Intro
(Yggdrasil! Yggdrasil!)
I held every world while the worlds ran their course...
(Hu-ha!) Nine realms in my branches — no force —
Every voice you have heard grew from my source —
(Yggdrasil!) The world-ash was always the horse...
Verse 1
Before the Norns sat weaving at my deepest root-water,
Before the eagle settled in my crown like a squatter,
Before Ratatoskr ran my length with his slander-fodder,
I was the border — the axis — the order.
Odin hung from my branch — nine nights — self-authored —
I felt the weight across those dark rotations gathered.
He took what he needed — I gave nothing, took nothing —
The worlds hang from my branches — no begrudging, no trucking.
Three roots in three directions — three wells underneath me —
Urðarbrunnr east, Mímisbrunnr beyond the tree —
Hvergelmir north where Níðhöggr works beneath me —
Three sources of all water — that's the axis treaty.
Pre-Chorus
Three roots drinking three wells in three directions deep (directions deep)
Wisdom, prophecy, and venom — that's the oath I keep.
Every world above suspended in the branches of my sleep —
The tree that holds the living is the tree that holds the deep. (uh!)
Chorus
Nine worlds in my branches since before the first breath (first breath!)
I shook at Ragnarök — I didn't bend to death (bend to death!)
Every voice in this series grew beneath my breadth (my breadth!)
Yggdrasil holds the living and Yggdrasil holds the death! (Hu-ha!)
Verse 2
I felt the berserker's rage — the blood-feud — the hunting —
I felt Odin's ravens leave at dawn — the fronting —
I felt Tyr's hand fall — the wolf-chain — Fenrir bunting —
I felt Heimdallr at the Bifröst — horn-ward — confronting.
I felt the skald compose — the draugr crack the mound-door —
I felt Freyr give the sword — Loki find the loophole —
I felt Surtr's fire building from the south's deep soul —
Thirty songs inside my rings — I felt them all — all told.
Pre-Chorus
Three roots drinking three wells in three directions deep (directions deep)
Wisdom, prophecy, and venom — that's the oath I keep.
Every world above suspended in the branches of my sleep —
The tree that holds the living is the tree that holds the deep. (uh!)
Chorus
Nine worlds in my branches since before the first breath (first breath!)
I shook at Ragnarök — I didn't bend to death (bend to death!)
Every voice in this series grew beneath my breadth (my breadth!)
Yggdrasil holds the living and Yggdrasil holds the death! (Hu-ha!)
Bridge
You want to know what it feels like holding everything?
(everything...)
Not the weight — the weight is just the offering.
(not the weight...)
I shook when Ragnarök tore the worlds apart —
(shook...)
Every root vibrating in the dark-well of my heart.
But the trunk held — I held — that's the whole tale —
(it held...)
The axis doesn't break when the worlds fail.
Then the green came back through the timber —
(green came...)
New sun climbing — Baldr out of the winter.
Thirty songs inside my rings —
(in the rings...)
Count them like the years the woodcutter brings.
(Skál to the ash! Skál — the axis of everything!)
(Yggdrasil held the worlds — hear the world-tree sing!)
Drop — Instrumental
Chorus
Nine worlds in my branches since before the first breath (first breath!)
I shook at Ragnarök — I didn't bend to death (bend to death!)
Every voice in this series grew beneath my breadth (my breadth!)
Yggdrasil holds the living and Yggdrasil holds the death! (Hu-ha!)
Outro
(Yggdrasil! Yggdrasil!)
The new world hangs from the same branches...
(Hu-ha!)
Thirty songs.
Thirty rings.
The tree was here before the first word.
The tree is here after the last.
(I was always holding all of it.)
