Favorite End Credit Songs from Jackson's LOTR & Hobbit Trilogies

Coming in last, the song whose only major fault is simply not being as good as the other 5, even coming from a soundtrack that is one of my Top 3...

6.  GOLLUM'S SONG (Emiliana Torrini).  LOTR: The Two Towers
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zkXbzffVl44

Next comes a song that I prefer the movie version of vs the end credits version, but I love that the songs for The Hobbit movies took their lyrics from the poems & songs of The Professor himself.

5. SONG OF THE LONELY MOUNTAIN (Neil Finn).  TH: An Unexpected Journey
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MNd9yBswEgw

Hearing this song in the theater was EPIC, especially following Smaug's golden exit from the mountain.  I AM FIRE, I AM DEATH!!!

4. I SEE FIRE (Ed Sheeran).  TH: Desolation of Smaug
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2fngvQS_PmQ

The Top 3 are all songs I adore.  #3 introduced me to one of my favorite singers, who I think is perfection at singing anything Elvish.

3. MAY IT BE (Enya).  LOTR: Fellowship of the Ring
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_upDME6MwPY

This one is not only a fabulous song, but it's BILLY BOYD.  I absolutely love that Peter Jackson asked Pippin to sing the final song of Middle Earth.

2. THE LAST GOODBYE (Billy Boyd).  TH: Battle of the Five Armies
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q8ir8rVl2Z4

And my undisputed Top Song, from my undisputed Top Movie...

1.  INTO THE WEST (Annie Lennox).  LOTR: Return of the King
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=shdiTRxTJb4

Do you agree with my list?  What would you change?

The Wisdom of L.M. Montgomery's Anne

Goodness it's been a long time since I posted! My friend Allison posted some quotes from Anne of Green Gables and suddenly I was swept into a wonderful pool of delicious quotations. While my blog name--The Tomorrow Road--is the imagining of another Montgomery heroine, Emily, it still seems appropriate to share some of the wise beyond her years words of Anne-with-an-E Shirley (and possibly some of Marilla's and the indomitable Mrs. Rachel Lynde. So brew a cup of tea and enjoy!

On life

“It's been my experience that you can nearly always enjoy things if you make up your mind firmly that you will.”

“Life is worth living as long as there's a laugh in it.”

“Tomorrow is a new day with no mistakes in it... Yet.”

“My life is a perfect graveyard of buried hopes.” I hope not, but oh the poetry of the thought!

“It's not what the world holds for you. It's what you bring to it.”

“It's all very well to read about sorrows and imagine yourself living through them heroically, but it's not so nice when you really come to have them, is it?”

“When I left Queen's my future seemed to stretch out before me like a straight road. I thought I could see along it for many a milestone. Now there is a bend in it. I don't know what lies around the bend, but I'm going to believe that the best does.”

“That's the worst of growing up, and I'm beginning to realize it. The things you wanted so much when you were a child don't seem half so wonderful to you when you get them.”

“Anne always remembered the silvery, peaceful beauty and fragrant calm of that night. It was the last night before sorrow touched her life; and no life is ever quite the same again when once that cold, sanctifying touch has been laid upon it.”

“...“Oh, Marilla, looking forward to things is half the pleasure of them,” exclaimed Anne. “You mayn’t get the things themselves; but nothing can prevent you from having the fun of looking forward to them. Mrs. Lynde says, ‘Blessed are they who expect nothing for they shall not be disappointed.’ But I think it would be worse to expect nothing than to be disappointed.”

On names

“There's such a lot of different Annes in me. I sometimes think that is why I'm such a troublesome person. If I was just the one Anne it would be ever so much more comfortable, but then it wouldn't be half so interesting.”

“I read in a book once that a rose by any other name would smell as sweet, but I've never been able to believe it. I don't believe a rose WOULD be as nice if it was called a thistle or a skunk cabbage.”

“Oh, it makes SUCH a difference. It LOOKS so much nicer. When you hear a name pronounced can't you always see it in your mind, just as if it was printed out? I can; and A-n-n looks dreadful, but A-n-n-e looks so much more distinguished. If you'll only call me Anne spelled with an E I shall try to reconcile myself to not being called Cordelia.”

On words & education

“People laugh at me because I use big words. But if you have big ideas, you have to use big words to express them, haven't you?”

“Oh, it's delightful to have ambitions. I'm so glad I have such a lot. And there never seems to be any end to them-- that's the best of it. Just as soon as you attain to one ambition you see another one glittering higher up still. It does make life so interesting.”

“Isn't it splendid to think of all the things there are to find out about? It just makes me feel glad to be alive--it's such an interesting world. It wouldn't be half so interesting if we know all about everything, would it? There'd be no scope for imagination then, would there?But am I talking too much? People are always telling me I do. Would you rather I didn't talk? If you say so I'll stop. I can STOP when I make up my mind to it, although it's difficult.”

“It must be lovely to be grown up, Marilla, when just being treated as if you were is so nice...Well, anyway, when I grow up, I'm always going to talk to little girls as if they were, too, and I'll never laugh when they use big words.”

“The world calls them its singers and poets and artists and story-tellers; but they are just people who have never forgotten the way to fairyland."

On money

“Look at that sea, girls--all silver and shadow and vision of things not seen. We couldn't enjoy its loveliness any more if we had millions of dollars and ropes of diamonds.”

On God

“Why must people kneel down to pray? If I really wanted to pray I’ll tell you what I'd do. I'd go out into a great big field all alone or in the deep, deep woods and I'd look up into the sky—up—up—up—into that lovely blue sky that looks as if there was no end to its blueness. And then I'd just feel a prayer.”

“The world looks like something God had just imagined for His own pleasure. This isn't poetry but it makes me feel the same way as poetry does.”

On friendship

"Kindred spirits are not so scarce as I used to think. It's splendid to find out there are so many of them in the world.”

On fashion

“It is ever so much easier to be good if your clothes are fashionable.”

“All i want is a dress with puffed sleeves.”

"Anne took the dress and looked at it in reverent silence. Oh, how pretty it was--a lovely soft brown gloria with all the gloss of silk; a skirt with dainty frills and shirrings; a waist elaborately pintucked in the most fashinable way, with a little ruffle of filmy lace at the neck. But the sleeves--they were the crowning glory! Long elbow cuffs, and above them two beautiful puffs divided by rows of shirring and bows of brown-silk ribbon.”

On nature

“It was November--the month of crimson sunsets, parting birds, deep, sad hymns of the sea, passionate wind-songs in the pines. Anne roamed through the pineland alleys in the park and, as she said, let that great sweeping wind blow the fogs out of her soul.”

“It has always seemed to me. ever since early childhood, amid all the commonplaces of life, i was very near to a kingdom of ideal beauty. Between it and me hung only a thin veil. I could never draw it quite aside, but sometimes a wind fluttered it and I caught a glimpse of the enchanting realms beyond-only a glimpse-but those glimpses have always made life worthwhile.”

“Anne came dancing home in the purple winter twilight across the snowy places.”

On looks

“Red hair is my life long sorrow.”

“Which would you rather be if you had the choice--divinely beautiful or dazzlingly clever or angelically good?”

On looking on the bright side

“Oh, I know I'm a great trial to you, Marilla," said Anne repentantly. "I make so many mistakes. But then just think of all the mistakes I don't make, although I might.”

“Oh, don't you see? There must be a limit to the mistakes one person can make, and when I get to the end of them, then I'll be through with them. That's a very comforting thought.”

“Don't be very frightened, Marilla. I was walking the ridge-pole and I fell off. I suspect I have sprained my ankle. But, Marilla, I might have broken my neck. Let us look on the bright side of things.”

"Anne sighed. 'I can't. I'm in the depths of despair. Can you eat when you are in the depths of despair?'
'I've never been in the depths of despair, so I can't say,' responded Marilla.
'Weren't you? Well, did you ever try to IMAGINE you were in the depths of despair?'
'No, I didn't.'
'Then I don't think you can understand what it's like. It's very uncomfortable a feeling indeed.'”

On boys

“Ruby Gillis thinks of nothing but young men, and the older she gets the worse she is. Young men are all very well in their place, but it doesn't do to drag them into everything, does it?”

"'I love Diana so, Marilla. I cannot ever live without her. But I know very well when we grow up that Diana will get married and go away and leave me. And oh, what shall I do? I hate her husband — I just hate him furiously. I've been imagining it all out — the wedding and everything — Diana dressed in snowy white garments, and a veil, and looking as beautiful and regal as a queen; and me the bridesmaid, with a lovely dress, too, and puffed sleeves, but with a breaking heart hid beneath my smiling face. And then bidding Diana good-bye-e-e—' Here Anne broke down entirely and wept with increasing bitterness. Marilla turned quickly away to hide her twitching face, but it was no use; she collapsed on the nearest chair and burst into such a hearty and unusual peal of laughter…”

“Gilbert took from his desk a little pink candy heart with a gold motto on it, “You are sweet,” and slipped it under the curve of Anne’s arm. Whereupon Anne arose, took the pink heart gingerly between the tips of her fingers, dropped it on the floor, ground it to powder beneath her heel, and resumed her position without deigning to bestow a glance on Gilbert.”

Favorites

“I suppose it was a romantic way to perish... for a mouse.”

“Anne, are you killed?' shrieked Diana, throwing herself on her knees beside her friend. 'Oh, Anne, dear Anne, speak just one word to me and tell me if you're killed.”

“I am well in body although considerably rumpled up in spirit, thank you, ma'am,' said Anne gravely. Then aside to Marilla in an audible whisper, 'There wasn't anything startling in that, was there, Marilla?”

“Don't be very frightened, Marilla. I was walking the ridge-pole and I fell off. I suspect I have sprained my ankle. But, Marilla, I might have broken my neck. Let us look on the bright side of things.”

https://www.goodreads.com/work/quotes/3464264-anne-of-green-gables-anne-of-green-gables-1

I need Thee every hour, most gracious Lord;
No tender voice like Thine can peace afford.

I need Thee, O I need Thee;
Every hour I need Thee;
O bless me now, my Savior,
I come to Thee.

I need Thee every hour, stay Thou nearby;
Temptations lose their power when Thou art nigh.

I need Thee, O I need Thee;
Every hour I need Thee;
O bless me now, my Savior,
I come to Thee.

I need Thee every hour, in joy or pain;
Come quickly and abide, or life is in vain.

I need Thee, O I need Thee;
Every hour I need Thee;
O bless me now, my Savior,
I come to Thee.

I need Thee every hour; teach me Thy will;
And Thy rich promises in me fulfill.

I need Thee, O I need Thee;
Every hour I need Thee;
O bless me now, my Savior,
I come to Thee.

I need Thee every hour, most Holy One;
O make me Thine indeed, Thou blessèd Son.

I need Thee, O I need Thee;
Every hour I need Thee;
O bless me now, my Savior,
I come to Thee.

Annie S. Hawks, 1872

Annie Hawks wrote:

One day as a young wife and mo­ther of 37 years of age, I was bu­sy with my reg­u­lar house­hold tasks. Sud­den­ly, I be­came so filled with the sense of near­ness to the Mast­er that, won­der­ing how one could live with­out Him, ei­ther in joy or pain, these words, “I Need Thee Ev­e­ry Hour,” were ush­ered in­to my mind, the thought at once tak­ing full pos­sess­ion of me.

After writ­ing the lyr­ics, Hawks gave them to her pas­tor, Ro­bert Low­ry, who add­ed the tune and re­frain. The hymn was first pub­lished at the Na­tion­al Bap­tist Sun­day School Con­ven­tion in Cin­cin­na­ti, Ohio, in No­vem­ber 1872. Some years lat­er, af­ter the death of her hus­band, Hawks wrote:

I did not un­der­stand at first why this hymn had touched the great throb­bing heart of hu­man­i­ty. It was not un­til long af­ter, when the sha­dow fell over my way, the sha­dow of a great loss, that I un­der­stood some­thing of the com­fort­ing pow­er in the words which I had been per­mit­ted to give out to others in my hour of sweet se­ren­i­ty and peace.

May these words touch your heart today as they touched mine.

The Professor

Today, January 3rd, is J.R.R Tolkien's 122nd birthday. He is remembered primarily for his Legendarium and, like C.S/ Lewis, the wise and witty quotations people have taken from his work over the years. For those who don't know, Legendarium is in fact a word. It is used primarily to identify Tolkien's work concerning Middle Earth, even the books and writings that are not considered "canon" (meaning some of the stories he wrote contradict the events of other stories because it was all a work in progress up until the day he died. His son, Christopher, has had the difficult job of deciding what to publish as "canon" (The Silmarillion) and what to publish (or not publish) as additional works (The Book of Lost Tales, for example).
You can read more about that here: http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Legendarium

In November I posted a list of 50 C.S. Lewis quotes in honor of the 50th anniversary of Jack's death. (He would have been 116 on Nov 29th. He died in 1963 a week before his 65th birthday.) Professor Tolkien died in September 1973 (age 81), so the 40th anniversary of his death was 4 months ago. It can get confusing celebrating one man on the day of his death and another on the day his life began, but bear with me. The purpose of this post is to highlight the things Tolkien wrote that are still so relevant today, and personal favorites, not necessarily a certain number. There are, of course, many many more I haven't included. I hope you enjoy it, add your own favorites in the comments, and raise a glass today in honor of "The Professor".


“All that is gold does not glitter,
Not all those who wander are lost;
The old that is strong does not wither,
Deep roots are not reached by the frost.

From the ashes a fire shall be woken,
A light from the shadows shall spring;
Renewed shall be blade that was broken,
The crownless again shall be king.”
―The Fellowship of the Ring

“I wish it need not have happened in my time," said Frodo.
"So do I," said Gandalf, "and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.”
―The Fellowship of the Ring

“Never laugh at live dragons.” --The Hobbit

“Faithless is he that says farewell when the road darkens.”
―The Fellowship of the Ring

Many that live deserve death. And some that die deserve life. Can you give it to them? Then do not be too eager to deal out death in judgement. For even the very wise cannot see all ends.”
― The Fellowship of the Ring

“The world is indeed full of peril and in it there are many dark places.
But still there is much that is fair. And though in all lands, love is now
mingled with grief, it still grows, perhaps, the greater.”
― The Lord of the Rings

“If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world.” --The Hobbit

There is some good in this world, and it's worth fighting for.”
― The Two Towers

“I will not say, do not weep, for not all tears are an evil.” --The Return of the King

“War must be, while we defend our lives against a destroyer who would devour all; but I do not love the bright sword for its sharpness, nor the arrow for its swiftness, nor the warrior for his glory. I love only that which they defend.”
― The Two Towers


“The Road goes ever on and on
Down from the door where it began.
Now far ahead the Road has gone,
And I must follow, if I can,
Pursuing it with eager feet,
Until it joins some larger way
Where many paths and errands meet.
And whither then? I cannot say”
―The Fellowship of the Ring

“It's a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don't keep your feet, there's no knowing where you might be swept off to.”
― Fellowship of the Ring


“Fantasy is escapist, and that is its glory. If a soldier is imprisioned by the enemy, don't we consider it his duty to escape?. . .If we value the freedom of mind and soul, if we're partisans of liberty, then it's our plain duty to escape, and to take as many people with us as we can!”
― J.R.R. Tolkien

“Little by little, one travels far”
― J.R.R. Tolkien


“Do you wish me a good morning, or mean that it is a good morning whether I want it or not; or that you feel good this morning; or that it is a morning to be good on?”
― The Hobbit

It's the job that's never started as takes longest to finish.”
― The Lord of the Rings

“For like a shaft, clear and cold, the thought pierced him that in the end the Shadow was only a small and passing thing: there was light and high beauty for ever beyond its reach.”
― The Return of the King

“There is nothing like looking, if you want to find something. You certainly usually find something, if you look, but it is not always quite the something you were after.”
― The Hobbit

“A man that flies from his fear may find that he has only taken a short cut to meet it.”
― The Children of Húrin


“We have come from God, and inevitably the myths woven by us, though they contain error, will also reflect a splintered fragment of the true light, the eternal truth that is with God. Indeed only by myth-making, only by becoming 'sub-creator' and inventing stories, can Man aspire to the state of perfection that he knew before the Fall. Our myths may be misguided, but they steer however shakily towards the true harbour, while materialistic 'progress' leads only to a yawning abyss and the Iron Crown of the power of evil.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien

“It does not do to leave a live dragon out of your calculations, if you live near him.”
― The Hobbit

“The wide world is all about you: you can fence yourselves in, but you cannot for ever fence it out.”
― The Fellowship of the Ring

“He that breaks a thing to find out what it is has left the path of wisdom.”
― The Fellowship of the Ring

“It is not the strength of the body that counts, but the strength of the spirit.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien

“Fairy tale does not deny the existence of sorrow and failure: the possibility of these is necessary to the joy of deliverance. It denies (in the face of much evidence, if you will) universal final defeat...giving a fleeting glimpse of Joy; Joy beyond the walls of the world, poignant as grief.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien

“It is not our part to master all the tides of the world, but to do what is in us for the succour of those years wherein we are set, uprooting the evil in the fields that we know, so that those who live after may have clean earth to till. What weather they shall have is not ours to rule.”
― The Lord of the Rings

“Living by faith includes the call to something greater than cowardly self-preservation.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien

“Some who have read the book, or at any rate have reviewed it, have found it boring, absurd, or contemptible, and I have no cause to complain, since I have similar opinions of their works, or of the kinds of writing that they evidently prefer.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien

“But no living man am I! You look upon a woman. Éowyn I am, Éomund's daughter. You stand between me and my lord and kin. Begone, if you be not deathless! For living or dark undead, I will smite you, if you touch him.”
― The Return of the King

“The road must be trod, but it will be very hard. And neither strength nor wisdom will carry us far upon it. This quest may be attempted by the weak with as much hope as the strong. Yet it is oft the course of deeds that move the wheels of the world: Small hands do them because they must, while the eyes of the great are elsewhere.”
―The Fellowship of the Ring

“It's like in the great stories, Mr. Frodo. The ones that really mattered. Full of darkness and danger they were. And sometimes you didn't want to know the end… because how could the end be happy? How could the world go back to the way it was when so much bad had happened? But in the end, it’s only a passing thing… this shadow. Even darkness must pass.”
― The Two Towers

“In sorrow we must go, but not in despair. Behold! we are not bound for ever to the circles of the world, and beyond them is more than memory.”
― Lord of the Rings (Appendices)

“And the ship went out into the High Sea and passed into the West, until at last on a night of rain Frodo smelled a sweet fragrance on the air and heard the sound of singing that came over the water. And then it seemed to him that as in his dream in the house of Bombadil, the grey rain-curtain turned all to silver glass and was rolled back, and he beheld white shores and beyond them a far green country under a swift sunrise.”
― The Return of the King

Pippin's Song (written by Tolkien, music by Billy Boyd and Howard Shore, sung by Billy in LOTR: The Return of the King)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WskRAEggqkQ

Misty Mountains (written by Tolkien, music by Howard Shore, sung by the dwarven company in The Hobbit: The Unexpected Journey)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pyy_FIYE7EE