"At Wit's End" is a musical theme composed and conducted by Hans Zimmer for Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End. It appears as track three on the film's soundtrack, at 8:05 in length.
Track Description[]
The track introduces the film's love theme, which builds until its grand statement preceded by a choir (3:07). Militaristic drumrolls precede a refrain of the music box from "Davy Jones" (4:04), with the love theme in the background, followed by a slower, darker, and more grandiose version of Jones' theme (5:19). A secondary version of the love theme plays, followed by an epic version of the primary rendition (7:30).
In the Film[]
The song accompanies the journey to World's End, from which the track draws its name, though out of order. The beginning plays while the Hai Peng sails through the Ice Passage, specifically when Tia Dalma explains Davy Jones' Locker, Will Turner examining Sao Feng's Map, Joshamee Gibbs explaining the green flash, and when the Hai Peng sails through glaciers. It continues to the following scene with Lord Cutler Beckett and Mercer aboard the Endeavour as well as Davy Jones' first scene in which his theme is played through his organ and music box locket. Afterwards the song goes to the theme played during Will and Elizabeth Swann's scene aboard the Hai Peng, but then plays the more grandiose version of Jones' theme as heard when the Flying Dutchman attacks a pirate fleet, which is heard from an earlier scene. The end of the track is heard as the Hai Peng approaches World's End and falls down the waterfall.
Trivia[]
- An excerpt from this track can be heard as theme in On Stranger Tides.