A song that reminds me of the Wheel of Time

[Chal]

**WARNING: THERE ARE SPOILERS IN THIS POST. DO NOT READ IF YOU HAVEN'T READ THE SERIES (at least until the end of Book 6) AND WANT TO STAY SPOILER FREE**

 

Hi everyone, I'm new to the forum. I've been looking for a place to share this and Dragonmount seems like a good spot. If anyone else has a song that reminds them of WoT, I'd be interested to hear about it.

 

It's sort of weird but the song "What You Are" by Dave Matthews Band, particularly the performance that I link below, always makes me think of the Wheel of Time. When I first heard it, I was in the middle of reading the series (20 years ago or so). When I listen to the song, I imagine it portrays the sort of feverish nightmare that Rand might have had roughly in the middle of Book 3.  I imagine it highlighting Rand grappling with who he really is, whether or not he is the Dragon Reborn and I think it captures the insanity of Lews Therin's crazed rants inside Rand's mind, particularly the climax and end of the song.

 

I'm pretty sure the musicians never intended any of these interpretations, ha ha. It's funny how songs can be interpreted so differently.

 

Below are my notes about what I imagine as the song plays, annotated with the lyrics as markers and here's a link to the performance of the song (note: a swear word is mumbled close to the end of the song. I've censored it in my description below and it's difficult to distinguish in the video, but if you want to avoid it, don't listen past 5m15s into the video:

 

 

--

Intro
Rand by himself somewhere in the wilderness on his way from Almoth Plain to Tear (Middle of Book 3). He's huddled in the bushes at night trying to fall asleep, but is afraid of the dreams and nightmares of his journey so far and the things they might foretell of the future. He's contemplating who he is and whether he could really be the Dragon Reborn. He's starting to hear voices in his head. Exhaustion eventually gives way ...

 

"Halle- ... Hallelujah"

 

Transitions to dream like visuals, images of key moments in the series until now, both terrors and victories.

 

"Halle- ... Hallelujah,
Halle- ... Hallelujah ..."

 

Rand imagines himself in the White Tower, Aes Sedai surrounding him:

"I walk into this room
All eyes on me now
but I do not know the people inside"

 

"Look straight through me, these eyes
Seeking more wisdom than I have to give away"

 

The Amyrlin Seat says:
"Realize, realize
What you are"

 

Flash to Ishamael talking to an insane Lews Therin (during the prologue of EotW):
"What you've become, just as I have
Are you and I so unlike?
Huddled here, you, just as I am
We're all afraid if we move we might die
So we mock the world from our sacred hall, lies, always lies"
(Ishamael cures Lews Therin so he can see and remember what he has done to Ilyena and his family)
"Don't you know, only when you give life
Then you'll become what you are"

 

Images of Matt and Perrin:
"The seas are unsparing
We're all drifting away
Away from you, I pray for you now"

 

Images of Rand trying to embrace and control the tainted Saidin:
"Hoping to god on high
Is like clinging to straws while drowning"

 

Ba'alzamon suddenly appears in the nightmare and says:
"Realize, realize
What you are"

 

Ba'alzamon/Ishamael continues talking to Rand in his nightmare:
"What you've become, just as I have
Are you and I so unlike?
Huddled here, you, just as I am
We're so afraid if we move we might die
So we mock the world from our sacred hall, lives, always lives"
(Images foreshadowing all the lives that will be lost fighting for Rand)
"Don't you know, only when you bring lives
Then you'll become what you are"

 

Images of Elayne, Min, Aviendha (foreshadow), Lanfear, Egwene and Moiraine:
"What you are
Is a beast in a lovers arms
What you are
Is a devil in a sweet, sweet kiss
What you are
Is missing a piece
What you are
Is a puzzle to me"

 

Lews Therin's voice inside Rand's mind with images foreshadowing being trapped in a confined space:
"What you've become, just as I have
Are you and I so unlike?
Huddled here, you, just as I am
We're so afraid if we move we might die
So we fought the world from our sacred hall, lies, always lies"
(Flashes back to Lews Therin in the prologue of EotW realizing what he's done to his family)
"Don't you know, only when you bring love
Then you'll become what you are"

(Chaotic images of Lews Therin going insane again with rage, killing himself, the creation of Dragonmount and the Breaking)
"Don't trust me,
Trust yourself ..."

 

Transitions to dream-like visuals foreshadowing the aftermath of Dumai's Well and the famous scene of Taim and the Black Tower with the Aes Sedai on their knees in front of Rand. Lews Therin's voice still in Rand's head:
Indistinct mumbling
"But you pray down on your knees motherf***ers
You don't say god is on my side"
Descent back into the indistinct mumbling and babbling of insanity...

 

Final images go back to Rand asleep on the ground in the wilderness, clearly in the throws of a feverish nightmare, Trollocs and Darkhounds howling in the distance.