Soundtrack Notes - At World's End
1. Hoist the Colours – This is the song that the “urchin” (i.e. boy pirate) and his fellow patrons for the noose sang in the beginning of the film. In the film, there is an extra verse, just like the second one on the soundtrack, except it begins “Yo ho, all hands”.
2. Singapore – It begins with Elizabeth singing some new verses of “Hoist the Colours”, but it’s hard to hear all the words. One I caught is “The bell has been raised from its watery grave.” That tune also turns up during the Singapore sequence on the calliope the monkey plays. On the soundtrack, the music starts as the soldiers storm into Sao Feng’s den. At the end we hear some of Jack’s themes (“He’s a Pirate” from Curse of the Black Pearl and “Jack Sparrow” from Dead Man’s Chest), which is really from the sequence when he rides the Pearl down the dunes and greets his crew on the beach.
3. At Wit’s End – The beginning is when Tia Dalma explains the reason for their sufferering as they pass through the icebergs. We hear the music box theme (Davy Jones’ theme) and a theme I call “Will’s Theme” (mainly because it’s the theme for “One Day”, when he and Elizabeth consummate their marriage) as Will asks Elizabeth, “How long will we continue not talking?” The music swells as they enter the ice cave. Then the Chinese junk approaches the end of the world. Remember before Christopher Columbus’ day, the maps showed a flat earth and the ships just fell off the edge? – this is the place! I like the violins stretching out the moment when the camera pulls ahead to the edge and the dropping water.
4. Multiple Jacks – Too many Jacks for Jack. I love the rock that thinks it’s a crab. Weird music for weird moments. The music that sounds like a clock ticking is for the crabs moving the Pearl across the sand. At the end, we hear “He’s a Pirate” as Jack comes over the dunes while standing on the Pearl’s mast. (As an aside, what’s interesting is that in the film, we hear the sounds from the Disney ride before we see Jack’s sniffing nose. Is that to set up the surreal situation, or just a blatant stab at commercialism?)
5. Up is Down – This is one of my favorite sequences in the film, and I love the music. The music is playful at first, like an Irish jig, as Jack tries to trick the others into rocking the Pearl. (Why didn’t he just tell them what they needed to do? Because it’s against his nature to be straightforward!) When they catch on, more instruments join in, and a stronger theme overlays the jig. When Barbossa tells the pirates to “loose the cannons and unstow the cargo, let it shift!” the music gets louder and more dramatic. Then the music builds to when the ship flips over, and it’s done!
6. I See Dead People in Boats – First Pintel and Ragetti see the dead people under the water. Then Elizabeth sees her father in a boat and doesn’t want to accept that he is dead. Sad music. And of course Will has to console Elizabeth. This sequence comes before “Up is Down” in the movie. 7. The Brethren Court – We hear “Jack Sparrow” from Dead Man’s Chest when Captain Teague enters the scene. When two older men bring the Pirates’ Code book to the table, the music settles down. Then we hear “Hoist the Colours” in a French-café sounding version. 8. Parlay – A great piece of music. It starts out with what I call “Beckett’s Theme”. It sounds like the ticking of a clock. The Royal Navy ships appear out of the fog. “The enemy is here – let’s take ‘em!” Then the piece moves into the main theme, which is reminiscent of an old western, when the cowboys come into the street to face each other for a gunfight. Only in this film, it’s a meeting of the minds to settle who’s on whose “team”. It sounds like electric guitars, though it’s probably synthesized, then you even hear a “church” chime near the end, like you might hear tolling in the old western town.
9. Calypso – Setting Calypso free. First, the “pieces of eight” (i.e. “whatever we happen to have on hand at the time”) must be gathered together, then set on fire. As she gets bigger, the music gets louder and more ominous-sounding. And the choir joins in to reach a crescendo. Then the music quiets down as the wind begins to blow.
10. What Shall We Die For – Elizabeth gives her “rah-rah” speech to the pirates to pump them up for the upcoming battle. Gotta love her. Then you hear the choir sing the “Hoist the Colours” song as the pirate flags are raised. I loved seeing all the different flags. It’s the perfect moment for that theme, as the boy’s song in the opening scene becomes reality. At the end of the song, we see Barbossa, Will, and Elizabeth standing together on the deck of the Pearl.
11. I Don’t Think Now Is The Best Time – The beginning is during the start of the big battle with the Pearl and the Flying Dutchman in the maelstrom. About a third of the way through, there's the music that plays when the Endeavour is destroyed. Halfway through, we hear “Jack’s Theme” as he breaks out of the brig and fights with Davy Jones. About two-thirds of the way through the piece, when the swordfight between the crews starts, “Will’s Theme” becomes a waltz, in 3-beat time. It’s a dance, because Will and Elizabeth are “dancing” around as they swordfight. They grab hands and swing each other around at times, fighting at each other’s back, while Barbossa tries to marry them. I love this sequence because it melds the action on the screen with the waltz music. Then, of course, the music crescendos as Will and Elizabeth kiss. Very old-fashioned dramatic swell. Then the music cuts back to Jack’s theme as he and Davy Jones continue their battle.
12. One Day – The battle is over, and the pirates celebrate. Then sad music as we find out Will is alive, but with a price to pay. One day in ten years with Elizabeth. Is it worth it? “It depends on the one day,” he says. Very romantic violins. And then the goodbye on the beach. I call this music “Will’s Theme”. Tragic, but hopeful.
13. Drink Up Me Hearties – Jack is left on shore with naught but Mr. Gibbs (who leaves him) and a tiny ship to sail. Oh, and that chart. I like the “French café” sound at the beginning. Like Jack’s on vacation, which I guess he is. But then he’s off on another adventure. We hear the “He’s a Pirate” theme (Check out my lyrics for this song.) as the film ends. We hear the main themes from the film. (This is not the exact music from the end credits, as they go on much longer, and alternate between versions of “Hoist the Colours” and “Will’s Theme”.) The soundtrack plays “Will’s Theme” from track 12 before it ends softly.
An added musical note: If you didn’t watch the movie through the end credits, you missed Elizabeth’s and Will’s son singing the first verse of “Yo Ho A Pirate’s Life for Me” from the Disney ride.
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