A Walking Song

"They began to hum softly, as hobbits have a way of doing as they walk along, especially when they are drawing near to home at night. With most hobbits it is a supper-song or a bed-song; but these hobbits hummed a walking-song (though not, of course, without any mention of supper and bed)."

― Three is Company, The Fellowship of the Ring

A Walking Song is a song published in Three is Company from The Fellowship of the Ring. Bilbo Baggins wrote the words to this song and he put it to a tune that is "as old as the hills." The song was then taught to Frodo Baggins and sung during the journey to Mount Doom. Within The Grey Havens chapter of The Return of the King Frodo sings part of an altered version of the song as he is leaving for the Undying Lands.

Adaptations

Music

Both versions of the song were set to music by the Tolkien Ensemble on their At Dawn in Rivendell and Complete Songs & Poems CDs.

Peter Jackson's The Return of the King

Peter Jackson's The Return of the King features part of the song within The Steward of Gondor which was written by Howard Shore and arranged by Philippa Boyens. The song is renamed to The Edge of Night and the melody was composed by Billy Boyd who played Peregrin Took and performed the song. These events differ from the books in which Pippin does not sing.