Into the West

"Into the West" is a song written by Fran Walsh, Howard Shore and Annie Lennox, performed by Annie Lennox during the closing credits of Peter Jackson's The Return of the King film.

The song was conceived as a bittersweet Elvish lament for those who have sailed across the Sundering Sea.

In the commentaries and documentaries accompanying the extended DVD edition of the movie, director Peter Jackson explains that the song was partially inspired by the premature death from cancer of a young New Zealand filmmaker named Cameron Duncan whose work had impressed Jackson and his team. The first public performance of the song was at Duncan's funeral.

The song won the Oscar for Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original song) at the 76th Academy Awards, one of the movie's 11 Academy Awards.