Work Text:
“Ode to Badboyhalo”
I pray you, Badboyhalo, I pray you
I pray you, Badboyhalo, I pray you 1
Oh, why do lies settle in your head? 2
Why do lies settle in your head?
Badboyhalo, they flock, like ravens in your hair
Foreboding, they warn of omen 3
Death came for her, who lied
Death came for him, who lied 4
She in her old age lied and she lived 5
But she lived a life of liesy 6
Disperse the lies from your head
I look upon them with sorrow
Come join me, I reach out with my hand
I call from the Holy Land 7
I implore you to hurry
BadBoyHalo, you are surely a picture of strength
Your stride is of greatness 8
Meet me in the Holy Land
And help me find netherite 9
Oh, why do lies settle in your head?
Why do lies settle in your head?
Why do lies settle in your head?
A moment of freedom, freedom 10
Oh, (LANGUAGE) 11
(LANGUAGE)
1. Here, the poet begins with an address to the mythical figure, Badboyhalo. It is commonly assumed that this famous ode is meant to be from the perspective of Quackity the Bard, who, according to folklore, was someone who had close relations to the fearsome dark spell caster - an odd companionship for the happy-go-lucky lyricist to strike with the fearsome, brooding practitioner of magic. Additionally, despite this ode being one of the more famous ones associated with Quackity, it diverts from the usual comic themes that characterize his “work” - a tragic, melancholic call towards the dark warlock to avert himself from the darkness.
2. Here, it is unclear what sort of “lies” the poet is referring to. Some essayists argue that this is a poem in response to the events of the “Eggpire Arc” - where Badboyhalo declared his opposition to the Egg, a benevolent deity/force that had appeared in the lands to spread its grace among the people. This ode may be a call from Quackity for the dark wizard to stop denying his call to the Egg, and therefore, salvation. Other essayists, however, argue it could also be in reference to a dark secret the spell caster had kept to himself and was keeping from his dear friend - after all, Badboyhalo was known to be mysterious, and to practice many sinister arts in his own private quarters - what kind of secrets could a man have who was able to silence his mortal enemies with a single word of his tongue?
3. Either way, it is clear that whatever “lies” Badboyhalo had been keeping, they were clearly of a negative nature, and that the speaker wishes to convey their worry at the potential danger they may impose.
4. It is vague who exactly the poet is referring to when he gives these warnings - the use of only pronouns may symbolize a sort of all-encompassing warning, in order to convey that anyone could be susceptible to these “lies”. The message, however, is very blunt - the poet loses all pretense of artfulness to make a heavy-handed point, emphasizing his seriousness.
5. Again, it is unclear of who exactly the poet is referring to with the use of “she”, but the mention of her old age may also be a way for the poet to make the argument that age does not matter when it comes to the business and dealings of lies. Notable Classicist Brano the Sagacious, however, suggests that it is possible this could be of reference to the mythical goddess “Mumza”, an old deity of death, which would fit into the repetition of the motif of death in this ode. Personally, I disagree with this conclusion, as there is no known mythical connection between Mumza and Quackity, but the point is to be considered.
6. It is not sure here what the word “liesy” means (pronounced lie-see, when recited in an oral context) - likely, the word has origins dating to proto-historical times which has been lost through disuse with the development of our modern language today, or is simply a convenient word of invention by the poet.
7. This allusion to the Holy Land is what convinces many scholars of the “Eggpire Arc” origins of this poem, as it could possibly represent the utopian like afterlife that the Egg offered to its faithful followers. Certainly, a religious reference wouldn’t be uncharacteristic for any DSMP member to have made - even the legendary figure Tommyinnit himself was known to worship a Goddess, which we only today know by the name of “The Queen”. Quackity is clearly wanting to direct Badboyhalo to the right path through a promise of a gracious afterlife - and so in some ways, this ode can also be considered as an important hymn in the religious canon.
8. Quackity is often characterized as having an almost infamous fascination with Badboyhalo’s “manliness” - which may account for their strange friendship in folklore. Perhaps we could take these compliments as an attempt at “flattery” - adding to the overall pleading, persuasive tone of this ode.
9. Netherite is a rare material that was thought to be of mythical status up until the recent discovery of an abandoned trove of chests in an excavation site by archeologists, who matched descriptions of the material in texts borrowed from the Mizu Archives to the ingots that they had found. Metallurgists are still trying to figure out the properties of netherite, but as of so far, it is unclear exactly how it is possible to acquire more of the peculiar metal in our natural world. This reference to finding netherite in the Holy Land may point to the elusiveness of this material, and may also imply that netherite had a religious context or purpose in pre-Mizu societies.
10. It is important to understand that often after reciting “moment of freedom”, the orator would often add their own addition of final verses to the ode - it is unclear where in the history of the recitation of this poem that this tradition started.
11. Language was the infamous incantation of Badboyhalo - previous essayists have been confused by the inclusion of this word in the ode, especially since when it is orally recited, another person often comes in and shouts it at the orator. Personally, I think the second voice is supposed to reference the voice of Badboyhalo, giving a tragic twist to the end of this poems - despite his best attempts to warn Badboyhalo, Quackity is magically silenced by the spell caster - cementing that his warning was dismissed, unheeded and unheard.