Skadi's Hammer

"Skadi's Hammer" is a Longest Johns original written by Andy Yates. It holds the distinction of being the first Andy-penned song released by the band. It was released as track 6 on Voyage.
==Factoids==
In Norse mythology, Skadi is a goddess associated with bowhunting, skiing, mountains, and winter.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ska%C3%B0i Traditionally, she is depicted with a bow, rather than a hammer; the hammer appears to originate with a series of Avengers comics from 2011.https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/Hammer_of_Skadi
John Barleycorn is a traditional personification of barley (and by extension, the beer and whiskey made from it). He appears in several interrelated English and Scottish folk songs dating back to the 16th century, which usually detail his mistreatment up to and including murder as a metaphor for the harvesting and brewing processes.Wood, Peter. "John Barleycorn: the evolution of a folk-song family." Folk Music Journal, vol. 8, no. 4, annual 2004, pp. 438+. Gale Academic OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A154806332/AONE?u=googlescholar&sid=googleScholar&xid=da9f7f5c. Accessed 16 Jan. 2024.
In Greek mythology, Demeter is the goddess of agriculture and the harvest, responsible for making crops grow.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demeter
One for the rook...: These two lines quote a version of a planting rhyme, widespread in both the UK and US. It has been associated with various specific crops, often beans or corn, or with sowing more generally. The first creature mentioned varies widely — mouse, blackbird, and cutworm are other common examples — but the crow/grow rhyme is consistent."ONE for the mouse, one for the crow, one to rot, one to grow." Oxford Dictionary of Proverbs. Ed. Speake, Jennifer. : Oxford University Press, , 2015. Oxford Reference. Date Accessed 22 Feb. 2024 <https://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/acref/9780198734901.001.0001/acref-9780198734901-e-1616>.https://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=128924
==Lyrics==
As performed on Voyage
Lord of the harvest, master of scythe,
Open the fields and collect your prize.
Woe to you, John Barleycorn.
Rest in peace upon the millers stone.
{Chorus}
Oh the harvest's got sharp teeth and it's dragging me under.
Put down the sword, turn the millstone round.
Oh Demeter's embrace holds the sun to the land,
Until Skadi brings her hammer down.
Reaper man, reaper man is coming to tear
Through your fields, to strike the corn down.
Reaper man, reaper man, lay them all to rest,
And let the land sleep at winter's behest.
{Chorus}
I thought I heard the old man say,
John Barleycorn will soon lie in his grave.
One for the rook, one for the crow,
One will wither and one will grow.
{Chorus}
==Recordings==
====Stream/Purchase====
*Amazon
*Anghami
*Apple Music/iTunes
*Bandcamp
*Deezer
*Pandora
*Spotify
*Tidal
====YouTube Videos====
*Album version
====Full Band Streams====
*20,000 Streams Under the Sea (13 Feb 2024)
Category:Songs
Category:Andy Songs
Category:Voyage