Egg’s Song Lyrics, Meaning & Why It’s So Important in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms

There’s a lot going on with Egg in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Season 1, Episode 3, but among the major reveals and ominous foreshadowings was a funny song that hints at crucial backstory. Titled “The Squire,” the half-hour installment saw Egg reveal his true identity as a Targaryen, another one of Maekar’s sons, in order to save Ser Duncan the Tall’s life. He and Dunk also had their futures foretold by a mysterious woman, who prophesied that Egg would become king and die in a fire.

Before all the drama, though, we got Egg singing a fun little ditty that, to be honest, has been stuck in my head ever since (and no, I’m not talking about the song involving Alice and her fingers!). While sitting in a tree, Egg sings a humorous number that features his father, Maekar, his uncle, Baelor, and a few other characters, as well as narrowly avoiding some dirty words. It’s catchy, it’s funny, and it feels like exactly the kind of song that Egg would’ve been taught, likely by his oldest brother, Daeron (who is a drunk), and it makes sense he’d be singing it.

What Egg’s Song Really Means In A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms

Egg’s song speaks to House Targaryen’s recent history prior to A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms‘ timeline, and in particular, a civil war known as the Blackfyre Rebellion. Let’s break it down, line-by-line.

“Prince Baelor was the firstborn, Prince Maekar sprang out last…”

The opening line of the song is easy enough to understand, as it refers to Egg’s family. Baelor is the eldest son of King Daeron II Targaryen, while Maekar is the youngest. In between are Aerys and Rhaegal, neither of whom is present in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Season 1.

“Daemon was the bastard, so they kicked his bastard…”

This refers to Daemon Blackfyre. Although the lyrics make it sound like he’s the bastard brother of Baelor and Maekar, that’s not actually the case. Daemon was one of the so-called Great Bastards of King Aegon IV Targaryen, who legitimized his bastards on his deathbed, and thus the brother of King Daeron II.

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Though Daemon was younger, he believed he had a strong claim to the Iron Throne, having been given the Valyrian steel sword Blackfyre (from which he took his name), that had once belonged to Aegon the Conqueror, and being likened to the Conqueror as a warrior. Daeron had upset some people with his rule, which included making concessions to Dorne, and that eventually led to Daemon making a play for the crown, known as the Blackfyre Rebellion, around 13 years before the events of the show.

“Grass is green in summer, green grass I adore / But grass is red all over when you kill a rebel…”

The Battle of the Redgrass Field was the climactic battle of the Blackfyre Rebellion. While the conflict had waged all across the Seven Kingdoms, from the Vale and the riverlands to the westerlands and the Reach, it was here that it reached its climax. Some 10,000 men are said to have died on the field, their blood giving it its name, and it resulted in a victory for House Targaryen. Daemon and his two sons were all killed by another of Aegon IV’s bastards, Brynden Rivers, aka Bloodraven (who later goes on to become the Three-Eyed Raven).

“Horses die in battle / This battle was the front / Blackfyre’s not a trueborn, he came from the wrong…”

More references to the battle, and the fact that Daemon was not a trueborn son, showing that Egg, as you’d expect given his family, is very much loyal to the bloodline.

“Country was in peril, The Anvil was a rock / The Hammer smashed the bastard with his giant veiny / Host of Dornish spearmen”

The Hammer and the Anvil bring us back to Baelor and Maekar. Baelor led a host of men from Dorne and the stormlands to attack the rear of the Blackfyre army, shattering their lines and crushing them against a shield wall formed by the forces commanded by Maekar, thus Baelor became known as the Hammer and Maekar as the Anvil.

The song sheds some more light on what is an important part of Targaryen history, especially as it relates to the story of Dunk and Egg. While the house of the dragon was victorious, it means we’re seeing them at a time when their rule had been threatened in very recent memory. The Targaryens no longer have dragons, and they’re perceived as a little weaker. The Blackfyre Rebellion is actually even more important in George R.R. Martin’s other Dunk and Egg books, The Sworn Sword and The Mystery Knight, as it factors into different characters, and so this lays some groundwork for A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Season 2 and 3.

New episodes of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms release Sundays at 10 pm ET on HBO. Due to the Super Bowl, Episode 4 will release early on HBO Max, dropping on Friday, February 6th at 12:01 am PT / 3:01 am ET.

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