Daenerys Targaryen

BIO

Daenerys I Targaryen is a recurring protagonist in George R.R. Martin's A Song Of Ice And Fire series and the HBO series Game Of Thrones. Daenerys is the daughter of the previous king, Aerys "The Mad King" Targaryen, who was ousted from the throne during Robert's Rebellion. After the rebellion, the Targaryens are forced into hiding. Daenerys's brother, Viserys, sets out to take back the throne, but it isn't long before Daenerys proves that she is more deserving of the post than her power-hungry brother and dedicates her life to becoming queen.

SONGS

Riders On The Storm by The Doors

Daenerys was born into an old, regal, and respected family called House Targaryen. She lived her early life as a princess, her life and duties decided for her. Later on, she was forced into a political marriage with a rough, callused warrior.

Riders On The Storm well portrays Daenerys's lack of control over her own life. The first verse says:

Riders on the storm
Riders on the storm
Into this house we're born
Into this world we're thrown
Like a dog without a bone
An actor out on loan
Riders on the storm

The third and fourth lines say "into this house we're born, into this world we're thrown", describing Daenerys's early life perfectly. She was born into a royal house, and as result was forced to conform to the expectations of the monarchy. The fifth and sixth lines, "like a dog without a bone, an actor out on loan" provide examples of creatures that are being denied their purpose in life. A dog without its bone is bored, unoccupied, downtrodden, and hungry, while an actor out on loan is between jobs and has little say about their future. This is much like Daenerys - her life has been predetermined for her, and she is being denied the things she wants: true love, a normal life, etc. Daenerys is a rider on the storm - someone that is cast into the world unwittingly, forced to float with the tide.

Additionally, Daenerys's family is shrouded in mystery and mystique - their connection with magic and dragons make many curious about them. Much like the Targaryens, Riders On The Storm is very cryptic and mysterious. If you listen carefully, you can hear that the lyrics are being whispered in the background. The chord structure is very eerie and the song itself is oddly chilling and relaxing at the same time. All in all, both the song and Daenerys's family is mysterious, making Riders On The Storm a good pick lyrically and sonically.

A Horse With No Name by America

After her marriage, Daenerys was frightened about what the future would hold. Following her wedding, Daenerys and her husband began a long trek to their home. For many days, they faced open landscape and had very little to eat - chiefly the meat of their horses.

A Horse With No Name well portrays this sense of desolation, loneliness, and repetition, and the song bears both literal and figurative similarities to Daenerys's situation. The first verse says:

On the first part of the journey
I was looking at all the life
There were plants and birds and rocks and things
There was sand and hills and rings
The first thing I met was a fly with a buzz
And the sky with no clouds
The heat was hot and the ground was dry
But the air was full of sound

These lyrics depict somewhat of a positive sentiment toward the desert landscape. Much like Daenerys, the song portrays an appreciation for nature in the beginning. By the end, however, the lyrics have changed, saying "after nine days I let the horse run free, cause the desert had turned to sea ". The desert turning to sea is a known hallucination that one experiences after being in the desert for too long, so this lyric shows the passage of time. Daenerys also travels for months on end.

One sonic and lyrical theme of this song that applies to Daenerys is repetition. Lyrically, many lines repeat themselves. Other than the chorus repeating, the lines "There were plants and birds and rocks and things, there was sand and hills and rings" repeat multiple times throughout the piece. Sonically, this song is repetitive. It only contains two very similar chords, Em and D6/9. The chord structure, tempo, and strumming pattern remain the same throughout the song, mirroring the repetitive nature of the lyrics. Overall, the repetition illustrates the limitless landscape, the endless journey, and the sense of unease and desperation that sets in over the course of Daenerys's trek.

Black Smoke Rising by Greta Van Fleet

Eventually, Daenerys learns to love her husband and becomes very respected by his people. After the passing of her brother, Daenerys decides to pursue the throne for herself. She holds distaste for the current rulers and feels that there needs to be a political change. 

Black Smoke Rising well represents Daenerys's growing awareness of politics and her disapproval of the current rulers. The song talks about corruption and war, two things that are ever present in the story. The first verse says:

Did you know there was a tower
Where they look out to the land
To see the people quickly passing by
This is for their own desire
As they spit down to the earth
To feel the power boiling in their veins

These lyrics are discussing leaders that look down on their people from a metaphorical tower, spitting over the ledge and feeling the rush of power. This sentiment holds true in the Song Of Ice And Fire series. The most influential and powerful houses in the story are often ruthless, merciless, and greedy, never making decisions in the interest of their people. The traits described in the song are the very traits that Daenerys sees in the rulers of her continent. The chorus of the song furthers this theme:

And the black smoke rises
From the fires, we've been told
It's the new age crisis
And we will stand up in the cold
Stand up in the cold

The final lines are a call to action, pleading with the people to start a "rebellion". In the book, Daenerys says "I am the blood of the dragon. I must be strong. I must have fire in my eyes when I face them, not tears." This moment of bravery and realization is what leads Daenerys to start a rebellion. In the song's second verse, the lyrics say "...the fate of man is in the hands of he who stands and heeds the call". This is a continuation of the rallying call, similar to the one that Daenerys accepts: the call to stand up to the corruption that exists in the monarchy.

Sonically, this piece works because of its faster tempo and hopeful tone. In contrast to the songs earlier in the playlist, this song is much faster and more exciting. This mirrors Daenerys's mood: she is excited about her prospects of seizing the throne. the song has a hopeful tone to it, reflecting the hope that Daenerys has for her cause.

Stormbringer by Deep Purple

This describes the momentum and potential for success that Daenerys's cause gains when the dragons are hatched.

Daenerys's husband dies and she loses her child. At her husband's funeral, she places three dragon eggs on his funeral pyre. The fire hatches the eggs. Daenerys knows that the dragons will greatly increase her chances of seizing the throne, which motivates her.

Stormbringer lyrically and sonically illustrates Daenerys's attitude after the dragons hatch. Sonically, the song is heavy rock, which symbolizes her anger and fiery ambition. Following a string of misfortunes, Daenerys is a melting pot of emotions and she is very troubled, which reflects the sonic presentation of this song. One portion of the song says:

Stormbringer coming down
Meaning to stay
Thunder and lightning
Heading your way
Ride the rainbow
Crack the sky
Stormbringer coming
Time to die

These lyrics are discussing the coming of an entity that is going to make great change and cause a revolution. "Stormbringer" represents Daenerys - like the song says, she's coming down and meaning to stay. She has great plans to stake her claim on the throne and cause a political uprising. Comparing Daenerys to the Stormbringer is also neat because many people call her "Stormborn". Additionally, the lyrics "thunder and lighting, heading your way" could easily be linked to the dragons, creatures that are very powerful and bring destruction in their wake.

Sailing Ships by Whitesnake

Daenerys's dragons caused her to be known and feared around the world. More people knew her name, causing her to quickly become prestigious. With more momentum than ever before, Daenerys began rallying troops and preparing to take the throne. 

Sailing Ships serves as a narrative of Daenerys's life. The first verse says:

Do you remember
Standing on the shore,
Head in the clouds,
Your pockets filled with dreams
Bound for glory
On the seven seas of life,
But, the ocean is deeper than it seems

These lyrics can clearly be connected to Daenerys's early life when she was full of wonder and dreams for the future. The final line of the verse, however, symbolizes how she would be unable to live out these dreams as a princess - her life would be set for her. Additionally, during this section of the song, the music is very somber, matching the mood of this stage of Daenerys's life. The middle of the song narrates a similar message. The subject is attempting to spread their wings and fly, but find themselves powerless and lost. The third verse says:

You cry for mercy,
When you think you've lost your way,
You drift alone, and all your hope is gone

This section of the song can be linked to Daenerys's time with her husband. She is downtrodden and feels like she has no control of her life and destiny. After this portion of the song, however, things begin to pick up for the subject:

Sail your ship across the water,
Spread your wings across the sky 
Take the time to see
You're the one who holds the key

The subject of the song, much like Daenerys, is finally realizing that they have the potential to lead their own life. By the end of the song, the music has picked up. It is much louder with heavier guitar, reflecting the victorious revelation that the subject is experiencing - they're finally realizing that they can take control of their fate and destiny. This is reflected in the final chorus:

Take me with you,
Take me far away,
We'll ride the wind across the sky
Spread your wings and you will see
You control, your destiny,
So sailing ships don't pass you by

These lyrics can be used to describe Daenerys following the birth of her dragons. She has a renewed vigor and passion for life, and with dragons by her side, she feels invincible. Clearly, both the lyrical and sonic aspects of the song can be used to narrate the stages of Daenerys's thematic development throughout the story.

Wheel In The Sky by Journey

The current rulers begin to fear Daenerys. Eager, Daenerys wants to use her dragons to storm the capital, but her counsel warns her that this isn't a wise idea - using firebreathing dragons might make the citizens fear and dislike her. So, Daenerys is forced to lay in wait.

Wheel In The Sky easily connects to Daenerys's situation. The first two lyrics say:

Winter is here again oh lord,
haven't been home in a year or more

In the series, "Winter" is used to refer to impending danger (hence the saying "winter is coming"). So, this lyric literally translates to the story. The second line also fits because it highlights Daenerys's long absence from her home. The chorus also relates to Daenerys's circumstances:

Wheel in the sky keeps on turnin'
I don't know where I'll be tomorrow
wheel in the sky keeps on turnin'
I've been trying to make it home
got to make it before too long
I can't take this very much longer

These lyrics refer to a "Wheel" that keeps turning. Coincidentally enough, Daenerys refers to a wheel throughout the series: "Lannister, Targaryen, Baratheon, Stark, Tyrell – they’re all just spokes on a wheel. This one’s on top, then that one’s on top, and on and on it spins, crushing those on the ground. I’m not going to stop the wheel. I’m going to break the wheel." This is one of Daenerys's most notable quotes. This song very directly applies to her sentiments - the wheel keeps turning, and she wants it to stop. The final lines of the chorus illustrate Daenerys's eagerness to seize the throne and outline her impatience concerning the delay she's experiencing.

Sonically, this song also fits. The beat is very steady, mimicking the turning of a wheel. Also, the vocalist cries out during the chorus, which reflects Daenerys's inward, contained cries of confusion and concern for the future.