Ian McKellen’s Gandalf can be heard singing a song as he rides into the Shire in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, and this tune is far from random. The scene in which the old wizard arrives in Hobbit country is among the most lighthearted and peaceful of the series, and this has made it all the more memorable. Gandalf’s joyful ride perfectly sets the tone of the Shire while establishing a contrast with the doom and gloom to come. His song assisted in this as well, but there was more to it than just this.

J.R.R. Tolkien was known for his poems and songs, and the Lord of the Rings books, including The Hobbit, were full of them. Peter Jackson’s movies couldn’t have included everything, so it’s understandable that the majority were cut. The Hobbit movie included Thorin’s “Misty Mountain” song, while The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King contained a version of Tolkien’s “A Walking Song,” sung by Pippin while Denethor feasted. However, there was another of Tolkien’s own songs, perhaps the most important, snuck into Fellowship of the Ring.

Ian McKellen Sings “The Road Goes Ever On” At The Shire In Lord Of The Rings

The First Few Lines Of The Song Can Be Heard

The song McKellen’s Gandalf sings in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring is “The Road Goes Ever On,” written in-world by Bilbo Baggins during the events of The Hobbit. Of course, Tolkien gets real-world credit for the lyrics, and the version heard in Jackson’s Fellowship of the Ring was arranged by Lord of the Rings composer Howard Shore for the film. Unfortunately, McKellen’s singing trails off as his cart continues down the road, but the first couple of lines can be heard. Find the full lyrics for “The Road Goes Ever On” below:

Roads go ever ever on,

Over rock and under tree,

By caves where never sun has shone,

By streams that never find the sea;

Over snow by winter sown,

And through the merry flowers of June,

Over grass and over stone,

And under mountains in the moon.

Roads go ever ever on

Under cloud and under star,

Yet feet that wandering have gone

Turn at last to home afar.

Eyes that fire and sword have seen

And horror in the halls of stone

Look at last on meadows green

And trees and hills they long have known.

“The Road Goes Ever On” is sometimes called “The Old Walking Song,” and there are several variations of the lyrics throughout Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings books.

Why Gandalf’s Song In The Fellowship Of The Rings Movie Is So Important To Lord Of The Rings Canon

It Carried A Lot Of Weight

Gandalf’s song in the Lord of the Rings movies is a delightful Easter egg since “The Road Goes Ever On” is a frequent and meaningful feature of Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings books. The first time it is seen on the page is at the end of The Hobbit when Bilbo comes up with the lyrics as he travels back to the Shire. This is reflected in the song’s lyrics, as Bilbo describes the things he has seen on his long journey and the sight of his familiar home after so long. While Gandalf is never noted to sing the song in Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings, it makes sense that his character would think of it while traveling to Bilbo’s home all those years later.

While Gandalf is never noted to sing the song in Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings, it makes sense that his character would think of it while traveling to Bilbo’s home all those years later.

This isn’t the end of the song’s significance, however. In the Fellowship of the Ring book, Bilbo sings another version of his Old Walking Song when he leaves the Shire for Rivendell, this time with lyrics that reflect his eagerness to have another adventure. “The Road Goes Ever On” is repeated two more times after this in The Lord of the Rings, both with new lyrics that reflect the adventure’s changing dynamics and the adventurer’s mood. In this way, it’s precisely as the song title suggests—the road goes on and on in an ever-unexpected journey.

Every Time Bilbo’s “The Road Goes Ever On” Is Sung In The Lord Of The Rings Books

Bilbo’s Song Is Seen Three Time In The Lord Of The Rings Books

It’s interesting to look at the changed lyrics of “The Road Goes Ever On” each time it is repeated in The Lord of the Rings books. The general idea of a never-ending journey remains the same, but there are subtle adjustments that reflect the character singing it. When Bilbo leaves the Shire for Rivendell in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, he sings of a road he must get on since it will lead him to the next part of his story. He then ends the verse questioning what will come next for him when he reaches his destination:

The Road goes ever on and on

Down from the door where it began.

Now far ahead the Road has gone,

And I must follow, if I can,

Pursuing it with eager feet,

Until it joins some larger way,

Where many paths and errands meet.

And whither then? I cannot say.

Later, when Frodo leaves the Shire for his own adventure in Fellowship of the Ring, he repeats the same changed verse, though rather than saying “eager feet” in the fifth line, he says “weary feet.” This foreshadows the difference between his adventure and Bilbo’s. It will be a longer, more harrowing journey that will take everything from Frodo.

This song perfectly captures the bittersweet ending of The Lord of the Rings, and its importance to the beginning, middle, and end of the Hobbits’ story makes Gandalf singing it in the movie all the more heartwarming.

The last time “The Road Goes Ever On” is heard in the Lord of the Rings books is in Return of the King when Frodo returns to Rivendell following the destruction of the One Ring. This time, it is again Bilbo who sings it, and the lyrics now reflect his weariness and willingness to leave the world to those who are ready to have their own adventures:

The Road goes ever on and on

Out from the door where it began.

Now far ahead the Road has gone,

Let others follow it who can!

Let them a journey new begin,

But I at last with weary feet

Will turn towards the lighted inn,

My evening-rest and sleep to meet.

In a sense, this version of the song is dedicated to both Bilbo and Frodo. The two Hobbits had completed their respective adventures and were, therefore, weary and ready to “turn toward the lighted inn” for a long rest in the Undying Lands. Of course, the road still goes on and on ahead of them, but it’s now for others to travel and explore. This song perfectly captures the bittersweet ending of The Lord of the Rings, and its importance to the beginning, middle, and end of the Hobbits’ story makes Gandalf singing it in the movie all the more heartwarming.