Into the West (song)

"Into the West"
Single by Annie Lennox
from the album The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (soundtrack)
Released	November 2003
Recorded	New Zealand
Genre	Pop, New age
Length	4:35
Label	Reprise
Songwriter(s)	Annie Lennox, Fran Walsh, Howard Shore[1]
Producer(s)	Howard Shore
Annie Lennox singles chronology
"Pavement Cracks" (2003) "Into the West" (2003) "A Thousand Beautiful Things" (2004)

"Into the West" is a song performed by Annie Lennox, and the end-credit song of the 2003 film The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. It was 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.^[1] The song plays in full during the closing credits of Return of the King,^[1] although instrumental music from the song (which forms the theme of the Grey Havens) 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.^[2]

Style

The original song conceived as the closing credits of the 2003 film The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King was "Frodo's Song" (which exists only in mock-up form), 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 book 6 chapter 9 “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 Māori New Zealand filmmaker whose work had impressed Jackson and his team, was dying from cancer at 16 years old, and his imminent passing inspired Shore, the film writer Fran Walsh, and the Scottish singer Annie Lennox to write "Into the West."^[3] The first public performance of the song was at Duncan's funeral.^[4]

The melody of the song, "The Grey Havens", is one of the musical themes in Shore's music for the film, representing the Grey Havens on the western shore of Middle-earth, and the land of Valinor that lies beyond the western sea.^[5] 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.

The lyrics by Fran Walsh are based primarily on 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".^[5]

Versions

The song has five different versions, in addition to the one used in Return of the King (with the orchestral ending). Promos were made available in late November 2003. The versions, with their playing times, are:

• the album version – 4:35
• the radio edit – 3:59
• the acoustic edit – 4:05
• the acoustic version – 4:39
• the version without the orchestral ending – 4:34
• the film version with the orchestral ending – 5:48

Accolades

The song won the Academy Award for Best Original Song at the 76th Academy Awards,^[1] one of Return of the King's eleven wins. Lennox also performed the song live at the ceremony. Lennox's performance was one of several introduced by Liv Tyler, who appeared as Arwen in the film.

Personnel

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

References

• v
• t
• e

The Lord of the Rings

• J. R. R. Tolkien

About

• Volumes
  • The Fellowship of the Ring
  • The Two Towers
  • The Return of the King
• Stories
  • "The Shadow of the Past"
  • "The Council of Elrond"
  • "The Scouring of the Shire"
  • "The Tale of Aragorn and Arwen"
• Translating
  • List of translations
  • Russian
  • Swedish
• Reception
  • Literary
  • Fandom
    • Oxonmoot
    • Tolkienmoot
  • Works inspired
  • Tolkien's impact on fantasy

Analysis

Elements	Artwork Family trees Heraldry Languages Quenya Sindarin Maps Poetry A Elbereth Gilthoniel Namárië Song of Eärendil The Man in the Moon Stayed Up Too Late The Road Goes Ever On A Walking Song Proverbs
Themes	Addiction to power Anachronism Ancestry as guide to character Architecture Christianity Death and immortality Decline and fall Economy England Environmentalism Forests Heroism Luck and fate Magic Mental illness Moral dilemma Music Naming of weapons Northern courage Paganism Plants Psychological journeys Quests Race Sexuality Sound and language Time Trees Women
Influences	Antiquarianism Beowulf Celtic Classical world First World War Norse Medieval Modern sources Modernism A mythology for England Philology Shakespeare
Techniques	Character pairing Editorial framing Frame stories Pseudotranslation Impression of depth Narrative structure Interlacing Prose style Ambiguity

Peoples

Maiar	Balrogs Sauron Wizards Gandalf Radagast Saruman
Free peoples	Dwarves Balin Gimli Elves Galadriel Glorfindel Half-elven Arwen Elrond Legolas Thranduil Ents Treebeard Hobbits Bilbo Frodo Merry Pippin Sam Men Beornings Drúedain Dúnedain Aragorn of Gondor Boromir Denethor Faramir of Rohan Éomer Éowyn Théoden Wormtongue
Monsters	Barrow-wight Gollum Nazgûl Witch-king of Angmar Old Man Willow Orcs Shelob Trolls Wargs Watcher in the Water
Other	Eagles Goldberry Tom Bombadil

World

Geography	Eriador Bree Old Forest Rivendell The Shire Bag End Gondor Harad Lothlórien Mirkwood Moria Mordor Rohan Isengard
Battles	Helm's Deep Pelennor Fields Morannon
Objects	Mithril Palantírs Phial of Galadriel Rings of Power One Ring List of weapons and armour

Related
works

• The Hobbit
• The Adventures of Tom Bombadil
  • Errantry
  • Fastitocalon
  • The Sea-Bell
• The Road Goes Ever On
• Bilbo's Last Song
• The Silmarillion
• Unfinished Tales
• The Letters of J. R. R. Tolkien
• The History of Middle-earth
• The Children of Húrin
• The History of The Hobbit
• Beren and Lúthien
• The Fall of Gondolin
• The Nature of Middle-earth

Adaptations and derivative works
Books	Bored of the Rings (1969) The Last Ringbearer (1999) Muddle Earth (2003)
Illustrations	A Map of Middle-earth Pauline Baynes Barbara Remington John Howe Alan Lee Margrethe II of Denmark Ted Nasmith
Theatre	Fellowship! (2005) Lord of the Rings (2006)
Music	Music Inspired by Lord of the Rings (1972) Symphony No. 1 The Lord of the Rings (1988) Led Zeppelin "Ramble On" (1969) "Misty Mountain Hop" (1971) "The Battle of Evermore" (1971)
Radio	The Lord of the Rings (BBC, 1955) The Lord of the Rings (NPR, 1979) Hordes of the Things (1980) The Lord of the Rings (BBC, 1981) Der Herr der Ringe (1992)
Film	Animated The Lord of the Rings (Bakshi, 1978) The Return of the King (Rankin/Bass, 1980) The War of the Rohirrim (2024) Peter Jackson series The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) The Two Towers (2002) The Return of the King (2003) Music "Concerning Hobbits" "Into the West" "May It Be" Approach Production Peter Jackson's interpretation Picturing Tolkien Other Sagan om ringen (1971) Khraniteli (1991) Hobitit (1993) The Rings of Power (2022) music Fan-made The Hunt for Gollum (2009) Born of Hope (2009)
Video games	Journey to Rivendell Game One Game Two: Shadows of Mordor War in Middle Earth Vol. I (1990) Vol. I (SNES) Riders of Rohan Elendor Vol. II: The Two Towers The Fellowship of the Ring The Two Towers The Return of the King War of the Ring The Third Age Game Boy Advance The Battle for Middle-earth Tactics The Battle for Middle-earth II The Rise of the Witch-king Conquest Aragorn's Quest War in the North Lego The Lord of the Rings Guardians of Middle-earth Shadow of Mordor Shadow of War Gollum Return to Moria The Lord of the Rings Online Mines of Moria Siege of Mirkwood Rise of Isengard Riders of Rohan Helm's Deep Mordor Minas Morgul War of Three Peaks Fate of Gundabad Before the Shadow
Tabletop role- playing games	Middle-earth Role Playing The Lord of the Rings Roleplaying Game The One Ring Roleplaying Game Adventures in Middle-earth
Board games	Middle Earth War of the Ring Gondor: The Siege of Minas Tirith Sauron Lord of the Rings War of the Ring
Card games	Middle-earth Collectible Card Game The Lord of the Rings Trading Card Game The Lord of the Rings: The Card Game
Other games	Middle-earth Strategy Battle Game Lego The Lord of the Rings