The Willow Maid Lyrics
Erutan
Lyrics
A young man walked through the forest
With his quiver and hunting bow
He heard a young girl singing
And followed the sound below
There he found the maiden
Who lives in the willow
He called to her as she listened
From a ring of toadstools red
'Come with me my maiden
Come from thy willow bed
She looked at him serenely
And only shook her head
See me now, a ray of light in the moondance
See me now, I cannot leave this place
Hear me now, a strain of song in the forest
Don't ask me, to follow where you lead
A young man walked through the forest
With a flower and coat of green
His love had hair like fire
Her eyes an emerald sheen
She wrapped herself in beauty
So young and so serene
He stood there under the willow
And he gave her the yellow bloom
Girl my heart you've captured
Oh I would be your groom
She said she'd wed him never
Not near, nor far, nor soon
See me now, a ray of light in the moondance
See me now, I cannot leave this place
Hear me now, a strain of song in the forest
Don't ask me, to follow where you lead
A young man walked through the forest
With an axe sharp as a knife
I'll take the green-eyed fairy
And she shall be my wife
With her I'll raise my children
With her I'll live my life
The maiden wept when she heard him
When he said he'd set her free
He took his axe and used it
To bring down her ancient tree
Now your willow's fallen
Now you belong to me
See me now, a ray of light in the moondance
See me now, I cannot leave this place
Hear me now, a ray of light in the moondance
Don't ask me, to follow where you lead
She followed him out the forest
And collapsed upon the earth
Her feet had walked but a distance
From the green land of her birth
She faded into a flower
That would bloom for one bright eve
He could not take from the forest
What was never meant to leave
Song & Lyrics Facts
The Willow Maid is a beautiful and haunting song by Erutan, a singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist who creates original and cover songs inspired by fantasy, folklore and video games. The song was released in 2010 as part of her debut album Raindancer, and later in 2013 as a music video on YouTube.
The song is the first track on the album and has a duration of 5 minutes and 49 seconds. The song tells the story of a young man who falls in love with a fairy maiden who lives in a willow tree. He tries to persuade her to leave her home and come with him, but she refuses, saying that she belongs to the forest and cannot follow him. He becomes obsessed with her and decides to cut down her tree, hoping to free her and make her his wife. However, he only succeeds in killing her, as she fades into a flower that blooms for one night. The song conveys several messages to the listener, such as the importance of respecting nature and its creatures, the dangers of obsession and greed, and the tragedy of losing something precious and irreplaceable. The song also explores the themes of love, freedom, identity and death. The song uses poetic language and imagery to create a vivid and emotional narrative that draws the listener into the fairy world. The song also features Erutan's melodious voice and various instruments such as harp, violin, flute and percussion.