Song Details
- Album Release Date: 2012
- Genre: opera
Song Meaning of “Hexenritt” by Engelbert Humperdinck
Engelbert Humperdinck’s ‘Hexenritt’ is a folk song about a young man’s encounter with a mysterious dark rider. The protagonist is a simple, unsuspecting country lad who is taking a pleasant stroll through a beautiful and enchanting woodlands path. Unknowingly, he soon finds himself in the presence of a grim, otherworldly horseman. The mysterious figure warns him not to stray too far and to pay tribute to the eerie enchantment of the forest.
The dark rider symbolizes temptation and a journey of self-discovery. He urges the protagonist to take a journey and experience the unknown, despite its risky, dark potential. The lyrics call for bravery, as the protagonist will only be able to experience the depths of his own soul if he succumbs to the rider’s beckon. The lyrics also display a sense of melancholic longing for something else, something different, something beyond the mundane.
The lyrics describe the nostalgic beauty of the forest – a place of peace and serenity as well as darkness and danger. This mirrors the inner journey of self-exploration the protagonist is about to embark on, as he decides to take a chance and heed the warnings of the rider. In doing this, he will risk it all in order to discover his true self.