Toss a coin to your bard, because Jaskier has done it again. In Season 1, the impish musician totally rehabbed Geralt's image with his banger "Toss a Coin to Your Witcher," but in Season 2 he's (quite literally) singing a different tune. In the wake of Geralt telling him to fuck off and then leaving him on top of a mountain — such a jerk move — Jaskier is heartbroken, which leads to him writing a breakup song worthy of Adele.
That song is "Burn," a wrenching tale of a friendship gone sour and the heartbreak that followed for poor Jaskier. While the bard insists the song isn't inspired by his own life experiences, even his most ardent fans can see through that lie. Geralt left a scar on Jaskier's heart, and even though the Witcher apologizes near the end of the season, the breakup song to end all breakup songs will live on thanks to Jaskier's stirring performances.
By now, "Burn" is likely already permanently lodged in your brain, but that's all the more reason to explore the depths of Jaskier's soul-baring anthem. Let's dive deep into the lyrics and unravel the bard's pain — and his devotion to the thoroughly ungrateful Geralt.
The Lyrics:
I hear you're alive, how disappointing
I've also survived, no thanks to you
This is a clear reference to Geralt leaving Jaskier alone on a mountain to fend for himself when he wasn't even wearing his walking books. But while he sings that it's "disappointing" his friend is alive, you can tell he's really just bitter that he heard the news secondhand and the Witcher didn't bother to come looking for him.
Did I not bring you some glee, Mr. Oh-Look-At-Me?
Geralt was consistently rude to Jaskier. And look, I get it, he is extremely chatty and Geralt... isn't, but if not for the bard, the surly Witcher would still be one of the most feared and reviled people on the continent.
Now I'll burn all the memories of you
All those lonely nights
As I burn all the memories of you
These lines are so raw. Jaskier wants nothing more than to forget about Geralt and move on, but every night the memories come flooding back. His loneliness is palpable here, and I just want to give him the hug he deserves.
What for do you yearn?
Even after all these years, Jaskier isn't sure what Geralt wants out of life. The Witcher keeps himself so closed off. The only people he truly lets his guard down for are Ciri and Yennifer, and it has to hurt Jaskier that he's never allowed to see the softer side of his friend.
It's the point of no return
After everything we did, we saw
You turned your back on me
What for do you yearn?
Geralt. Left. Him. I'm not over it, Jaskier's not over it, and I sincerely hope the Witcher is feeling all of the shame for what he did right now.
Watch that Butcher burn!
At the end of my days when I'm through
No word that I've written will ring quite as true
As burn
Burn, Butcher, burn!
Burn, Butcher, burn!
Burn, burn, burn!
Burn, burn, burn, burn, burn!
Watch me burn all the memories of you
Jaskier wants to burn his memories of Geralt to the ground and forget he ever knew the Witcher. Alas, the heart wants what the heart wants, and even though this portion of the song is dripping with anger, it's also all too clear that the lovable bard can't stop wallowing in the pain Geralt caused him.
The heartache in "Burn" isn't universal as Jaskier claims, but at the end of the day, it's the specificity of this wrenching breakup song that makes it another surefire hit for the continent's most famed bard.
Images: Susie Allnutt/Netflix; Netflix