This has been one of my favourite songs to learn to play (I’m still learning) Taken from the end of Lord of the Rings : Return of the King, it accompanies Frodo as he sails across the waters to the Undying Lands to live in another life, where he could perhaps heal from the injuries of this one.
I created the video with an instrumental backing track overlaid with my guitar played as melody. The pictures are ones I have taken of some of my favourite places. If Heaven looked like these, I would be happy.
The Lyrics of the song speak of finding rest after a hard life.
Lay down
Your sweet and weary head
The night is falling
You have come to journey’s end
Sleep now
And dream of the ones who came before
They are calling
From across the distant shore
Why do you weep?
What are these tears upon your face?
Soon you will see
All of your fears will pass away
Safe in my arms
You’re only sleeping
What can you see
On the horizon?
Why do the white gulls call?
Across the sea
A pale moon rises
The ships have come to carry you home
And all will turn
To silver glass
A light on the water
All Souls pass
Hope fades
Into the world of night
Through shadows falling
Out of memory and time
Don’t say
We have come now to the end
White shores are calling
You and I will meet again
And you’ll be here in my arms
Just sleeping
And all will turn
To silver glass
A light on the water
Grey ships pass
Into the West
Frodo is recorded as being one of the few that the Elves invited to take eternal rest with them, in the Undying Lands
The allegory of passing to heaven is beautiful. Similar to the poem by Henry Van Dyke.
I am standing upon the seashore.
A ship at my side spreads her white
sails to the morning breeze and starts for the blue ocean.
She is an object of beauty and strength.
I stand and watch her until at length
she hangs like a speck of white cloud
just where the sea and sky come
to mingle with each other.
Then, someone at my side says;
“There, she is gone!”
“Gone where?”
Gone from my sight. That is all.
She is just as large in mast and hull
and spar as she was when she left my side
and she is just as able to bear her
load of living freight to her destined port.
Her diminished size is in me, not in her.
And just at the moment when someone
at my side says, “There, she is gone!”
There are other eyes watching her coming,
and other voices ready to take up the glad shout;
“Here she comes!”
RJR Daydreamer 