Bella's Lullaby

{{Infobox song

| name = Bella's Lullaby

| cover =

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| alt =

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| type = Composition

| artist = Carter Burwell

| album = Twilight: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

| EP =

| A-side =

| B-side =

| written =

| published =

| released = {{Start date|2008|11|4}}

| recorded = September 2008

| studio = Air Lyndhurst Studios

| genre =

| length = 2:20

| label = *Chop Shop

Atlantic

| composer = Carter Burwell

| producer =

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| misc = {{Audio sample

| type = song

| file = Twilight Soundtrack - Bella's Lullaby.ogg

| description = The theme as it was first featured in Twilight

}}

"Bella's Lullaby" is a song composed by Carter Burwell for the 2008 movie Twilight. The song's motif features prominently throughout the franchise. It is considered the main theme of the movie's soundtrack.{{cite news |last1=Ivie |first1=Devon |title=Carter Burwell Tells the Stories Behind 7 of His Film Scores, From Fargo to Being John Malkovich |url=https://www.vulture.com/2015/12/carter-burwell-on-his-film-scores-coens-spike-jonze.html |access-date=19 January 2025 |work=Vulture |date=29 December 2015 |language=en}}

Background

"Bella's Lullaby" is mentioned in the novel Twilight. In the book, the song is composed on piano by Edward Cullen as a tribute of his love to Bella Swan. The song is referenced both throughout the book and in the sequel ''New Moon.{{cite web |last1=Waxman |first1=Nicole |title=The Twilight Saga's Biggest Changes From Book to Screen |url=https://www.cbr.com/twilight-biggest-changes-book-to-screen/ |website=CBR |access-date=19 January 2025 |language=en |date=6 August 2021}}

Composition and recording

The song that would become known as "Bella's Lullaby" was originally composed by Carter Burwell for his partner, Christine Sciulli, when they were having relationship issues. It was written by Burwell after Sciulli had temporarily left him. According to Burwell, it was meant to "speak of love—ecstatic, tormented love". The two reconciled and later married.

The piece is composed of two different themes. Burwell describes an "A" theme that "is a bit ambiguous, like two people trying to find a common ground, climbing to a high, then tumbling down", and a "B" theme that he considers "forthrightly joyful".

When Twilight director Catherine Hardwicke approached Burwell about scoring the film, he understood that "Bella's Lullaby" would be an important part of the soundtrack. He believed the emotions behind his prior composition would be appropriate to use for the song. Burwell and Hardwicke originally referred to the track as "Love Theme".

Burwell recorded the song in September 2008 at Air Lyndhurst Studios in London. He utilized a 24-piece orchestra for the track.{{cite web |last1=Burwell |first1=Carter |title=Twilight |url=https://www.carterburwell.com/projects/Twilight.shtml |website=www.carterburwell.com}}

In the films

The song was not originally going to feature in the films. Summit Entertainment requested a piano scene to be added to the script in response to growing anticipation in the blogosphere about the soundtrack, as fans were curious about how "Bella's Lullaby" would be presented. Robert Pattinson, the actor who played Edward, composed an original piece to use as the lullaby. The "Bella's Lullaby" scene in Twilight was originally shot using Pattinson's composition, but was later scrapped in favor of Burwell's.{{cite web |last1=Vineyard |first1=Jennifer |title='Twilight' Stars Robert Pattinson, Kellan Lutz Describe New Flashback Scenes|url=http://www.mtv.com/movies/news/articles/1594819/20080915/story.jhtml |website=MTV |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080918193003/http://www.mtv.com/movies/news/articles/1594819/20080915/story.jhtml |archive-date=18 September 2008 |language=en |date=15 September 2008}}

Unlike in the books, the song remains unnamed in the film. Edward is shown playing the song, but it is not specified that he composed it for Bella. In Twilight, the melody occurs several times as a reprise.

Release and reception

The song was released as part of the Twilight: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack on November 4, 2008 through Chop Shop Records and Atlantic Records.{{cite news |last1=Ginsberg |first1=Gab |title=The Oral History Of the First ‘Twilight’ Soundtrack, 10 Years Later |url=https://www.billboard.com/culture/tv-film/twilight-soundtrack-oral-history-8481427/ |access-date=20 January 2025 |work=Billboard |date=1 November 2018}} Summit Entertainment provided a free remix of "Bella's Lullaby" through iTunes, with the purchase of a Twilight theatre ticket through online ticket services Fandango or MovieTickets.com.{{cite web | first1=Jennifer|last1=Vineyard | title='Twilight' Trick Or Treat - Ticket Presales To Begin On Halloween | url=http://moviesblog.mtv.com/2008/10/31/exclusive-twilight-trick-or-treat-ticket-presales-to-begin-on-halloween/ | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081106035512/http://moviesblog.mtv.com/2008/10/31/exclusive-twilight-trick-or-treat-ticket-presales-to-begin-on-halloween/ | url-status=dead | archive-date=6 November 2008 | work=MTV | date=31 October 2008 | access-date=2008-11-29 }}

The track was well received, and became a popular song for beginners and fans of the franchise to learn on piano. Burwell received a large amount of fan mail in response.{{cite news |last1=Bryant |first1=Taylor |title=The Secret Story Behind 'Twilight' Song “Bella’s Lullaby” |url=https://www.nylon.com/bellas-lullaby-twilight-anniversary |access-date=20 January 2025 |work=Nylon |date=21 November 2018 |language=en}} Despite this, he was not invited to score the next movie in the franchise. However, the song's popularity contributed to Burwell's return as composer for Breaking Dawn – Part 1 and Breaking Dawn – Part 2.

Taylor Bryant of Nylon described the song as "instantly iconic". Meredith Goldstein of The Boston Globe praised the song for its "dissonant and longing melody that provokes the emotions one might experience when falling for one's prey."{{cite news |last1=Goldstein |first1=Meredith |title=Lullaby Man: Carter Burwell’s return is the sound of ‘Breaking Dawn’|url=http://www.bostonglobe.com/arts/2011/11/13/lullaby-man-carter-burwell-return-sound-breaking-dawn/X5Y5Pfd27nXHa4mX37ZuhP/story.html |access-date=19 January 2025 |work=The Boston Globe |date=13 November 2011}} Nasya Blackshear of The List stated, "for a classical piece, the song is a certified banger."{{cite news |last1=Blackshear |first1=Nasya |title=How TikTok Fell In Love With The Twilight Saga |url=https://www.thelist.com/868299/how-tiktok-fell-in-love-with-the-twilight-saga/ |access-date=23 January 2025 |work=The List |date=19 May 2022}}

In other media

In 2020, the song resurged in popularity as a TikTok trend. Videos featuring the melody were juxtaposed with scenes of aggressive twerking and fist pumping.{{cite web |last1=Bell |first1=Esther |title=TikTokers are twerking and fist bumping to the ‘Twilight’ soundtrack |url=https://www.dailydot.com/unclick/tiktok-dance-bellas-lullaby-twilight/ |website=The Daily Dot |access-date=20 January 2025 |date=10 April 2020}}{{cite web |last1=Boren |first1=Jade |title=‘Twilight’ Fans Are Twerking To ‘Bella’s Lullaby’ On TikTok & The Videos Are Wild — Watch |url=https://hollywoodlife.com/2020/04/10/twilight-fans-twerking-bellas-lullaby-tiktok-videos/ |website=Hollywood Life |access-date=20 January 2025 |date=10 April 2020}} The trend was first popularized by Issa Twaimz.{{cite web |last1=Penn |first1=Farrah |last2=Emanuel |first2=Daniella |title=People Are Doing A Sexy Dance On TikTok To The Score Of "Twilight" And It's Getting Us Through Quarantine |url=https://www.buzzfeed.com/daniellaemanuel/sexy-dance-tiktok-twilight |website=BuzzFeed |access-date=23 January 2025 |language=en |date=9 April 2020}}