The Road Goes Ever On facts for kids
First edition (Houghton Mifflin)
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| Author | J. R. R. Tolkien (lyrics & main text) Donald Swann (music) |
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| Illustrator | J. R. R. Tolkien (page decorations) |
| Language | English |
| Subject | Middle-earth |
| Genre | sheet music & commentary |
| Publisher | Houghton Mifflin (USA) George Allen & Unwin (UK) |
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Publication date
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31 October 1967 (USA) 14 March 1968 (UK) |
| Media type | print; in audio as Poems and Songs of Middle-earth |
| Preceded by | The Tolkien Reader |
| Followed by | Smith of Wootton Major |
The Road Goes Ever On is a collection of songs. It was first released in 1967. You could get it as a book of sheet music or as an audio recording. Donald Swann wrote the music. The words for the songs come from poems by J. R. R. Tolkien. These poems are found in his famous Middle-earth books, especially The Lord of the Rings.
The name of the song collection comes from its first song, "The Road Goes Ever On". The songs are made to sound good when played one after another. One song, "Lúthien Tinúviel," was added at the end of the book, not in the main list of songs.
Donald Swann played the songs for Tolkien. Tolkien liked the music, except for one song called "Namárië". This song was in the Elvish language, Quenya. Tolkien suggested it should sound like a Gregorian chant. He even hummed a tune for Swann to use. Swann then used that tune for the song.
Contents
About the Songs
J. R. R. Tolkien was a very smart professor. He studied old English and European languages. He was especially interested in the poetry from the Middle Ages. His knowledge of old stories, like Beowulf, helped him create his fantasy world of Middle-earth. This includes his famous book, The Lord of the Rings.
With Tolkien's permission, Donald Swann created music for some of Tolkien's poems. Most of the songs sound like traditional English folk music. But one song, "Namárië", is different. It is in the Elvish language, Quenya. Tolkien himself gave Swann the tune for this song. It sounds a bit like a Gregorian chant. Swann explained that he played the songs for Tolkien in his daughter's garden. Tolkien approved the music, but he hummed a new tune for "Namárië," which Swann then used.
What's Inside the Book
The book mainly contains the sheet music for the songs. This means it has the musical notes so you can play them. In the 2002 edition, the music takes up many pages.
List of Songs
The first collection of songs came out in 1967. It was available on a record (LP) and later on a CD. The table below lists these songs. It also shows where the words came from and what language they are in. The "Key" tells you the musical key, but Swann said it's okay to play them in a different key if needed.
| Song Number | CD Track | Title | Where the Words Came From | Language | Key | Tempo | Time signature |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | "The Road Goes Ever On" | LOTR, Book 1, ch. 1 "A Long-expected Party" and ch. 3 "Three is Company" | English | E-flat major | Moderately | 4 4 |
| 2 | 2 | "Upon the Hearth the Fire Is Red" | LOTR, Book 1, ch. 3 "Three is Company" | English | G major | Lively | 2 2 |
| 3 | 3 | "In the Willow-meads of Tasarinan" | LOTR, Book 3, ch. 4 "Treebeard" | English | D minor | Resolutely, not fast | 4 4 |
| 4 | 4 | "In Western Lands" | LOTR, Book 6, ch. 1 "The Tower of Cirith Ungol" | English | F major | Steadily | 4 4 |
| 5 | 5 | "Namárië" | LOTR, Book 2, ch. 8 "Farewell to Lórien" Gregorian theme by Tolkien |
Quenya | A major | Freely | (not marked) |
| 6 | 6 | "I Sit Beside the Fire" | LOTR, Book 2, ch. 3 "The Ring Goes South" | English | D major | Gently flowing | 2 2 |
| 7 | 8 | "Errantry" | The Adventures of Tom Bombadil | English | D major | With easy motion | 2 4 |
Some other songs were added later to the CD version. "A Elbereth Gilthoniel" is a continuation of song 6, "I Sit Beside the Fire." However, it is a separate track on the CD. "Lúthien Tinúviel" is listed as song 9. But it is placed in an extra section at the end of the book.
| Song Number | CD Track | Title | Where the Words Came From | Language | First Added | Key | Tempo | Time signature |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (at end of 6) |
7 | "A Elbereth Gilthoniel" | LOTR, Book 2, ch. 1 "Many Meetings" | Sindarin | 3rd Edition, 2002 | (continues "I Sit Beside the Fire") | ||
| 8 | 9 | "Bilbo's Last Song (At the Grey Havens)" |
Given to Tolkien's secretary, Margaret Joy Hill, after his death | English | 2nd Edition, 1978 | G major | Flowing slowly | 3 4 |
| 9 (Appdx) |
10 | "Lúthien Tinúviel" | The Silmarillion, ch. 19 "Of Beren and Lúthien" | English | 3rd Edition, 2002 | F major | Poco appassionato | 3 4 |
Other Materials in the Book
The book also includes notes from Tolkien himself. These notes explain and translate the two Elvish poems in the song collection. For example, it has a long example of the Quenya language in the song "Namárië." It also explains the Sindarin prayer "A Elbereth Gilthoniel." Tolkien's notes in this book gave people information about the First Age of Middle-earth. This information was not available to the public until The Silmarillion came out in 1977.
Tolkien also drew special decorations for the book. He made Elvish script designs for the top and bottom of each music page. He also created small drawings for the end of the poems.
How the Book Was Published
The first edition of The Road Goes Ever On: a Song Cycle was released on October 31, 1967, in the United States.
An LP record was made on June 12, 1967. It was called Poems and Songs of Middle Earth. Donald Swann played the piano, and William Elvin sang. One side of the record had Tolkien himself reading six poems. The other side had Tolkien reading part of an Elvish prayer. The rest of that side had the songs performed by Swann and Elvin.
The second edition of The Road Goes Ever On came out in 1978. It added music for the song "Bilbo's Last Song." This song was also sold separately.
The third edition was published in 1993. It added music for "Lúthien Tinúviel." This song had appeared in another book before. The third edition of The Road Goes Ever On came with a CD. This CD had the same songs as the 1967 record, but it did not include Tolkien's readings. The CD also had two new recordings. This third edition was printed again in 2002. It had the same text and CD as the 1993 version.
On June 10, 1995, the songs were performed live in Rotterdam. A singer named Jan Krediet performed with a choir and a pianist. A special CD of this concert was also released.
See also
In Spanish: The Road Goes Ever On para niños
