20 Things You Somehow Missed In Friday The 13th (1980)

12. Sail Away Tiny Sparrow

In a rare moment of tranquillity, composer Harry Manfredini produced a cue for the closing sequence of the film that provides relief for the audience and embodies Alice's empowerment and survival, that later re-emerges as a warning note following the film's memorable ending.

The melody that Manfredini provides may seem out of place in the closing sequence, but the composer had actually set it up much earlier in the film.

In both the sequence in which Annie visits a general store in an idyllic town twenty miles from Crystal Lake and when Steve Christy (Peter Brouwer) visits a diner, there is a country song playing in the background entitled "Sail Away Tiny Sparrow", whose melody closes the film.

The filmmakers had originally hoped to use a Dolly Parton song in the film, but this proved too expensive, so Manfredini wrote a new song performed by Angela Rotella. The lyrics refer to Alice believing that she is sailing toward safety when, in fact, she is placing herself in greater danger.

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I started writing for WhatCulture in July 2020. I have always enjoyed reading and writing. I have contributed to several short story competitions and I have occasionally been fortunate enough to have my work published. During the COVID-19 lockdown, I also started reviewing films on my Facebook page. Numerous friends and contacts suggested that I should start my own website for reviewing films, but I wanted something a bit more diverse - and so here I am! My interests focus on film and television mainly, but I also occasionally produce articles that venture into other areas as well. In particular, I am a fan of the under appreciated sequel (of which there are many), but I also like the classics and the mainstream too.