Resident Evil 7 Theme Song’s Odd Origins & Secret Lyrics

The musical theme of Resident Evil 7 could be ranked near the top of the weirdest things in the series list. “Go Tell Aunt Rhody“, the title theme, has a long history of being repurposed and covered by English opera writers and American folk artists alike. The version at the beginning of Ethan Winters’ Resident Evil 7 adventure is a heavily modified cover that strives to be a surreal introduction to the horrors that await players in game.

The title theme, created by Michael A. Levine, has a strange backstory. Originally a small part of a one act opera, parts of the song have been featured in everything from hymns to horror games. The path of “Go Tell Aunt Rhody” from opera to horror title theme has been long and winding, with a contested origin.

The melody of the song seems to have originated with Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s one-act opera Le devin du village, according to Bibliolore, subsequently. The more modern and well-known version of Go Tell Aunt Rhody has been performed by artists such as Woody Guthrie. This earlier version of the folky tune stands in stark contrast to the Resident Evil 7 composition, which turns a song about the loss of a gray goose into one of the horror genre’s underrated theme songs.

The Odd Nature Of Resident Evil 7’s Main Theme

Resident Evil 7‘s Go Tell Aunt Rhody was composed by Michael A. Levine, who is known for the 2014 version of Everybody Wants to Rule the World sung by Lorde. According to an interview with PC Gamer, Levine was tasked with turning yet another song into a menacing composition. His version took inspiration from both Japan and America’s rendition of the Swiss melody. The folky American version was combined with the melody of the Japanese children’s tune Musunde Hiraite and became the titular theme with a few lyrical changes. These unique twists on traditionally happier tones make Go Tell Aunt Rhody a creepily haunting melody that mixes well with Resident Evil‘s creepier creations.

Levine’s version begins with repetition. The soft vocals of Jordan Reyne repeat the phrase “go tell Aunt Rhody” as an industrial beat slowly gets louder and louder, and culminates in a line change from “the old gray goose is dead” to “that everybody’s dead.” The singer’s volume increases with every line, culminating in a crescendo of violins and piano. The lyrics themselves foreshadow the events of Resident Evil 7. Verses like “They locked me up and took my soul,” and “His arm’s outstretched but when she’s done, he’ll be torn apart,” foretell the pain that awaits Ethan Winters and the Bakers during the events of Resident Evil 7.

Perhaps the weirdest aspect of the opening number is Levine’s fascination with cryptomusic: hiding mysteries within a composition itself. This lends a whole new layer of interest to what is already an interesting composition. Reddit user AestheticGamer put together an interesting theory explored by their girlfriend that enhances the creepiness factor tenfold. She presented a series of evidence suggesting that the song was much more than it might at first appear, and by analyzing some of the cuts and pitch tones, she concluded that there are possible hidden messages in Resident Evil 7’s theme. She created a slightly edited version of the number played backwards that highlights some horrifyingly good production work. Towards the end, ear-piercing screams can be heard, as well as what can only be described as a heartbeat. Levine has gone on record to say that there may or may not be hidden puzzles within the theme, but the coyness of his statement only fueled the search.

The track’s allusions to the events of Resident Evil 7 combined with the possible secrets within make for a hair-raising piece. Levine’s work had many scouring for hints as to what Resident Evil 7 would be about before release. Creepiness, combined with a musical puzzle, made for a theme that stayed in the minds of Resident Evil fans.

Source: Bibliolore, PCGamer, AestheticGamer

About The Author

Jeremy Griggs
(37 Articles Published)

Jeremy, otherwise known as “Jorpen” in the wonderful world of the internet, is a writer, video editor, and streamer. When he’s not busy baiting his teammates in VALORANT or making video edits for Twitter, he passes time by reading schlocky sci-fi and pining for a new Silent Hill game. You can find him on Twitter @Jorrpen.

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