I See Fire

The mountain is the Lonely Mountain, the Kingdom of Erebor, the last dwarf kingdom in Middle Earth. This song describes the dwarves in the company of Thorin Oakenshield(son of Thror, son of Thrain, heir to the line of Durin, King Under the Mountain) in their quest to take back their homeland from the dragon Smaug. They are willing to die and burn together and even bring desolation fighting for what they lost. "Keep watching over Durin's sons" refers to the dwarves putting their leaders first, because all would be lost without them. "Durin's sons" are Thorin, and his nephews, Fíli and Kíli because they are the heirs to the throne. But the heirs would be just as lost without their people, "Oh should my people fall then surely I'll do the same". "And as the sky is falling down, it crashed into this lonely town" refers to Laketown, town of men that sits at the foot of the Lonely Mountain. If Smaug is awakened, it is sure to be the destruction of this place and it's people by the dragon's flames and ire, just as Dale before it.

after this song, I have so respects for ED well done

The song was written for/about the hobbit film, i think, cuz it's the closing credits of the desolation of smaug, and of course, Durin being one of the seven dwarven kings. I think it describes the destruction of the town under Smaug's mountain, hence all the references to fire, desolation and blood, etc.

I like the idea that those lyrics are Kilis thoughts when he is feverish. It's a nice thought.

I've always felt like the song is about the fall of Erebor. I would think that it is about Thorin's company, but the entire song has a haunting sort of feel, as if it is an echo of the ancient past. I imagine the company walking through the dusty, cobwebbed mountain with a phantom Ed Sheeran singing this song. I like to think of it as Balin praying to Mahal the day the dragon attacked.

One thing I find that a lot of people covering this song on YouTube, or playing it live, just don't get is that this song is meant to be a very dark lamentation. It's the kind of song that's meant to convey the end of the world. It's about the horror of watching your entire world burn before your eyes, and the sorrow of realizing the best you can hope for is dying at the side of your loved ones.

IT IS NOT A FREAKING POWER BALLAD OR AN INSPIRATIONAL TUNE!!!

Sheeran’s song is based on Peter Jackson’s film “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug,” but there’s more to the song than just the description of fire.

1) “Oh, misty eye of the mountain below / Keep careful watch of my brother’s souls / And should the sky be filled with fire and smoke / Keep watching over Durin’s sons”

I actually read this song as a sort of prayer. The “misty eye of the mountain below” is the “god” Sheeran addresses. The mountain has a heart (the Arkenstone), so why shouldn’t it have an eye, as well? Throughout The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings, eyes are a fairly important symbol. Both Sauron and Smaug, the primary villains of the two tales, have noteable flame-colored eyes. The Lonely Mountain to which this song refers does not have a fiery eye, but a “misty” one. While the other eyes’ ability (Sauron’s in particular) to see all is a reason for fear, the singer of this song calls for the mountain’s eye to see all and draws hope from it. It’s interesting that Sheeran would have the words “misty” and “mountain” in the same line, since there is a range called Misty Mountains in Middle Earth, but if I recall correctly, that’s the range where Bilbo finds the ring, not where Smaug lives. I don’t really know why he says the eye of the mountain is “below,” so any thoughts on that are welcome.

Also, I believe this part of the song is from the perspective of Bard, the eventual leader of Lake-town. He asks the mountain to “keep careful watch of [his] brother’s souls,” his brothers being the people of Laketown. If Smaug poses a threat to them or the dwarves, Bard also hopes the mountain will “keep watching over Durin’s sons,” or protecting the dwarves. While Bard and Thorin have their disagreements, they’re both willing to do anything for the people they lead. Both Lake-town and the dwarves (plus one hobbit) unite against the fire.

2) “If this is to end in fire / Then we should all burn together / Watch the flames climb high into the night / Calling out ‘father,’ oh, stand by and we will / Watch the flames burn auburn on / The mountain side high”

As I said before, a major theme of this song is how trials prompt unity. If the fire comes for them, they will all “burn together.” The song is a sort of disheartening battle cry. They will “watch the flames,” bravely standing together in the face of certain death. The idea of them calling out “father” also implies that their hope centers around a god of some sort, reinforcing my belief that the song is a prayer, much like a psalm. The “auburn” color of the flames is also important, as it paints them as beautiful, albeit destructive. Auburn is a reddish-brown color. I think the color is normally too brown to associate with flames, but the film was so dark in lighting and mood, it works in this case. Sheeran may also be playing with the word a little bit, since it has the word “burn” in it. Before looking up the lyrics, I actually thought the line was “watch the flames burn on, burn on” rather than “burn auburn on.” In any case, it sounds beautiful, particularly when sung by Sheeran.

3) “And if we should die tonight / We should all die together / Raise a glass of wine for the last time / Calling out ‘father,’ oh, / Prepare as we will / Watch the flames burn auburn on / The mountain side”

Yet again there’s a sense of camaraderie in that they plan to “die together.” In drinking “a glass of wine for the last time,” I associate them with Jesus and his disciples at The Last Supper, where they ate before Jesus parted. This time, though, all of them prepare to die. Again they call out “father” and instruct him to “prepare,” perhaps meaning for him to prepare a place in the afterlife as they “watch the flames.”

4) “Desolation comes upon the sky”

Desolation is defined both as a state of complete destruction and a state of anguish, misery, or loneliness. The word refers to the destruction–both physical and emotional–Smaug can cause. It’s particularly powerful in this context because the film off which Sheeran based the lyrics is the second in the series, titled “The Desolation of Smaug.”

For more analysis of the song, check out my blog entry, toriphelps.wordpress.com/2015/03/28/focus-on-the-lyrics-friday-i-see-fire/

I love this song, so suitable for the Dwarves of Erebor.

However maybe because I've been on a Elder Scrolls binge, but it reminds me so much of the Dunmer who had to leave Morrowind when the Red Mountain exploded. Seriously change "Durin's Sons" for "Azura's Sons" and you have yourself a Lament of the Dunmer people.

The song might be about the movie hobbit. Bit the song represents how people destroy the nature we have .. He song is a message to all of us on about saving our surroundings

"Oh, should my people fall Then surely I'll do the same Confined in mountain halls We got too close to the flame" This quote sums up dwarfs perfectly. Loyal, stubborn and brave but their downfall is always because of their greed.