Since its first appearance in A Link to the Past back in 1991, the song “Zelda’s Lullaby” has become a ubiquitous melodic presence in the Zelda series. It has been represented, either prominently or as a cleverly-hidden Easter egg, in 13 mainline Zelda games since its debut, as well as several spin-off and crossover games. Back in 2019, we chronicled the evolution of “Zelda’s Lullaby” over the years, but this time, we’re going to look for examples of this famous melody outside of the games — that is, songs composed prior to 1991 that may have inspired its creation.
The melody formerly known as “Zelda’s Theme” and “Zelda’s Rescue” (it didn’t receive the “lullaby” moniker until Ocarina of Time released in 1998) was written by Koji Kondo, the pioneering composer responsible for many of Nintendo’s classic soundtracks. Kondo is an artist with an amazing grasp on the “less-is-more” approach to composition. His ability to craft memorable, emotionally powerful tunes from the very limited resources provided to him (after all, he only had five notes to work with when composing the ocarina songs from Ocarina of Time) is the reason his music has endured for so long. The fact that the Zelda series has seen his familiar themes reused and reinvented so many times is a testament to just how timeless these melodies are.
But art is rarely, if ever, created in a vacuum, and Koji Kondo’s music is no exception. He has spoken candidly in past interviews about the inspiration behind many of his songs; for example, the song “Sister Marian” by Japanese band T-SQUARE influenced the creation of the “Overworld Theme” from Super Mario Bros. But for all my research, I couldn’t find a similar excerpt from Kondo explaining the origin of “Zelda’s Lullaby”. That’s rather curious, since fans have discovered not one, but two songs released prior to A Link to the Past that contain similar melodies. It’s all just speculation at this point, mind you, but there’s no denying how close they are to the tune we all know and love.
Hiroshi Sato – This Boy (1985)
Hiroshi Sato was a prominent figure in the Japanese music scene in the 70s and 80s, focusing on a style of pop music that would eventually be nicknamed “city pop”. His 1985 cover of the 1963 Beatles song “This Boy” features a conspicuous addition to the introduction; it conveys a laid-back, summery vibe, like the musical equivalent of sun sparkling on the ocean’s surface. 1985 was right around the time when Koji Kondo was working on The Legend of Zelda, so it’s possible that he subconsciously filed it away to draw inspiration from at a later date. But again, it’s all speculation, and I wish there was a more definitive conclusion we could draw.
Now, there is one other song with subtle hints of “Zelda’s Lullaby” in it, and while Kondo may not have been aware of its existence, it’s quite possible that Hiroshi Sato was.
Mort Garson – Concerto for Philodendron and Pothos (1976)
Mort Garson’s plant lullaby entitled “Concerto for Philodendron and Pothos” is a somewhat bizarre potential source of inspiration, but thus far, it is the earliest appearance of this melody that most people can find. Mother Earth’s Plantasia was a curious electronic experiment, the product of Garson’s mission to make music that would soothe plants. Garson used a Moog synthesizer to create this LP, and it’s probably just an interesting coincidence, but Hiroshi Sato was also using Moog synths in certain songs of his around the time he released his cover of “This Boy”. The limited release of this record does throw a small wrench into the theory that Kondo or Sato had listened to it, as it was only available as a vinyl at one location: a plant shop in Los Angeles. But still, even without wide distribution, nine years is plenty of time for a record to travel the world. Stranger things have happened.
Now, the intentions behind this exercise in tracing the origins of “Zelda’s Lullaby” should not be misunderstood. Yes, it’s very possible that three different artists came up with the same three-note progression by pure chance, and no, I am not attempting to diminish Koji Kondo’s legacy or creativity by tracking down these potential sources of inspiration. It’s just so fascinating to research the history behind Zelda lore, and ultimately, it’s up to the individual to decide how these different melodies are related to one another. And if it is simply a coincidence, then we have three great minds to thank for each producing this magical melody. It was a treat to do research on this topic and understand the richness of not only Kondo’s history and influences, but those of Sato and Garson as well.
