TOLKIEN (The Hobbit & Lord of the Rings)

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From: Songs of the Muse and Memories of Middle Earth

music by Gunn-McKee

KEY Dm

verse:
Dm Dm G G
Dm Dm G G
Dm Dm G G
Dm Dm G E7

mid:
Dm Dm Am Am
Dm Dm Am Am
Dm Dm Am Am
Dm Dm Am E7

chorus:
Dm C G Dm
Dm C G Dm
Dm C G Dm
Dm C G

Background: J.R.R. Tolkien was no doubt one of the great fantasy writers of the 21st century. His books The Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings trilogy have inspired countless people around the world. We are no different.

This song was written in the Summer of 1999 in Georgetown, Texas. Andrew and I just started playing and when we asked my fiancee, Nancy, what the song reminded her of, she said, "Tolkien". For the first year and a half, we even misspelled the name to read "Tolkein". We renamed the song in 2000 to read, "Tolkien (The Hobbit & Lord of the Rings)". Then in January 2001, this song hit it big on MP3.com. It climbed up to be the 31st most popular song out of millions and started our climb up the ladder of popularity. Several other songs followed its lead and in November 2001, it spent two weeks in the MP3.com Top 40.

This is all just prior to the release of the first installment of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, Fellowship of the Ring released on December 19th in theatres. Having tasted the success, Andrew and I are writing more Tolkien-themed songs. We hope to have an entirely Tolkien-based album out in 2001. But right now, we'll settle for our current success.

Interestingly, Celtic New Age artist, Enya did get two of her songs in the latest movie. The first "May It Be" can be downloaded in Liquid Audio form on Enya's Amazon.com homepage. The second "Aniron (Theme For Aragorn And Arwen)" is not available, but it is sung entirely in the Elven dilect from The Council of Elrond. It is an exquisite song.

Andrew and I are in the midst of recording a live CD that we hope to have out by the release of the movie. It will also feature the latest Brobdingnagian Bards Tolkien-themed song. Stay tuned.

If you're looking for more Tolkien links, check out these:

• Lord of the Rings Fantatics : An awesome website with everything you wan to know about the Lord of the Rings, JRR Tolkien and other people inspired by Tolkien.
• TheOneRing.net : A wonderfully conceived preview of the upcoming movie

Books by J.R.R. Tolkien:

• The Hobbit & Lord of the Rings Boxed Set
• Lord of the Rings (BBC Dramatization) : This was my first introduction to LOTR. Incredilbe production!
• The Silmarillion: Tolkien's tragic, operatic history of the First Age of Middle-Earth, essential background material for serious readers of the classic Lord of the Rings saga.
• The Tolkien Bestiary : Comprehensive guide to the monsters of Middle Earth.

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