My Tolkien Birthday Toast, Jan 3, 2020
Channel: Hobbit Song
Date: 2020-01-04

This my annual musical birthday toast to J.R.R. Tolkien. 

The toast is a custom among his fans: to drink to his memory at 9pm local time on his birthday (Jan 3). I’ll be doing my toasts to musical setting I originally created so I could sing the various songs from the book when I came to them while reading the books aloud to my son many years ago.

I did about four years of these musical video toasts several years ago, then stopped, but I’m starting them up again this year and hope to post a new one every year for as long as I can manage it.

Here are the complete lyrics, in case they don't come through clearly in the video:

I sit beside the fire and think
of worlds that have been,
of ancient woods and mighty towers
and swords reforged and keen,

of eagles’ flight and battle’s hope
and realms both bright and blessed,
of figures on a lonely road
upon a saving quest.

I sit beside the fire and think
of those who came before,
and added tale by tale to
Imagination’s store.

I face the West and raise my glass
to one who traveled far:
the greatest of them all to sing
the songs of what we are.

Note: this year’s tune is a melody I originally created for Bilbo’s song, “I sit beside the fire and think…” that, in my imagination, Sam later repurposes into his “In western lands beneath the sun…” in his most despairing moment. At some point, I’ll create videos of those songs and upload them here.

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