It's So Easy Not to Try

2020-04-17T12:07:36Z

Banazîr:

'''It's So Easy Not to Try''' is a song written by [[Maury Laws]] (music) and [[Jules Bass]] (lyric) and performed by [[Glenn Yarbrough]] for the [[1980]] animated movie [[The Return of the King (1980 film)|''The Return of the King'']]. It has the identical melody of "[[Roads (song)|Roads]]" (of which there is also a reprise in ''The Return of the King'') from [[Rankin/Bass]]' [[1977]] adaptation of [[The Hobbit (1977 film)|''The Hobbit'']].

==Lyrics==
<poem style="font-style:italic; margin-left:20px;">
It's so easy not to try;
Let the world go drifting by.
If you never say hello,
You won't have to say goodbye.

It's so easy not to try;
Never stay around to cry.
Move along when troubles come
Like a mindless butterfly.

For what good is it to love
When the loving always ends?
Travel on the road that's straight;
Not the one with hills and bends.

It's so easy not to try;
Let the world go drifting by.
If you never say hello,
You won't have to say goodbye.
</poem>

[[Category:The Return of the King (1980 film) soundtrack]]

I Sit beside the Fire and Think

2020-04-04T22:48:47Z

Banazîr:

'''I Sit Beside the Fire and Think''' is a song by [[Bilbo Baggins]], which he sang softly in [[Rivendell]] on [[24 December]] {{TA|3018}},<ref>{{App|Great}}</ref> the evening before the [[Fellowship of the Ring]] set out upon their quest. Bilbo sang the song in the presence of [[Frodo Baggins|Frodo]], after giving Frodo the ''[[mithril]]''-coat and [[Sting]].<ref>{{FR|II3}}</ref> The song is a contemplative piece, sung by a now-aging hobbit recalling past events that ends in anticipation of hearing returning friends.
__NOTOC__
==Lyrics==
<poem style="font-style:italic;margin-left:20px;">
I sit beside the fire and think
of all that I have seen
of meadow-flowers and butterflies
in summers that have been;

Of yellow leaves and gossamer
in autumns that there were,
with morning mist and silver sun
and wind upon my hair.

I sit beside the fire and think
of how the world will be
when winter comes without a spring
that I shall ever see.

For still there are so many things
that I have never seen:
in every wood in every spring
there is a different green.

I sit beside the fire and think
of people long ago
and people who will see a world
that I shall never know.

But all the while I sit and think
of times there were before,
I listen for returning feet
and voices at the door.
</poem>

==Legacy==

Clamavi de Profundis wrote music for this song, and released as a memorian for Christopher Tolkien.

[[Donald Swann]] wrote music for this song, which can be found in the book ''[[The Road Goes Ever On (book)|The Road Goes Ever On]]'';<ref>{{RGEO|Sit}}</ref> it is also found on the accompanying CD of the latest version.

[[Summoning]] used the poem for lyrics in a song called "A Distant Flame Before The Sun", from the [[1999]] album ''[[Stronghold]]''.

==Portrayal in adaptations==
'''2004: [[The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (extended edition)|''The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King'' (extended edition)]]:'''
:A translation of this song, with [[Neo-Elvish|Neo-Sindarin]] lyrics by [[David Salo]] and melody by [[Howard Shore]], is heard in the Fan Credits.<ref>{{webcite|author=|articleurl=http://www.amagpiesnest.com/source_songs/ROTK/SSbilbos_song.htm|articlename=Bilbo's Song|dated=|website=[http://www.amagpiesnest.com/ A Magpie's Nest.com]|accessed=9 July 2013}}</ref>

==See also==
*[[Poems in The Lord of the Rings|Poems in ''The Lord of the Rings'']]
{{references}}
[[Category:Poems in The Fellowship of the Ring]]
[[Category:Songs]]

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It's So Easy Not to Try

I Sit beside the Fire and Think