This video was directed by a familiar name. Alex Proyas got his start directing music videos for groups like INXS and this one but he is today better-remembered for directing such influential films as The Crow and Dark City.
The music video was a hit, picking up the award for Best New Artist at the MTV Music Video awards. Don’t Dream It’s Over has gone on to become one of those songs that epitomizes an era.
Enjoy!
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey doesn’t seem to be resonating with as many people like the previous The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Not to say that the film is a bad one. For those disappointed in the film seems to want a repeat of the first trilogy. My review of the film will and shall be up later today to help celebrate the site’s 3rd year anniversary. For now let me share the ending song to the first part of Peter Jackson’s latest Tolkien trilogy.
“Song of the Lonely Mountain” is sung by Neil Finn of Crowded House and it follows on the tradition of past Tolkien adaptations by Jackson by turning to musicians who Jackson and Shore enjoy listening to. The song has a Celtic, folksy rock sound to it. I particularly enjoyed the addition of hammers ringing on anvils to help listeners visualize the exiled dwarfs of Erebor toiling in front of their foundry in preparation for the day they retake their homeland from the dragon Smaug.
I didn’t like the song when it was first premiered a couple weeks in advance of the film, but it has since grew on me and has joined the other three end credits songs from the original trilogy as favorite original film songs.
Song of the Lonely Mountain
Far over the Misty Mountains rise
Leave us standing upon the heights
What was before, we see once more
Our kingdom a distant light
Fiery mountain beneath the moon
The words unspoken, we’ll be there soon
For home a song that echoes on
And all who find us will know the tune
Some folk we never forget
Some kind we never forgive
Haven’t seen the back of us yet
We’ll fight as long as we live
All eyes on the hidden door
To the Lonely Mountain borne
We’ll ride in the gathering storm
Until we get our long-forgotten gold
We lay under the Misty Mountains cold
In slumbers deep and dreams of gold
We must awake, our lives to make
And in the darkness a torch we hold
From long ago when lanterns burned
Till this day our hearts have yearned
Her fate unknown the Arkenstone
What was stolen must be returned
We must awake and make the day
To find a song for heart and soul
Some folk we never forget
Some kind we never forgive
Haven’t seen the end of it yet
We’ll fight as long as we live
All eyes on the hidden door
To the Lonely Mountain borne
We’ll ride in the gathering storm
Until we get our long-forgotten gold
Far away from Misty Mountains cold
Through the Shattered Lens 