Song Details
- Album Release Date: 2012
- Genre: opera
Song Meaning of “Das Rheingold, WWV 86A / Scene 4: “Weiche, Wotan, weiche!”” by Richard Wagner
In this song from Richard Wagner’s opera, Das Rheingold, Wotan has just suffered a great humiliation at the hands of the giants. He has been forced to give up his magical spear in exchange for the ring of power, and he now faces the wrath of his own wife, Fricka. His plea of “Weiche, Wotan, weiche!” can be interpreted as “Move away, Wotan, move away.” This reflects both Wotan’s physical rejection, being forced to give up his own power, and his emotional rejection, feeling the guilt and shame of his own moral failure.
The plea serves as a warning to us all – to be aware of our own weaknesses and to be cautious in our dealings with temptation. Wotan’s mistake ultimately proves to haunt the gods as generations of misfortune descend upon them. This song serves as a reminder of the consequence of disobeying our own moral compass; when the stakes are high, we would do well to remember the plea of Wotan to “Weiche, Wotan, weiche!”