Howling ghosts, they reappear in mountains
that are stacked with fear but…

Blazing Reader,

Howling ghosts, they reappear
In mountains that are stacked with fear
But you're a king and I'm a lionheart

Those lyrics left me standing frozen in the middle of a small downtown grocery. I couldn’t hear the words clearly. I wasn’t even sure if the song was in English. But between the music and the feeling emanating from the vocalist, I knew what this song was about.

It was 6:58 pm on the Tuesday before Christmas. Every Tuesday, I drop into the “Green Grocer” to buy their fresh-baked rye bread, before picking my son up at the Brazillian Jiu-Jitsu club across the street.

There were no other customers and only one employee left, sweeping the floor.

“What is this song?” I asked her.

“Huh?”

“This song. On the speakers. Do you know the name of it?”

“Oh. Sure. I can check.”

She put the broom aside and walked over to a device connected to the speaker system.

“This is one of the cook’s playlists,” she said. “He has such good taste in music.”

Sure does, I thought.

“Of Monsters and Men,” she said. “That’s the band’s name.”

“Oh,” I replied. “Like Of Mice and Men.”

“Yeah. They’re from Iceland. The song’s called ‘King and Lionheart.’”

As soon as I arrived home I typed “of monsters and men” into YouTube and had the song playing while I put dinner on the table.

Since then I’ve heard the song at least four dozen times.

It’s a simple song in many ways, but it hits me deeply every time. I particularly like the line:

“That we won't run, and we won't run, and we won't run”

Not a literary masterpiece. I know.

But, boy, a song for our times — where “howling ghosts” of tyrannical control or the collapse of society are reappearing in so many forms — from someone wearing a mask to countries pledging their citizens to the WHO to men being allowed into girls’ change rooms.

It’s a song about facing the eternal battle between good and evil with courage and love.

And as the world comes to an end
I'll be here to hold your hand
'Cause you're my king and I'm your lionheart

The visuals in the music video only add another layer of magic.

You can check it out on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A76a_LNIYwE

John C.A. Manley

PS If my novel, Much Ado About Corona: A Dystopian Love Story, is ever turned into a movie, I would love to have "King and Lionheart" as part of the soundtrack.

PPS Subscriber Mark Caldwell wrote to say, "My amazing mom is 86 and just informed me that she can't put your book down. I gifted her a copy at Christmas." You can join Mark's amazing mom and order yours at: https://MuchAdoAboutCorona.com

John C. A. Manley is the author of Much Ado About Corona: A Dystopian Love Story, the forthcoming All The Humans Are Sleeping and other works of speculative fiction. Get free samples of his stories by becoming a Blazing Pine Cone email subscriber at: https://blazingpinecone.com/subscribe/