"Build That Wall (Zia's Theme)" from Bastion on Windows, Linux, Steam OS, OS X, Xbox 360, Xbox One, iOS, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, Nintendo Switch (2011)
Composer: Darren Korb
Vocals: Ashley Barrett
Album: Bastion Original Soundtrack
Label: Supergiant Games
Publisher: Supergiant Games
Developer: Supergiant Games
I'm thinking I probably should not have picked a song with lyrics if I wasn't all in on doing a lyric analysis, because I know there is a lot I could get into with "Zia's Theme" from Bastion. 8-Bit Music Theory on YouTube already did an amazing music and lyric analysis of both "Zia's Theme" and "Zulf's Theme," and I would be remiss not to acknowledge what was covered in that video analysis. So let's go a slightly different, yet predictable route.
I love how much emotion there is in the song, brought in part from it being performed by just a guitar and vocals. Nothing else to get in the way. In a way, it kind of reminds me of "Will the Circle be Unbroken?" from BioShock Infinite, performed by Troy Baker and Courtnee Draper, which I know came out two years after Bastion was released. There's a defiance and resistance in Ashley Barrett's voice that doesn't sound like it's on the verge of cracking. It's sad and mournful, but in a way that remains strong. I'm not quite sure how else to put it. I love the melody, and I love Ashley Barrett's singing, both as the voice in the song and the voice for Zia and the Ura.
