One of my biggest criticisms of this score overall is that the Western elements are somewhat subdued by epic orchestra and many a hint towards the musical styles of the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, which the composer also worked on.

Ride is where Zimmer properly dons his cowboy hat, as he goes pretty much full Western for a highly enjoyable four minutes. Overall, it’s a rather simple yet incredibly dramatic three-note motif that is repeated in rapid succession throughout the album, and as a theme for the character of the Lone Ranger I believe it works very well – incorporating just the right amount of heroism and drama as well as pretty expertly capturing the overall tone of the film. The percussion then begins to build up and strings appear in the background, and the tone then rather drastically shifts from light and playful to frantic and dramatic as Zimmer’s main theme (that’s what I’ll call it from now on) gets its debut. Absurdity opens with light woodwinds and counteringly-heavy backing percussion, and after a few seconds of introduction we get the first rendition of Tonto’s theme a light-hearted and somewhat mischievous series of notes. However, I used quotation marks there for a reason, as one could make an argument that the William Tell Overture is the Lone Ranger’s main theme, as it is used rather considerably towards the end of the score. Hans Zimmer’s score to The Lone Ranger is a breathtaking blend of swashbuckling adventure and Morricone-style western, and his excellent use of the William Tell Overture is just the icing on top of the already amazing cake.Īfter a short and somewhat cold opening in Never Take Off The Mask, things really start to get going with Absurdity, a track that essentially acts as the “main theme” for Zimmer’s The Lone Ranger.

The lone ranger theme song