Perhaps even more than the movie’s rock monsters, rock goddess Patti Smith’s contribution to Noah is one of director Darren Aronofsky‘s braver choices: Her song “Mercy Is” sends audiences out on a surprisingly hushed, hymnal note.
In the film, Noah and his stepdaughter both sing it; then, for the end credits, “I thought Darren would want me to deliver it more like a heavy metal ballad,” says Smith. “But he wanted it to maintain its integrity as a lullaby. Even when I sang it with Kronos Quartet, I was still delivering it a little more aria-like, and he asked me if I could step back a bit with it.”
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“Mercy Is” already has earned a Globes nom, and, says Smith, “If my humble little song can represent such a big ship as the ark, I would be very proud.”
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This article originally appeared in THR.com.