Movies - TV
Why The Last Goodbye Was The Perfect Send-Off
For Peter Jackson's Tolkien Movies
By CAROLINE MADDEN
"The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies" required the perfect song to end Peter Jackson’s sprawling cinematic journey across Tolkien’s Middle-earth. As a result, "Five Armies" is elevated by the moving ballad "The Last Goodbye" in the end credits.
Written and sung by Billy Boyd, who played the hobbit Pippin in the original trilogy, "The Last Goodbye" eloquently captures Bilbo's grief over his fallen brothers. 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 reminds the listener of Middle-earth's vast landscape, and in the final part of the song, Bilbo reflects on the memories he will never forget. 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.
Ultimately, Boyd does a great job of connecting the lyrics not only to the story but to Bilbo's emotional journey across two trilogies. The song, however, also serves as an elegy for the epic, decades-long adventure that Peter Jackson and his dedicated team brought to life.
The bittersweet lyrics about the passage of time and saying goodbye also allows audiences to bid farewell to Jackson's version of Middle-earth. Although adaptations and origin stories have been released since, no one can match Jackson's specific vision, which will live on in the hearts of fans everywhere.