Why The Last Goodbye Was The Perfect Send-Off For Peter Jackson's Tolkien Movies
Since "The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies" was the last time Peter Jackson expected to be a part of the Tolkien universe, he needed the perfect song to end his sprawling cinematic journey across the magical Middle-earth. Although /Film called it "the worst Peter Jackson hobbit movie, "Five Armies" is elevated by the moving ballad "The Last Goodbye" in the end credits.
"The Last Goodbye" creates a full-circle moment by having Billy Boyd, who famously played the cheeky hobbit Pippin in the original trilogy, write and sing. This song serves as a callback to one of his most well-known scenes from "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" where he sings "The Edge of Night" for a scowling Denethor. Similar to "The Last Goodbye," it is a quiet piece composed by Boyd where his character reflects on the dangers of war and lost friendships.
Boyd traveled to New Zealand to record the song, a special place that "brought back so many memories that I got back into that world very easily and very quickly," he told NPR in 2014. His affection for Tolkien's work makes his recording of "The Last Goodbye" very poignant.
The lyrics reflect Bilbo's journey
There is a gentle melancholy to "The Last Goodbye" that recalls "Into the West," the Academy Award-winning final song at the end of "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King." Both songs have a sense of finality and sorrow to them, but "The Last Goodbye" is carried by Boyd's feather-light voice and soft guitar strums, almost like a lullaby.
"The Last Goodbye" eloquently captures Bilbo Baggins' perspective after returning home from war, particularly his grief over his fallen brothers—the dwarves of Thorin's company that annoyed him at first but quickly became his comrades. Bilbo's references to snow in the first verse invoke the icy battle at the end of "Five Armies" where several of his friends die.
The second verse moves away from the cold of death and grief to remind the listener of Middle-earth's vast landscape: hills, trees, dark lands, and silver streams. These lyrics paint a vivid picture of how far Bilbo's journey took him away from the Shire and are reminiscent of Tolkien's walking song "The Road Goes Ever On," which Bilbo sings in the original trilogy.
In the final part of the song, Bilbo reflects on the memories he will never forget, which we see in "Fellowship of the Ring" when he tells the little hobbits about meeting Smaug. The last line, "I bid you all a very fond farewell," is the same as the end of Bilbo's birthday speech, but much slower and meditative. Boyd does a great job of connecting the lyrics not only to the story but to Bilbo's emotional journey across two trilogies.
Saying goodbye to the audience
"The Last Goodbye" also serves as an elegy for the epic, decades-long adventure that Peter Jackson and his dedicated team brought to life. Billy Boyd told Billboard in 2014 he wanted the song to "sum up the six movies" for audiences, and you certainly get that feeling of resolution and reverence through its tender melody. The bittersweet lyrics about the passage of time and saying goodbye are not only from Bilbo's perspective, but a lament for all the films. "The Last Goodbye" is the last time audiences would go on such a spectacular theatrical journey. The end credits are rolling and they must take the path that leads home.
The music video for "The Last Goodbye" honors the filmmakers of these Tolkien adaptations by interweaving clips from both trilogies and behind-the-scenes footage. The clips thread together Bilbo and Frodo's journeys, their heroic triumphs, and terrifying foes. If you have ever watched the behind-the-scenes documentaries of "The Lord of the Rings," you know how close-knit the cast and crew became while shooting in New Zealand. In the shots of them laughing and hugging, you can see that true sense of camaraderie, a kind of love and care that seeps through the screen of these finely-crafted films.
"The Last Goodbye" is a nostalgic and sentimental ode that allows the audience to bid farewell to Peter Jackson's version of Middle-earth. Although adaptations and origin stories such as "Rings of Power" have been released since, no one can match Jackson's specific vision. He managed to make wizards, hobbits, and dragons feel painstakingly real yet awe-inspiring at the same time. We will always hold the memories of these films in our hearts, just as Billy Boyd encourages us to in the final verse.