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 multiple 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.
^Howard Shore, Paul Broucek, Peter Jackson (2004). Extended Edition Appendices, Part 6, "Music for Middle-earth" and "Cameron Duncan: The Inspiration for 'Into the West'" (DVD). New Line Cinema.
