Willow’s Song

A ballad by American musician Paul Giovanni composed for the 1973 film The Wicker Man starring Edward Woodward and Britt Ekland. According to the film’s associate musical director Gary Carpenter, the screen version was sung by Rachel Verney... although some have believed that it was sung by the Scottish jazz singer Annie Ross. “The idea for the song was completely original with me—there was no indication of what it was to be in the script except a couple of lines of absolute filth,“ sourced by screenwriter Anthony Shaffer from various anthologies of lyrics that would be appropriate to spring pagan festivals. “The main thing is in the rhythm, and we used all of the old twangy instruments in there.“ Screenplay by Anthony Shaffer. Directed by Robin Hardy. Cinematography by Harry Waxman. Original Edit by Eric Boyd-Perkins. Mashed (for cleanliness) by Wertham.