aerys II by his more infamous moniker: the Mad King, whom Jaime Lannister betrayed in the Sack of King’s Landing. In essence, all the problems that Westeros faces — deeply divided houses, exiled Targaryens who now command dragons, and an equally mad Cersei sitting atop the Iron Throne — go back to a case of forbidden love. How “Jenny of Oldstones” Reveals a Battle of Winterfell Twist Not to put too fine a point on it, but Game of Thrones is also facing its own case of a problematic union. It isn’t a mistake that Podrick stops singing right when Daenerys meets her lover-slash-nephew, Jon Snow, right in the tombs of Winterfell, or, “in the halls of the kings who are gone.” Should the Night King raise the dead inside Winterfell (“Jenny would dance with her ghosts,” and “into the night through the snow that swept through the hall”), the surviving Starks will be forced to face the ones they had lost, the ones they’ve loved, and the ones who loved them the most until perhaps the walls crumble and fall. Game of Thrones airs Sundays at 9 p.m. Eastern on HBO.<doc-sep>Florence Welch took over vocal duties from Podrick Payne as the end credits of “Game of Thrones” rolled on Sunday night. “Jenny of Oldstones,” a haunting song adapted from George R.R. Martin’s “A Song of Ice and Fire” novels, closed out Episode 2 of Season 8, titled “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms.” But first it was surprisingly sung by the benevolent squire (Daniel Portman) during a fireside scene that featured Jaime Lannister and Brienne of Tarth, and several of Winterfell’s newcomers. In the lead-up to next week’s epic battle with the Night King’s army, the episode also tied up loose ends for some characters on their last night together. The episode’s writer Bryan Cogman described it as “a love letter to the characters.” So, in the words of Tyrion Lannister (Peter Dinklage), how about a song? The foreboding track’s first verse is directly from “Jenny’s Song” in Martin’s book series, which relies heavily on oral history, usually through song. The ballad is about Jenny Oldstones, whom Duncan Targaryen fell in love with and broke his family’s tradition of incest to marry. Their story has many parallels in the show (i.e. Robb Stark marrying Talisa and Rhaegar Targaryen marrying Lyanna Stark), potentially foreshadowing an arc this season for Daenerys Targaryen and Aegon Targaryen (née Jon Snow). Advertisement As for the show’s version, “Jenny of Oldstones,” executive producers Dan Weiss and David Benioff added more lyrics to Martin’s song and composer Ramin Djawadi, who created the HBO show’s iconic theme, wrote the music. Doveman (singer Thomas Bartlett) produced the Florence + the Machine rendition. FULL COVERAGE: The final season of ‘Game of Thrones’ » English singer Welch, whose song “Seven Devils” was featured in the Season 2 “Game of Thrones” trailer, recorded the new tune after being personally approached by show creators Benioff and Weiss, who are longtime fans. “[T]he season 2 trailer with her song ‘Seven Devils’ was possibly the most powerful we’ve ever had. So the opportunity to hear her otherworldly voice on our show was always at the forefront of our minds,” Benioff and Weiss said in a statement to The Times. “We’re still pleasantly shocked that she agreed to sing ‘Jenny of Oldstones,’ and we’re in love with the result.” “When I first heard the song it sounded like a Celtic lullaby to me,” Welch said. “Celtic music has always been in my blood, so I felt like I could do something with it. The magic and ritual in ‘Game of Thrones,’ not to mention the costumes, have always appealed to me. I am honored to be a part of the final season.” Advertisement Is ‘Game of Thrones’ TV’s greatest show of all time? Yes, it is » In Monday’s “Game Revealed” clip, Benioff said that he and Weiss wanted a song for “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms,” which leaned heavily on the characters’ humanity and intersecting back stories. “We haven’t had an original [song] so this felt like the place for it and Daniel felt like the singer,” Benioff said. Then screenwriter Dave Hill tipped off episode writer Bryan Cogman to Portman’s vocals. Portman, who on Monday set his off-Broadway debut, said he drank herbal teas and honey to prepare his voice for the gig. Advertisement “It was very high, I don’t usually sing as high as that,” he said. The accompanying “Jenny of Oldstones” lyric video, set to the Florence + the Machine version of the song, revisited key moments from the sprawling fantasy drama, including scenes from Sunday’s episode, as the Emmy-winning show prepares to close out its eighth and final season. Welch is the only artist to be featured in the final “Game of Thrones” season, but is one of many musicians who have contributed along the way. Notably, Coldplay drummer Will Champion, Snow Patrol frontman Gary Lightbody and Ed Sheeran have also appeared on the show. Last week, Columbia Records teased “For the Throne,” an album devoted to music inspired by the HBO series. The Weeknd, SZA and Travis Scott are featured on the lead track, “Power Is Power,” and the rest of the album features artists such as ASAP Rocky, Chloe x Halle, Ellie Goulding, Jacob Banks, James Arthur, the Lumineers, Maren Morris, Mumford & Sons and Rosalía, among others. Advertisement The album drops on Friday. 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Podrick's song 'Jenny of Oldstones' in Game of Thrones: here's what the lyrics mean By Emma Clarke In season 8, episode 2 of Game of Thrones, Podrick sings a song called 'Jenny of Oldstones', which potentially foreshadows the fate of Jon Snow and Daenerys Targaryen. Florence + The Machine also sang her rendition in the end credits. Zealous Game of Thrones fans will know that, unlike in the show, music and songs play a very important role in the books by author George R. R. Martin. Similarly to William Shakespeare's choruses, the ditties in Game of Thrones act as prophecies, foreshadowing events that are to come - and also explaining things that have already happened. In this week's Game of Thrones episode, our favourite characters were gearing up for war with the White Walkers, contemplating times past and basking in each other's company in what could be their final hour. Toward the end of the episode, Podrick Payne began singing a song called 'Jenny of Oldstones'. But what were the lyrics to the song he sang - and hold on, was that actually Florence Welch sing a rendition of it in the end credits? Here's the lowdown... **WARNING: Spoilers are coming** Florence Welch sang the same song Podrick did in the Game of Thrones end credits. Picture: HBO / Getty In the moving scene, we saw Tyrion and Jaime Lannister, Brienne of Tarth, Tormund, Ser Davos and Podrick share stories around the fire, over a few glasses of wine. It was a refreshing moment, in an episode which felt more like the early series in terms of pace - far from the crazy speed in which we hurtled through season 7. Instead of glossing over key moments and moving onto the next big thing, we relished reunions, savoured time-old friendships and remembered why we seriously don't want the White Walkers to win this battle. After many one-liners from Tormund and Ser Jaime knighting Brienne of Tarth, a drunk Tyrion urges someone to sing. It is then that Brienne's foot soldier, Podrick, unexpectedly bursts into song, revealing his beautiful voice. READ MORE: Savage Game of Thrones memes that sum up season 8, episode 2 What are the lyrics to the song Podrick was singing? The song that Podrick sings in the episode entitled 'A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms' is called 'Jenny of Oldstones'. It refers to a peasant girl who married Prince Duncan Targaryen. Duncan was the eldest son of Aegon V and heir to the Iron Throne. He was also betrothed to a Baratheon daughter, but he forfeited his claim to the throne in order to marry for love. The story isn't touched upon in the show itself, but it is addressed in the novel, A Song of Ice and Fire. Even in the novel, the full lyrics are never stated, but the ones which feature in season 8, episode 2 are as follows: High in the halls of the kings who are gone Jenny would dance with her ghosts The ones she had lost and the ones she had found And the ones who had loved her the most The ones who'd been gone for so very long She couldn't remember their names They spun her around on the damp old stones Spun away all her sorrow and pain And she never wanted to leave Never wanted to leave (x5) The song's chilling lyrics likely refer to the Tragedy at Summerhall, which saw the Targaryens' summer retreat burn to the ground in flames. King Aegon V, Duncan, his brother Aerys and others were present at Summerhall at the time, celebrating the imminent birth of Rhaegar Targaryen (son of the Mad King, Aerys II, and Rhaella). It's suspected that the cause of the fire was Aegon's attempt to resurrect dragons through the help of pyromancers and sorcerers. Nearly everyone present at Summerhall died, which presumably included Jenny - hence the reference to her "ghost" - except for Rhaella, the Mad King and baby Rhaegar (AKA, Jon Snow's real father). What do the lyrics mean? In short, the song is about love and death - which is probably why David Benioff and D. B. Weiss thought it appropriate to include now. It also comes right before the scene where Jon Snow reveals to Daenerys that they are related.