The song “Soldier, Poet, King” is a “heavy folksong.” The Oh Hellos sing about the second coming of Jesus Christ as foreseen in the Book of Revelation. They also reference C.S. Lewis’s charming book about a devil, who happens to be terrible at being a devil, named Wormwood. Wormwood increasingly upsets his Uncle Screwtape, who winds up eating his incompetent nephew for allowing someone to become a Christian believer. The satire in Lewis’s book parallels the tongue-in-cheek way that The Oh Hellos hint at the eternal damnation of nonbelievers as they’re eternally hacked to pieces with swords in hell. It’s interesting that among Christian denominations, there is no real agreement on the meaning of the Book of Revelation. Some consider the second death in the lake of fire to be cleansing while others speak of annihilation. The sword that The Oh Hellos speak of in the song, and that is referenced in the Book of Matthew, Chapter 10, is not generally thought to be a true weapon of war but a metaphorical one that cuts apart societal norms.

That Irish Sound

The song has unmistakable Celtic-music influences. Tyler Heath said recently that the ideas for the melody and harmony came to him and his sister, Maggie, when they were on a trip to Ireland in 2010. In fact, both Heaths said that they wanted to incorporate at least a little bit of Celtic music in everything they did after that trip. It is also interesting to note that the group uses banjos and other non-Irish instruments while still using chord structures and modes inherent in the music of the Emerald Isle.

Screwtape Reversed

The Heaths mention that their idea behind the Screwtape reference was to do the song in reverse. Instead of the wise uncle writing letters to the neophyte nephew, they approached it with the sense of the nephew writing the letters to the wise uncle. Also, instead of the theme of the letters being how to lead people astray and away from the Gospel, the theme was supposed to be cautionary so as not to lead those same people astray.

Fantasy Connections

The music has many of the hallmarks of the soundtracks of films in the fantasy genre. Although no fantasy films have used the song in a soundtrack, it’s got the feel of such music. No television shows have used it either. The Heaths also remark with amusement that many pagans and other non-Christian believers had been dancing and celebrating to a song that is firmly based in the Christian faith.

Lyrics

There will come a soldier
Who carries a mighty sword
He will tear your city down
Oh lei, oh lai, oh, Lord
Oh lei, oh lai, oh lei, oh, Lord
He will tear your city down
Oh lei, oh lai, oh lei, oh, Lord

There will come a poet
Whose weapon is His word
He will slay you with His tongue
Oh lei, oh lai, oh, Lord
Oh lei, oh lai, oh lei, oh, Lord
He will slay you with His tongue
Oh lei, oh lai, oh, Lord

There will come a ruler
Whose brow is laid in thorn
Smeared with oil like David’s boy
Oh lei, oh lai, oh, Lord
Oh lei, oh lai, oh lei, oh, Lord
Smeared with oil like David’s boy
Oh lei, oh lai, oh, Lord

Oh lei, oh lai, oh lei, oh, Lord
He will tear your city down, oh lei, oh lai
Ohh

Oh lei, oh lai, oh lei, oh lai, oh
Oh lei, oh lai, oh lei, oh lai, oh

Oh lei, oh lai, oh lei, oh lai
Oh lei, oh lai, oh lei, oh lai, oh

Source: LyricFind

Songwriters: Hannah Margaret Heath / William Tyler Heath

Soldier, Poet, King lyrics © Peermusic Publishing, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

Listeners of music from the 2010’s, might also appreciate the song Someone You Loved by Lewis Capaldi