While watching the Western Hostiles (2018) you may have noticed a character singing a beautiful song while playing mandolin around the campfire. What was the song?
Although it sounds like it is a timeless folk song, it is a new song written by Ryan Bingham called “How Shall a Sparrow Fly.” Bingham recorded the song for Hostiles, which stars Christian Bale. And that is Bingham playing the song as a sergeant in the movie.
In the video below, Bingham plays “How Shall a Sparrow Fly.”
Bingham also co-wrote with T. Bone Burnett the excellent Oscar-winning song “The Weary Kind,” which appeared in Crazy Heart (2009). That film, which starred Jeff Bridges, was directed by Scott Cooper, who also directed Hostiles.
Bingham recently explained to Variety that Cooper asked Bingham to be in Hostiles when he saw some video of Bingham on horses. After getting the script, Bingham worked up “How Shall a Sparrow Fly” on his mandolin while touring.
Unfortunately, “How Shall a Sparrow Fly” did not receive an Academy Award nomination for Best Song. But it is a wonderful song from the singer-songwriter.
“How Shall a Sparrow Fly?” appears on the Hostiles soundtrack
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