The Hold Steady are heading for Westeros.
The Brooklyn indie outfit have recorded a track for “Game of Thrones” Season 3 entitled “The Bear and the Maiden Fair,” a “boisterous tavern” song that appears in George R.R. Martin’s books. That makes the group the second Brooklyn band to contribute to the HBO series’ soundtrack as of late, with mood-rockers The National having made a contribution to Season 2 with a rendition of the tune “The Rains of Castemere.”
“As with the National, we went after one of our favorite bands and were happily surprised when they agreed to do it,” showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss told exclusive-getter EW. “This is one of the most popular songs in Westeros, beloved by nobles and commoners alike, sung at taverns and feasts and etc. We wanted our rendition to be bawdy and a little sloppy – drunken musicians getting up on the table and jamming while the rowdy party continues around them. There was no one better for the job than the Hold Steady, and the song they delivered has been stuck in our heads for the last four weeks.”
“The Bear and the Maiden Fair” boasts lyrics by Martin and music by “Game of Thrones” composer Ramin Djawadi. Producers are being coy about exactly how the song will be used in the upcoming episode, though EW claims “it’s not where readers of Martin”s novels might suspect.”
In addition to its use in the show, The Hold Steady will be releasing the song on an upcoming 7″ for Record Store Day (April 20). It will be paired with non-“GOT” track “Criminal Fingers.”
Speaking of indie musicians partnering up with “Game of Thrones,” Snow Patrol frontman Gary Lightbody and Coldplay drummer Will Champion are both slated to appear in cameos this season.
You can check out the full lyrics of “The Bear and the Maiden Fair” below.
“Game of Thrones” Season 3 premieres on March 31.
“A bear there was,”
“A bear, A BEAR!
“All black and brown,”
“And covered with hair!
“Oh come they said,”
“Oh come to the fair!”
“The fair? said he,
“But I”m a bear!”
“All black and brown,”
“And covered in hair!”
“And down the road,”
“From here to there,”
“From here!To there!”
“Three boys, a goat,”
“And a dancing bear!”
“They danced and spun,”
“All the way to the fair!”
“Oh! sweet she was,”
“And pure and fair,”
“The maid with honey,”
“In her hair! Her hair,”
“The maid with honey,”
“in her hair!”
The bear smelled the scent,
“On the summer air!”
“The Bear! The Bear!”
“All black and brown,”
“And covered with hair!”
“He smelled the scent,”
“On the summer air,”
“He sniffed and roared,”
“And smelled it there!”
“Honey on the summer air!”
“Oh I”m a maid,”
“And I”m pure and fair,”
“I”ll never dance,”
“With a hairy bear,”
“A bear! A bear!”
“I”ll never dance,”
“With a hairy bear!”
“The bear,the bear!”
“Lifted her high,”
into the air!”
The bear, the bear!”
“I called for a knight!”
“But you”re a bear!”
“A bear! A bear,”
“All black and brown,”
“And cover in hair!”
“She kicked and wailed,”
“The maid so fair,”
“But he licked the honey,”
“From her hair!”
“Her hair! Her hair!”
“He licked the honey,”
“From her hair!”
“Then she sighed and squealed,”
“And kicked the air,”
“She sang: My bear so fair,”
“And off they went,”
“The bear! The bear!”
“And the maiden fair!”