Every hero needs a place to call home. Even if your home has been destroyed by your nemesis or is far away from where your quest takes you, heroes need a “home.” They need places to rest, resupply, and often citizens to help. I would guess that few heroes claim an imaginary village dreamed up by a sleeping whale though!
Mabe Village is Link’s home base in Link’s Awakening. It’s where he recovers from his near drowning, where he returns to when he needs to buy items, and where he helps and receives help from the residents. In their orchestral cover of the “Mabe Village Theme”, Simon Hanna Music manages to take an already beautiful tune and dreams up some new ways to make it even more meaningful and representative of Link’s journey on Koholint Island.
Initially, this version of the song seems pretty similar to Nintendo’s own version. It’s familiar. It’s Mabe Village just as Link arrives. Each resident hasn’t been impacted by the waterlogged hero yet. Tarin is searching the forest for mushrooms, Ulrira is putting his rocking chair through its familiar motion, and Marin is singing, dreaming of far off places. Eventually though, Link’s presence on the island causes it to change, and Simon Hanna Music’s cover does as well.
Towards the middle of the cover, the tune slows down and, in doing so, creates a feeling of sorrow. Link’s journey to escape the island has revealed a terrifying rumor: to wake the Wind Fish will destroy the island and all its residents as everything is just a part of the cetacean’s dream. By slowing down the music, Simon Hanna Music allows us to dwell in Link’s sadness for a bit. These people saved his life. They’ve helped him when he’s called (either literally or on the phone when it comes to Ulrira). Can it really be true? And if it is true, is his quest worth continuing? The slowing of the melody lets the sorrow and doubt of Link hang in the air for a minute.
Of course, we all know that the tale must go on, and Link must get back to Hyrule. With a bombastic group of horns and a cymbal clash, Simon Hanna Music gives us the “Mabe Village Theme” at its most heroic. Link defeats the enemies, climbs the steps of Mount Tamaranch, and rouses the Wind Fish. He has to, and the music in this section reminds us of this. Link is the hero of Hyrule; he has a duty to Zelda and the people of his kingdom.
Like the game itself, Simon Hanna Music isn’t content to leave us with a simple feeling of happiness in the end though. The cover ends with a few melancholic notes played on the horn and violin. There’s no shame in completing the quest, but to do so without recognizing the cost would be shameful. Link had to destroy his temporary home, even if it was all just a dream. Even still, the memories of Tarin, Madame MeowMeow, and especially Marin will live with the hero all of his days. In the same way, Simon Hanna Music’s beautiful orchestral cover of the “Mabe Village Theme” reminds us that change is a constant, but memory allows us to relive even the briefest of dreams.
