Netflix’s The Witcher series may be all about Geralt (Henry Cavill) fighting monsters and trying to save the world. However, Jaskier and his beautiful songs are at the heart of the show. The bard may seem like he’s comic relief, but he’s so much more than that. As Geralt’s best friend and personal hype-man, Jaskier spins tunes about the Witcher’s adventures. Jaskier made people love the big bad white wolf Geralt.
Played by Joey Batey, Jaskier quickly became a fan favorite. Batey brings his charm and amazing musical talent to the character. Batey has co-created some songs featured in the series because he’s just that gifted. If you’re a fan of Jaskier, you should check out Batey’s real-life band, The Amazing Devil. You won’t be disappointed. With a lute and a way with words, Jaskier’s music has become a hit in the world of The Witcher and in real life. Let’s rank all of Jaskier’s bops.
8. “Song of the Seven”
There were only a few good things in The Witcher: Blood Origin and Jaskier’s brief appearance was one of them. “Song of the Seven” is an anthem for the seven heroes fighting to unite the land. As much as the song rocks, it is hard to get so emotionally attached or excited for one-dimensional characters.
7. “The Fishmonger’s Daughter”
Any fantasy fan knows that all bards have bawdy songs in their repertoires. Everyone loves a good sexual innuendo played alongside a jaunty tune and that’s exactly the type of song “The Fishmonger’s Daughter” is. It’s all about a woman who has become lust-crazed for the singer. Jaskier tends to flirt with any adult with a pulse, so someone could become a bit too enamored with him.
6. “The Golden One”
Episode 6 of The Witcher season 1 changed a lot of relationships in the show. Basically, everyone broke up after this episode. It was devastating when Geralt yelled at Jaskier. So it isn’t surprising that Jaskier turned it into a song. “The Golden One” refers to the dragon Geralt was supposed to be hunting and ended up saving. The song gets extra points for having “lutanist” (someone who plays the lute) worked into the lyrics.
5. “Whoreson Prison Blues”
“Whoreson Prison Blues” is the “Folsom Prison Blues” of the Continent. In season 2, Jaskier has had enough of people and their drama so he’s done with them all. Plus, he actually goes to prison, so he’s got even more street cred now.
5. “I Am Enough”
Although “I am Enough” is rather short, it carries a lot of weight. Jaskier sings the song in season 3 when he is at a private party of Prince Radovid. The song is sensual while stating how the singer is happy with themselves and all that they need to be. The words resonate with Radovid so much that he learns the song himself to perform later for Jaskier. It is a bonding point for the two men as they begin an intimate relationship.
3. “Her Sweet Kiss”
“Her Sweet Kiss” may seem like a simple love song, but it is so much more. We could interpret the song as relating to the relationship between Geralt and Yennefer from Geralt’s perspective. However, many Jaskier/Geralt shippers (like myself) see it as Jaskier singing about his love of Geralt. Jaskier must watch Yen and Geralt while he suffers, just to be near the one he loves.
2. “Toss a Coin to Your Witcher”
“Toss a Coin to Your Witcher” is the song that changed everything. In the show, Jaskier wrote the song to help the public perception of Geralt and his Witcher services. Just think of it as the ultimate PR jingle. It put Jaskier on his path to stardom. And it got all of us singing about The Witcher in real life.
1. “Burn Butcher Burn”
If “Toss a Coin” is the ultimate song of admiration, “Burn Butcher Burn” is the ultimate breakup track. After the events of season 1, Jaskier was mad at Geralt and penned a jam so epic, everyone was singing about his pain. It doesn’t hurt that it’s catchy and has Batey belting out the lyrics. Have I listened to this song for three hours straight on repeat? Yes, it’s that good.
(featured image: Netflix)
