Single Or Group Perspective?

I’ve been struggling with this idea lately. So, you know that epic series where there’s a famous scene with a challenge and a song called The Challenge? It’s the one where only the person who can string the bow becomes king. Well, I’ve been inspired by it and wanted to create a song of my own—a bit like my Siren’s Song. But this time, the song would revolve around the men attempting to string the bow.

Here’s where I’m stuck: I keep thinking about how some of these men probably didn’t even want to participate in the challenge. Maybe their families forced them to compete, pushing them into this impossible test of strength or destiny. That feeling of reluctance, or even quiet defiance, is something I really want to explore in the song. However, I can’t decide whether to write it from a single perspective—perhaps diving deep into the internal struggle of one man—or to go for a broader, group perspective, capturing the collective emotions of all the participants.

I’ve written two versions of the song, and I keep going back and forth between them. Could you help me figure out which one works better? Here’s what I have so far:

VERSION ONE : SINGLE PERSPECTIVE

Altar of Arrows

They dressed me up in gold threads, a mantle I don’t want to wear

The weight of all their long-lost dreams now resting heavy on my prayer

"You’ll do it for the honor, you’ll do it for the crown!" they shout

But my heart beats for another, and this isn’t what life’s about

So I kneel beneath the moonlight, whispering to the skies

If there’s mercy in your heavens, then gods, let me by

Let the arrow miss the mark

Let the bowstring snap apart

Give the crown to someone colder

Give this kingdom to another shoulder

Please, don’t let me win this fight

Let the wrong become the right

For I’ve no want to wear the ring

Oh gods, don’t make me king

At home, she combs the twilight, waiting for footsteps on the floor

Her hands still smell of cedarwood, from the love letters she swore

My fingers ache to hold her, not some throne built on deceit

But here in lines of suitors, they try to stretch me past defeat

I glance into the distance, the axes standing tall

If only I could break this bow and see none win at all

Let the arrow miss the mark

Let the line fall in the dark

Give the glory to a stranger

Spare me from this crown of danger

Please, don’t let my aim hold true

Give the reins to someone new

For I’ve no hunger for this ring

Oh gods, don’t make me king

This love in my heart, it’s fire and bone

It’s not some fleeting treasure to sit on a throne

I’d trade the silks, the endless cheers

For quiet mornings through the years

My mind drifts to her hazel eyes

And I shoot my prayer to the midnight skies

Take my name and take my place

Keep me out of this royal chase

Let the arrow fall astray

Let it lead me far away

To the arms of one who’s waiting

Where the gods cannot keep us separating

Please, let failure set me free

Tie my fate to hers, not the sea

I’ll forsake the throne, the ring

Oh gods, don’t make me king

Let the arrow crack in flight (waiting, waiting)

Let me vanish with the night (waiting, waiting)

For love is weightless, not a crown (waiting, waiting)

And I’ll be hers when this war burns down

VERSION TWO : GROUP PERSPECTIVE

For the Crown

(Verse 1 – The Reluctant Competitor)

I lace my boots, but with heavy hands

I never wanted this—never made those plans

To wear that crown they covet so strong

Why must my life be a game I don’t belong?

My family’s hope, a burden to bear

But my heart lies elsewhere, far from this heir

The bow waits, the arrows gleam

But I’m just a pawn in someone else’s dream

(Chorus)

For the crown, for the throne

They say it’s my honor, my destiny, my own

For the crown, for the fight

But why does it feel so wrong, when it’s supposed to feel so right?

Some of us dream, others curse the day

But here we all stand, no choice but to play

(Verse 2 – The True Lover)

I stare at the target, but she's not in my sight

The one I love is far past this night

Her laughter echoes in the hills we once roamed

But now I’m here, and she waits alone

My family says I must take my stand

To win her heart with bow in my hand

But how could I rule when my life’s torn apart?

What good is a throne when it breaks your heart?

(Chorus)

For the crown, for the throne

It’s more than a title; it’s a weight of stone

For the crown, for the prize

But I see a kingdom lost when I close my eyes

Some long to win, others yearn to run

A choice we never made beneath this setting sun

(Bridge – The Determined Challenger)

Let them whisper, let them laugh and jeer

I came for the challenge; I’ll show no fear

Twelve axes to pierce, one shot to prove my worth

Who cares about this crown? I’ll rewrite my birth

I don’t play for love, I don’t play for kin

This is my moment, and I intend to win

Let the bowstring sing and the arrows race

The throne is calling—it’s my time and place

(Chorus – All Together)

For the crown, for the throne

Each man’s battle is his own

For the crown, for the fight

Some seek the day while others dread the night

Some hearts break, some hearts soar

As we all march toward what fate has in store

(Outro)

So let the arrows fly, the contest begin

Some look ahead, some look within

The storm rages close, and our time runs out

Each of us carries a shadow of doubt

But for the crown—oh, for the crown

We wear the weight, for this path we’re bound