Saying goodbye is often the most difficult thing to do. Billy Boyd makes it clear in this new music video that saying goodbye is especially difficult when you’re dealing with a two iconic movie trilogies, sixteen years of a saga in action, and millions of dedicated fans. Boyd is a Scottish actor who became well known for his role as Peregrin “Pippin” Took in the original The Lord of the Rings movies, writing the melody for and performing “The Edge of Night” in the last movie of the trilogy back in 2003. His new song serves as a reminder for us that this December, everything is about to come to an end in the final installment of The Hobbit trilogy, entitled, The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies.
A single hand lights up a candle with a matchstick in the middle of darkness. The same hand then picks up a quill pen and begins writing down what seems to be the opening words of a fairytale in a book – it is, indeed, Bilbo Baggins. He smiles knowingly to himself, fully aware that he plays an important part in the beginning as well as the end of this adventure.
It isn’t long before we hear Billy Boyd’s pristine vocals singing the opening lines of the song. We see him in a recording studio, looking solemn as the song slowly begins to pick up momentum. In a graceful introduction, the guitar strings slide in with ease as he sings, “As the snowflakes cover my fallen brothers / I will say this last goodbye.”
Several shots of Middle-Earth, taken from both trilogies, are also featured in this video in a grand compilation. However, this particular style does make it look slightly like a fan-made product, as the video places more emphasis on the clips than Boyd himself. Without the song, the video would fall flat, posessing no distinct qualities of its own.
Nevertheless, Boyd manages to carry his own in the video as his poignant lyrics translates perfectly into the storyline being presented. The song is a lament of someone who has reached the end of their journey, a ballad for the ones boding farewell to all those who have travelled with them. The lines, “To these memories I will hold / With your blessing I will go / To turn at last to the paths that lead home” evoke a beautiful sense of satisfaction and comfort of being able to return home.
It captures the essence of The Hobbit trilogy with the utmost simplicity, as Boyd himself has said, “We had to get the song just right, to send the audience out of the movie theater in the most perfect way we could.” Certainly, we have no doubt about that. It seems that there is no one better suited than Boyd when it comes to delivering a powerful final message, one that we will all surely be embracing with bittersweet tears this December.