Into the West (song)


"Into the West" is a song performed by Annie Lennox, and the end-credit song of the 2003 film . It is written by Lennox, Return of the King producer and co-writer Fran Walsh, and composed and co-written by the film's composer Howard Shore. The song plays in full during the closing credits of Return of the King, although instrumental music from the song plays at other points during the film itself.
The song was later covered by New Zealand singers Yulia Townsend and Will Martin and American singer Peter Hollens. In 2014, German a cappella Metal band van Canto performed a cover on their fifth studio album, Dawn of the Brave.

Style

The original song conceived as the closing credits of the movie was "Frodo's Song", which became "Use Well the Days," written by Howard Shore. The song was Frodo singing to Sam as he left Middle Earth and includes Frodo’s lament in the middle of “The Grey Havens." Director Peter Jackson felt that the song wasn't a good fit as a concluding song for the series, so Shore began to try to write a different closing credits song. As he did, Cameron Duncan, a young New Zealand filmmaker whose work had impressed Jackson and his team, was dying from cancer at 16-years old, and his imminent passing inspired film writer Fran Walsh, composer Howard Shore, and singer Annie Lennox to write "Into the West." The first public performance of the song was at Duncan's funeral.
The melody of the song is one of the musical themes used in the music written for the film, representing the Grey Havens and the land of Valinor that lies beyond. It is used subtly when Gandalf describes the vision of Valinor to Pippin in Minas Tirith, and later triumphantly as Sam carries Frodo up Mount Doom. It returns in cellos and humming voices during the Grey Havens' scenes. The song itself soon follows, with a prominent guitar solo that opens and closes it and continues to accompany the song throughout, and a heartbeat-like motif played by bodhrán drums underneath.
Lyrics from the song come primarily from Legolas’s lament at the end of book 6 chapter 4, "The Field of Cormallen" and the parting scene at the Grey Havens and Frodo’s experience approaching Eressea and Valinor at the end of book 6 chapter 9 "The Grey Havens." The song's meaning has been viewed from a myriad of perspectives: Galadriel singing to Frodo as she welcomes him to the ship, a bittersweet Elvish lament sung by Legolas for those who had sailed across the Sundering Sea, Sam’s feelings towards Frodo as they complete their task and prepare to die on Mount Doom, or even Death itself singing to each member of the fellowship as they prepare to pass away.

Versions

The song has five different versions, in addition to the version used in Return of the King. Promos were made available in late November 2003.
The song won the Oscar for Best Original Song at the 76th Academy Awards, one of Return of the King's eleven wins. Lennox also performed the song live at the ceremony; coincidentally, Lennox's performance was one of several introduced by Liv Tyler, who appeared as Arwen in the film.
CeremonyAwardResult
61st Golden Globe AwardsBest Original Song
76th Academy AwardsBest Original Song
World Soundtrack Awards 2004Best Original Song Written Directly for a Film
47th Annual Grammy AwardsBest Song Written for Visual Media

Personnel

  • Annie Lennox - vocals
  • John Parricelli - guitar
  • Dermot Crehan - hardingfele, fiddle, violin
  • Ulrich Herkenhoff - flute