As the franchise marks its 40th anniversary this year, The Legend of Zelda series remains celebrated for its music as much as its gameplay. One song stands out for its serene, calming nature. “Zelda’s Lullaby” first appeared as “Zelda’s Theme” in 1991’s “A Link to the Past,” and has since been a recurring motif of varying prominence in 13 mainline Zelda games, Zelda Universe explains.
It is probably best known for its appearance in “Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time” for N64, in which the protagonist Link must use a magic ocarina to solve puzzles, summon his horse, make it rain, and perform other mystical tasks. If you haven’t heard it in a while, revisit the classic:
“Zelda’s Lullaby” was composed by Koji Kondo, who also composed the iconic Super Mario Bros. Main Theme and the original Legend of Zelda theme. Kondo began working for Nintendo in 1984, fresh out of college. At the time, 8-bit video game systems had much lower capacity for storing data and for reproducing music. Kondo used that limitation as an advantage by crafting shorter, repetitive pieces of music.
“It even helped the developers out with their limited 1980s resources. With shorter or fewer songs taking up space on the cartridge, other areas of the game didn’t need to suffer. Kondo turned what’s usually a negative into a positive, and hand-crafted several short but sweet tunes that would bore their way into our consciousnesses,” Sound of Life explains. “As an extra bonus, leaving that humming in players’ minds and getting them to think about the game, while they’re at work, at school or not playing the game, is a genius tactic to make sure they don’t let any dust build up on that joypad.”
“Zelda’s Lullaby” hits this on the head. Melodically, it moves mostly in gentle, stepwise motion with small intervals, making it singable and comforting. The harmony will linger on the dominant chord instead of rushing back to the tonic, creating a subtle suspension that keeps things from feeling too static.
Kondo’s philosophy of writing short, looping themes shines through here, too. “Zelda’s Lullaby” is short enough to play endlessly, but rich enough to never feel repetitive.
Because the core melody of “Zelda’s Lullaby” is concise, lyrical, and harmonically straightforward, it is not only memorable but also malleable. The song has been adapted from its 16-bit roots into a wide variety of arrangements, from harp to hard rock to a full orchestra. Many orchestras include it in programs dedicated to video games.
Germany’s WDR Funkhausorchester performed the song late last year at the WDR Funkhaus Wallrafplatz. The stunning arrangement by J. Berger opens with the flutes and strings setting the mood. When the melody enters, it’s played by woodwinds – first clarinet and then oboe – to recreate the innocent timbre of the ocarina.
Not everyone has an orchestra at their disposal, but “Zelda’s Lullaby” is also a perfect fit for the piano. It’s especially accessible thanks to Torby Brand’s easy arrangement that lets you dig into the song’s emotions.
To Kondo, anyone who plays this music should realize it’s more than just notes on the page. In a special interview with Glitter Berri, he reminds us all what playing music is about.
“I’d like you to play every song while remembering the enjoyment you had playing the game. I want you to pay attention to the rhythm for the Mario series, the scenery for the Zelda series, and express the feelings that exist inside the game world. There are some difficult songs as well, but it’s okay if you mess up, I’ll be happy if you have fun playing!”
