When I was little I always felt sad when I heard this part of the score, but I never really knew why. One day my parents finally revealed that Santa wasn't real, so that Christmas when I watched The Polar Express, I finally knew what that other feeling was. I realized that this piece of music embodied the very feeling of sad nostalgia people have when looking back on the times they still believed. When magic was real and not a mere echo of fond, childhood memory. This music is the very essence of that feeling.
Magic is real. Holy bible God exists. Look at ancient egypt and heka magic. Holy magic. Prayers in Jesus name is healing to people. In Egypt the commands casting, spelling(english class haha). Speaking into existence. What you focus on grows. Know thy self. We are gods the most high God said. Life is magic itself big bang.
well i never waited for santa to come to my house on any christmas even when i was a kid i knew it is not real and not really exist just like today i know it. this song and this film is so special because somehow it touches my soul as it was in my childhood
You know what? Just like the conductor said in this movie.. "One of the most real things in the world are left unseen you know?" That is very true... It is just that people do not want to believe Everything exists.. God and even santa is real.. We just have to BELIEVE in that spirit just like the movie We all feel just like the hobo said.. "You want to believe but you dont want to be bamboozeld, you don't want to let down to primrose bad" Ok ok lets just take it in the easy way.. You don't want to get teased or you don't want anyone to call you mad for believing in such spirits.. Just BELIEVE
"Oh, and one more thing. Do you believe in ghosts?" Gives me the chills every time. Then when he saves the boy multiple times.......just makes you think that just because he doesn't believe in the big man doesn't make him a bad guy. He's one of my favorite characters in the movie.
Someone Else every time I see that one scene I keep thinking, what if the message that comes out of this scene is that the reason why Chris (the main Character) wants to believe in Santa but obviously doesn’t want to believe in ghosts is because people believe what they WANT to believe? 🤔
Ikr ppl say I'm born in fall. December 5. Idc I still think winter is amazing. I am born in winter in my opinion. And yes this music reminds me... Like I have been in this train or something magical
Just watched it recently after many years and my eyes started to swell because it reminded me of a simpler time but then reality starts to set in so I couldn't fully immerse myself so the tears never fell.
@@teddieklinkhammer3451 It thus becomes our duty to be the magic others believe in. Until one day our children too can carry the torch. The magic never has to leave, the source just changes. And with it, and enhanced sense of beauty. Often the magic we experience is an expression of love we receive from parents, especially mothers. The question we should add to the end of this movie is not just, “Can we hear the bell”, but additionally, “Will we ring the bell?”
This movie to children is believing in Santa, to adults it’s to believe in the Christmas spirit far after we have grown up .I’m 20 years old and this movie came out when I was just 4 years old ...and most people my age, the real world has taken over and they rarely have any joy when Christmas comes around ..thus no Christmas spirit .We must preserve the spirit of Christmas 🎄❤️
Yea that kinda sucks, this movie was a lot of things for me, I was told Santa wasn't real when I was 15 and would watch these Santa videos to prove he's real, didn't last unfortunately. Every time I see that scene from this track, it's like a nostalgic innocence left questioned what was real or not like the kid did. I'm 19 rn and honestly I miss the feeling
The beginning of this track makes me want to sit on a frozen lake while the ice is thin but not too thick and meditate all night to a moonlit night with the northern lights
I was born in 2004 I constantly watched this movie over and over when I was younger. I still watch it every Christmas and have the soundtrack in my daily playlist. This track however, I find this to be my therapeutic piece.
The song feels like stepping into a quiet, snow-covered world where magic lingers in the air. The soft, ethereal tones of the choir and shimmering bells create a sense of wonder and mystery, as if you’ve stumbled upon something both beautiful and otherworldly. It’s haunting yet gentle, with a dreamlike quality that makes it feel as though time has slowed, inviting you to pause and take in the moment. The melody carries a mix of reverence and curiosity, like you’re on the edge of discovering something extraordinary. It’s not overtly joyful, but there’s an undercurrent of hope and awe that builds subtly, making you feel both small and connected to something greater. It’s the kind of music that captures the magic of belief and the quiet mystery of Christmas. It almost crosses into a winter Pirates of the Caribbean scene where gentle strings mimic the creak of a ship's hull gliding through icy waters, while the ethereal bells echo frost forming from the gently falling snow. There's an eerie calm to the scene, as if the ocean is holding its breath, balanced between the promise of wonder and the threat of an unseen danger. One which even irreverent pirates pause their usual chaos to behold a magical stillness they can no more describe than deny the beauty of.
Im currently 18 years old and have watched this movie every year for Christmas and same with other Christmas movies but lately 2024 hasn't felt like its Christmas season yet. Very little amount of Christmas lights in the city and in neighborhoods. I watched this movie today again for Christmas eve and this music really helps add that Christmas feeling again for me. Doesnt matter if you believe in santa or not. What matters is being happy and making joy for others around to see. Ignore everything that is bad for a moment to look around, calm your mind, and just be happy with the Christmas spirit.
This is exactly what I was looking for. I agree that the second part of the song, when it shifts into the major key, spoils the evocative, mystical atmosphere of the piece completely.
I disagree. I think its a tonal shift meant to describe the journey that the protagonist is on. For me its about a boy who maybe initially believed in the magic and wonder in the world but he lost that innocence as he grew up. He started to see reality of our world and he struggles trying to reconcile this in his mind. He wants to get back to that part of himself that used to believe.
“At one point, All of my friends could hear the bell. But as they grew older, they couldn’t hear its sound. Even sarah one christmas day she could not hear its sweet sound. but for me? it still rings. for me.”
*"On christmas eve many years ago. I laid quietly in my bed. I did not rustle the sheets. I breathed slowly and silently. I was listening for a sound i was afraid I'd never hear. The ringing bells of Santa's sleigh."*
The scene with the "hero boy" and the ghost on top of the train is definitely one of my favorite scenes from any movie. The dialogue and music compliment each other on a different level of perfect. Thank you so much for this!
This takes me back everytime to when i was a kid, purposefully waiting out in the snow in my own robe, waiting for the polar express to come down my road. This movie and part of the song in general holds so much physical and emotional meaning to me, and reminds me of the magic of christmas as a kid. Even still at 23 im moved to tears by the sheer good memories this song brings me. I will forever hold onto and watch this movie every year, and still have that same belief in christmas, as i did all those years ago. I watched it on christmas, today, and felt the very same feelings all over again. Thank you for making this, as its my favorite part of any song in the movie, and always has left me feeling happy and moved,
Rewatched the movie with my sister and brother. Even before that, I recalled this song and tried to rediscover it. I find it so much more intriguing than the main theme, especially since it's only used like two or three times. There's so much suspense in that second section, and then the full orchestra comes in, and damn it, this grand melancholy just cannot leave my head.
You are in bed, sound asleep You suddenly wake up to the sound of a train rushing down your street It stops in front of your house You rush downstairs and burst out the door, still putting your robe on You see the steam engine, clearing out of the mist The engine is fully visible to you, taller than anything you'd seen before A figure forms out of the steam down near the back You walk towards it You realize you just wasted 3 minutes reading this to find out it was just Tom Hanks.
I didn't grow up watching Polar Express, but I feel like the intro part of this song is... almost sad, then it turns to pleading, almost begging. It feels like a child who was just told there is no Santa, they don't want to believe it, they can't. They go home to their mom and Dad and tell them what they heard and are begging their parents to reassure them that Santa is real, that he will always come on Christmas. It sounds almost like a prayer. Like kids praying that Santa will come and that they can continue to believe.
To anyone who’s still here, I lost my way 6 years ago when I turned 18 I became a full blown atheist, last year around April the lord revealed himself to me in a dream. There was a demon fighting with an angel, god then stood next to me as I looked with horror, he then told me “this is your life and right now if continue your current path, I will no longer be here to help you. This is your last chance.” And now I have rededicated my life to him more than I ever had before. Even with all my doubts he still did that for me. He is the way the truth and the light. He’s also our Heavenly Father who loves us unconditionally no matter how much we slip and fall.
I've watched this movie countless times, and this song gives me memories of when times were simple and the joy of Christmas time. Man do I miss being a kid...
This song perfectly describes Christmas as a teenager. As a kid, Christmas is all about Santa and receiving presents. When your parents finally reveal that Santa isn’t real, the magic you once felt dies. Does that mean Christmas isn’t fun anymore? No. Christmas just doesn’t feel the same anymore.
This was my grandmother’s favorite movie before she passed so we get the entire family together to watch it every year in remembrance of her We love you grandma and hope your living a peaceful life in heaven free of heartache and pain and are still proud of us I just wish you could’ve met my wife that is one thing I wish I could’ve given you 😢 we’ve been married since May 12 of 2022 you would’ve loved her , man I miss picking trees with you and grandpa 😢
One Christmas, when I was 6 or 8, my mother found a DVD in a store and decided to buy it for me. We decided to watch it with my mother and sister on Christmas Eve. An unforgettable memory. The first time I'd ever felt emotion in front of a film. Since then, I've watched it every year at Christmas time with my mom. It has a very sentimental place in my heart. One of the films that best captures the magic of Christmas for me. The music makes me cry. If I ever have a child, I'll be sure to share this film with them and keep them dreaming for years to come, like i did. Thanks you Zemeckis
The song feels like stepping into a quiet, snow-covered world where magic lingers in the air. The soft, ethereal tones of the choir and shimmering bells create a sense of wonder and mystery, as if you’ve stumbled upon something both beautiful and otherworldly. It’s haunting yet gentle, with a dreamlike quality that makes it feel as though time has slowed, inviting you to pause and take in the moment. The melody carries a mix of reverence and curiosity, like you’re on the edge of discovering something extraordinary. It’s not overtly joyful, but there’s an undercurrent of hope and awe that builds subtly, making you feel both small and connected to something greater. It’s the kind of music that captures the magic of belief and the quiet mystery of Christmas. It almost crosses into a winter Pirates of the Caribbean scene where gentle strings mimic the creak of a ship's hull gliding through icy waters, while the ethereal bells echo frost forming from the gently falling snow. There's an eerie calm to the scene, as if the ocean is holding its breath, balanced between the promise of wonder and the threat of an unseen danger. One which even irreverent pirates pause their usual chaos to behold a magical stillness they can no more describe than deny the beauty of.
I watched this movie since I was 3, I’m currently 15 and now have a new sibling and watched it with him and was just thrown back into my childhood memories watching this movie every Christmas Eve before going to bed and now I get teary eyed as I hum the soundtrack every time
I always come back every year to listen to this. My favorite part of the sound track. A mix of sadness, hope, haunting, and a drop that encapsulates an epic journey.
This song creates a steady feeling in your heart. When you feel like all the hope and magic of the world has faded, when reality seems colorless and doomed, there is still magic in this cold world, we just have to search deep in our hearts and find it.
I work on a show at Silver Dollar City in Branson Missouri called Its A Wonderful Life and we use this song in our show for the pottersville scene. It’s such a beautifully creepy song.
The comments send letters to the heart. I too cherish the beginning of this song, the sonber tones to the uphill climb. My magic has faded, but i will give my children the spirit and will this song gives me. God bless you all.
This music just captures that cryptic and cold aspect of the movie that you really don't see in Christmas media outside of A Christmas Carol, a contrast to the bright and warm feeling usually associated with the holiday.
I’m with you on that feeling. I wish more Christmas movies would go into themes like this, the holidays aren’t necessarily a happy time for *everyone* some of us get a little melancholy and that’s okay too
Damn.. this ambience is actually making me so emotional. I was so in love with this movie as a kid and I always *believed.* As I grow up this movie will always be my favorite christmas movie and my childhood memory
Growth is rough. I miss my naivety. I miss my youth. I spent so much of it wasted. I didnt understand that time is a depreciating asset. Every second wasted, can never be recovered. Despite this revelation, I cant seem to make up lost time. I toil over over a mortal coil and watch time pass. I question everything. Why am I here? What am I meant to be? Why do I make her so unhappy? She just wants to help me but she never has enough time. Endless time on screens but no time at all. Not for me, I let myself go. I'll suffer more and more until I make time.
I love good old Christmas stories about going on a magical journey to The North Pole. And this movie is very enchanting, but also frightening at times.
Here i am on christmas night, 39 year old man, wife and kids asleep, listening to this while laying on the floor under the christmas tree looking up through the branches. Desperately trying to get a small glimpse of the feeling I used to get. The kid I used to be. ... maybe next year
I think of my deceased (1986-2019) brother Kris every time I hear this because not only did he represent the hobo in so many (bad) ways, but he also looked and sounded (a little) like him too.
This movie hits different. I'm 17. It is my last christmas as a child. I don't know if adulthood is really as scary and stressful and soul-crushing as everyone says it is. I feel scared. I never thought I would actually see my last christmas as a kid. It's just one of those things I never thought would happen. Like the matrix isn't supposed to be allowing this to happen. I have 6 months left of being a kid, but with how horrible and scary the world is right now, I feel like I have 6 months left to live. Like this is my last christmas ever. I want to believe. Not only in Santa, but in hope. Hope that maybe everything will be okay, and that being an adult isn't as bad as everyone's making it out to be. But I can't. I've never been shown proof of a god or higher being, let alone a santa. And if God does exist, I feel extremely angry that he has let the world get this bad for this long. I don't know what happens when I die. I don't know anything. All I can do is remenisce on a time when I didn't care about knowing the reasons of life, or the answer to death. One of my biggest fears is that some day I'll become some old man, who looks at this movie and scoffs thinking 'I cant believe I used to like that'. And all I'll ever look at is the admittedly creepy CGI and the cheesy dialogue about 'the spirit of christmas' and completely ignore how this movie made me feel. I knew from the very beginning since I was a kid, "this movie is supposed to hit different when I get older." And it did. I feel like I'm watching my childhood slowly wither and die before my very eyes. And it hurts. It hurts to watch so much. Because I am afraid. Turning 18 sounds so extremely exciting and fun, yet so heartwrenchingly existentially terrifying at the same time. I am very, very afraid.
The song feels like stepping into a quiet, snow-covered world where magic lingers in the air. The soft, ethereal tones of the choir and shimmering bells create a sense of wonder and mystery, as if you’ve stumbled upon something both beautiful and otherworldly. It’s haunting yet gentle, with a dreamlike quality that makes it feel as though time has slowed, inviting you to pause and take in the moment. The melody carries a mix of reverence and curiosity, like you’re on the edge of discovering something extraordinary. It’s not overtly joyful, but there’s an undercurrent of hope and awe that builds subtly, making you feel both small and connected to something greater. It’s the kind of music that captures the magic of belief and the quiet mystery of Christmas. It almost crosses into a winter Pirates of the Caribbean scene where gentle strings mimic the creak of a ship's hull gliding through icy waters, while the ethereal bells echo frost forming from the gently falling snow. There's an eerie calm to the scene, as if the ocean is holding its breath, balanced between the promise of wonder and the threat of an unseen danger. One which even irreverent pirates pause their usual chaos to behold a magical stillness they can no more describe than deny the beauty of.
Thank you for this, I no longer have to stop what I’m doing and rewind the song to listen to the first part. You made it possible to listen for a while.
Y'know what I've discovered about the holiday season as I've gotten older? For as happy and warm and fun as it can be, the holidays, and Christmas in particular, can feel really cold and empty. Once you become an adult, now knowing Santa Claus was never real and having your eyes opened to the commercial side of the whole thing, everything feels different. Almost... wrong, in a way. Now don't misunderstand me, I still adore the holidays and have plenty of wonderful memories with my family from recent years, but most Christmases in the last few years just feel so much emptier than they ever used to. Perhaps I've watched too many adaptations of a Christmas Carol, but I can't help but think of my younger self as a ghost. I remember her happiness on Christmas morning, opening gifts and singing songs and dancing around like no one was watching. Now, it's all very different. I adore Polar Express and watch it every year, but every time I hear this theme in the movie, I can't help but be reminded of these feelings.
"Seeing is believing. Am I right?" "Well, what about this train?" "What about it?" "We are really going to the North Pole... aren't we?" "Aren't we?" "... Are you saying this is all just a... a dream?" "YOU said it, kid! Not me. So... let's go find that girl! One other thing... do you believe in ghosts?" "..." "Interesting...."
"Ten years, I devoted to the duty you charged me. Ten years, I transported those to you who doubted your existence. For ten years, I brought this train in on time.."
It feels nostalgic to me, but I understand what you mean about it sounding sad. This music spoke to me when I heard it in the movie as a kid. It encompasses how I feel about Christmas and what it represents. And I don’t mean in a religious sense, but just in the “Christmas spirit” sense. It reminds me of my childhood, and how festive Christmas was with my family. Those were simpler, happier times. I hope I can give my future children the same experience in their childhood.
Oh THANK YOU for posting only this part of the song! And for 14 minutes! I hated listening to the original version because this part was so short and it was all I wanted to listen to! This video makes me so happy!
This is my favorite part of the entire soundtrack. Gives chills every time, because when I reflect on the harshness of reality, i realize all the dreams that needed to be crushed to mature into an adult. This song and the car full of broken toys reminds me of those, and I miss those times when they seemed like they were within reasonable distance.
Bless your soul, my friend. I have been looking everywhere for this EXACT piece of art. I havent heard these bells in so long, every single memory started flowing through me like a cold breeze. Happy holidays my friend. Keep the flame inside you alive and Merry Christmas.
My theater re released this last week as a special screening and the music in this is so hauntingly beautiful. I was 11 when this came out in 04 and when I watched it last week, I cried so hard. I miss my childhood Christmas and the traditions. This is so bittersweet for me. I love this movie. I cried harder when the reindeer come out all joyful and jumping way before the bells and I just sob
OMFG THIS IS BEST SONG EVER BEST CHRISTMAS MOVIE EVER AND THANK YOU FOR CUTTING THE LAST BIT SO WE CAN LISTEN TO THE BEGGING ONLY I NEED THIS PLAYED WHEN I DIE
I had a bit of a rough childhood, this movie always hit me as a kid but I never truly understood why. Even now at 18 I get comfort from this movie that it feels like deja vu. Reminds me of times when I was younger but I have to prepare for a mans world, the way I call it the big boy leagues. Because believing, hope, dedication is what has to run my core. To be the best me I can be
Christmas. That feeling. All gone. We’re not kids anymore. We’ve moved on. But one thing remains it’s our inner child begging to be let out and this year I’m gonna let him out 🙂
the ending song believe is sad bc it’s talking about how the magic is going away. sadly i don’t believe anymore but this movie helps me bring back my childhood
Quick theory: The boy, the girl, Billy and all of the kids were never seen again. The story is told from the dad's perspective as he tries to make sense of his son's dissapearance. He woke up to the sound of the train, but was held down by sleep paralysis. The entire movie is him making up a story. All around the town the train was seen, but never again after that night. The children never returned.
The dad never believed. So why did "he" hear the bell? The hero boy is the conductor and the hobo, one is his faith and the other his doubt. The train being a dream to believe explains his robe. And later the imagination to hear the bell
![Alan Silvestri: The Polar Express Theme [Extended by Gilles Nuytens]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/aHCHZPD6puc/mqdefault.jpg)
When I was little I always felt sad when I heard this part of the score, but I never really knew why. One day my parents finally revealed that Santa wasn't real, so that Christmas when I watched The Polar Express, I finally knew what that other feeling was. I realized that this piece of music embodied the very feeling of sad nostalgia people have when looking back on the times they still believed. When magic was real and not a mere echo of fond, childhood memory. This music is the very essence of that feeling.
You perfectly worded how this soundtrack makes me feel
Youre damn right
Magic is real. Holy bible God exists. Look at ancient egypt and heka magic. Holy magic. Prayers in Jesus name is healing to people. In Egypt the commands casting, spelling(english class haha). Speaking into existence. What you focus on grows. Know thy self. We are gods the most high God said. Life is magic itself big bang.
well i never waited for santa to come to my house on any christmas even when i was a kid i knew it is not real and not really exist just like today i know it. this song and this film is so special because somehow it touches my soul as it was in my childhood
You know what? Just like the conductor said in this movie.. "One of the most real things in the world are left unseen you know?"
That is very true...
It is just that people do not want to believe
Everything exists.. God and even santa is real.. We just have to BELIEVE in that spirit just like the movie
We all feel just like the hobo said.. "You want to believe but you dont want to be bamboozeld, you don't want to let down to primrose bad" Ok ok lets just take it in the easy way.. You don't want to get teased or you don't want anyone to call you mad for believing in such spirits..
Just BELIEVE
"Oh, and one more thing. Do you believe in ghosts?" Gives me the chills every time. Then when he saves the boy multiple times.......just makes you think that just because he doesn't believe in the big man doesn't make him a bad guy. He's one of my favorite characters in the movie.
I always thought that hobo guy was Santa on da low
He is my favorite... Appearance character?
Someone Else every time I see that one scene I keep thinking, what if the message that comes out of this scene is that the reason why Chris (the main Character) wants to believe in Santa but obviously doesn’t want to believe in ghosts is because people believe what they WANT to believe? 🤔
i think he is the big man or maybe ebinezer scrooge
or like santa im a past life idk i just be wonderin about this movie cause i love it
All my friends have grown old but me I can still hear the bell and it's magical chime
U are so right. Never leave christmas spirit. Believe
@@shimmerconfetti1949 I agree
I also agree
All who still continue to think of it’s trueness can hear it for as long as they live, as it does for all, who truly believe.
- unnamed protagonist
Wow, never did I ever believe someone would say that
The raw emotion I feel with this film stills gets me ,I still cry when I watch it.
Rhodri Williams I’m the same too
Ikr ppl say I'm born in fall. December 5. Idc I still think winter is amazing. I am born in winter in my opinion. And yes this music reminds me... Like I have been in this train or something magical
I was born in july and i adore winter and i love this moive hands down the best christmas movie
Andrew 19 could not agree more, and coincidentally I was born in July too
Just watched it recently after many years and my eyes started to swell because it reminded me of a simpler time but then reality starts to set in so I couldn't fully immerse myself so the tears never fell.
I am 22 years old, and this movie, this piece of music, to this day gives me the last sliver of hope that Santa does exist.
I mean, he was a real person named Saint Nicholas.
Same, and I'm 28.
@@sarahberkner So, technically we weren't lied to as kids
He exists in the hearts of us who still retain a bit of childlike innocence and never let it go.
@@teddieklinkhammer3451 It thus becomes our duty to be the magic others believe in. Until one day our children too can carry the torch.
The magic never has to leave, the source just changes. And with it, and enhanced sense of beauty.
Often the magic we experience is an expression of love we receive from parents, especially mothers.
The question we should add to the end of this movie is not just, “Can we hear the bell”, but additionally, “Will we ring the bell?”
This movie to children is believing in Santa, to adults it’s to believe in the Christmas spirit far after we have grown up .I’m 20 years old and this movie came out when I was just 4 years old ...and most people my age, the real world has taken over and they rarely have any joy when Christmas comes around ..thus no Christmas spirit .We must preserve the spirit of Christmas 🎄❤️
You´re Right !!!
Amen
Yea that kinda sucks, this movie was a lot of things for me, I was told Santa wasn't real when I was 15 and would watch these Santa videos to prove he's real, didn't last unfortunately. Every time I see that scene from this track, it's like a nostalgic innocence left questioned what was real or not like the kid did. I'm 19 rn and honestly I miss the feeling
The beginning of this track makes me want to sit on a frozen lake while the ice is thin but not too thick and meditate all night to a moonlit night with the northern lights
well that almost happened in the movie but with a train lol
@@chasogamo yep
I was born in 2004 I constantly watched this movie over and over when I was younger. I still watch it every Christmas and have the soundtrack in my daily playlist. This track however, I find this to be my therapeutic piece.
Nice
Me too, dude! Always loved this movie as a kid. Sharing a birth year with this masterpiece is one of my greatest honors.
The song feels like stepping into a quiet, snow-covered world where magic lingers in the air. The soft, ethereal tones of the choir and shimmering bells create a sense of wonder and mystery, as if you’ve stumbled upon something both beautiful and otherworldly. It’s haunting yet gentle, with a dreamlike quality that makes it feel as though time has slowed, inviting you to pause and take in the moment.
The melody carries a mix of reverence and curiosity, like you’re on the edge of discovering something extraordinary. It’s not overtly joyful, but there’s an undercurrent of hope and awe that builds subtly, making you feel both small and connected to something greater. It’s the kind of music that captures the magic of belief and the quiet mystery of Christmas.
It almost crosses into a winter Pirates of the Caribbean scene where gentle strings mimic the creak of a ship's hull gliding through icy waters, while the ethereal bells echo frost forming from the gently falling snow. There's an eerie calm to the scene, as if the ocean is holding its breath, balanced between the promise of wonder and the threat of an unseen danger. One which even irreverent pirates pause their usual chaos to behold a magical stillness they can no more describe than deny the beauty of.
Im currently 18 years old and have watched this movie every year for Christmas and same with other Christmas movies but lately 2024 hasn't felt like its Christmas season yet. Very little amount of Christmas lights in the city and in neighborhoods. I watched this movie today again for Christmas eve and this music really helps add that Christmas feeling again for me. Doesnt matter if you believe in santa or not. What matters is being happy and making joy for others around to see. Ignore everything that is bad for a moment to look around, calm your mind, and just be happy with the Christmas spirit.
bless you for this, this is literally my favorite part of the soundtrack
Couldn't agree more
True
It's so pretty I want to go on that train it's real but idk where it is
Omg yes it is a bit sad but it feels happy WHEN U BELIEVE IN SANTA :) ITS ok if u don't..But the believers will
I love you Vanessa for your existence...
Merry Christmas
This is exactly what I was looking for. I agree that the second part of the song, when it shifts into the major key, spoils the evocative, mystical atmosphere of the piece completely.
You nailed it
Spirit gives purpose to all things in life, we are not graced by that in our current state.
I disagree. I think its a tonal shift meant to describe the journey that the protagonist is on. For me its about a boy who maybe initially believed in the magic and wonder in the world but he lost that innocence as he grew up. He started to see reality of our world and he struggles trying to reconcile this in his mind. He wants to get back to that part of himself that used to believe.
“At one point, All of my friends could hear the bell. But as they grew older, they couldn’t hear its sound. Even sarah one christmas day she could not hear its sweet sound. but for me? it still rings. for me.”
Oh, and one other thing. Do you believe in ghost?
Camden Cook No
Interesting...
I think he did not know you're quoting the sentence....
Smitty Werbenjagermanjenson ah I see you're a man of culture as well
I think I believe in ghost. I talked to ghost the other day. Ghost is a pretty cool dude
*"On christmas eve many years ago. I laid quietly in my bed. I did not rustle the sheets. I breathed slowly and silently. I was listening for a sound i was afraid I'd never hear. The ringing bells of Santa's sleigh."*
Thank you..this video was needed desperately.
Hello I'm from 2019 I love this song I wish there was another movie to this
ikr
The scene with the "hero boy" and the ghost on top of the train is definitely one of my favorite scenes from any movie. The dialogue and music compliment each other on a different level of perfect. Thank you so much for this!
Freaked the heck out of me as a kid, but I agree, by far the best part of the film.
i loved the scene but i kinda wished that the whole thing was explored a bit more.
Reminds me so much of Davy Jones' theme.
Exactly!! I was thinking that through the whole movie! Glad I'm not the only one, heh.
Callandor it's a little different tho
Same
Both I find highly evocative, and give one that indefinable sense of 'Sehnsucht'.
@@TomorrowWeLive sehnsucht
This takes me back everytime to when i was a kid, purposefully waiting out in the snow in my own robe, waiting for the polar express to come down my road. This movie and part of the song in general holds so much physical and emotional meaning to me, and reminds me of the magic of christmas as a kid. Even still at 23 im moved to tears by the sheer good memories this song brings me. I will forever hold onto and watch this movie every year, and still have that same belief in christmas, as i did all those years ago. I watched it on christmas, today, and felt the very same feelings all over again. Thank you for making this, as its my favorite part of any song in the movie, and always has left me feeling happy and moved,
Merry Christmas to you too!
WAKE UP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
*burries face in snow*
WAKE UP KID, THERE'S NO SLEEP WALKIN ON THE POLAR EXPRESS
Caleb 360
There’s no use waking up if you’re dead.
Lol this movie was made in 2004 and i was born in 2009 december 5
Wolfrun32Gaming happy late birthday kid
WAKEY WAKEY!!!!!!!
Rewatched the movie with my sister and brother. Even before that, I recalled this song and tried to rediscover it. I find it so much more intriguing than the main theme, especially since it's only used like two or three times. There's so much suspense in that second section, and then the full orchestra comes in, and damn it, this grand melancholy just cannot leave my head.
You are in bed, sound asleep
You suddenly wake up to the sound of a train rushing down your street
It stops in front of your house
You rush downstairs and burst out the door, still putting your robe on
You see the steam engine, clearing out of the mist
The engine is fully visible to you, taller than anything you'd seen before
A figure forms out of the steam down near the back
You walk towards it
You realize you just wasted 3 minutes reading this to find out it was just Tom Hanks.
Bobby Sikorski that was beautiful thank you
That would still be cool
Lol
You then realize you are tom hanks, Santa is Tom Hanks, your Dad is Tom Hanks, The Scrooge Puppet is Tom Hanks, & The hobo ghost is Tom Hanks
I hate how this matches up to the rhythm of the music.
I didn't grow up watching Polar Express, but I feel like the intro part of this song is... almost sad, then it turns to pleading, almost begging. It feels like a child who was just told there is no Santa, they don't want to believe it, they can't. They go home to their mom and Dad and tell them what they heard and are begging their parents to reassure them that Santa is real, that he will always come on Christmas. It sounds almost like a prayer. Like kids praying that Santa will come and that they can continue to believe.
I want this played at my funeral.
Hahahaha😂👊
FBI don’t we all?
Bobby carl stop
Bobby carl imagine being the most miserable person on the planet.. smh
@Bobby carl wow such aggression
I always listen to this when I get doubts about my believe in Christ, and then I suddenly remember all the things he have done for me
Omg I'm glad I'm not the only one with doubts.
I feel the same way
@@kittvskarrkr6074 You *should* have doubts. Think for yourself, don't rely on others for your worldview.
To anyone who’s still here, I lost my way 6 years ago when I turned 18 I became a full blown atheist, last year around April the lord revealed himself to me in a dream. There was a demon fighting with an angel, god then stood next to me as I looked with horror, he then told me “this is your life and right now if continue your current path, I will no longer be here to help you. This is your last chance.” And now I have rededicated my life to him more than I ever had before. Even with all my doubts he still did that for me. He is the way the truth and the light. He’s also our Heavenly Father who loves us unconditionally no matter how much we slip and fall.
Hearing this again brings me to tears, this will always be my favorite Christmas movie. It's message is powerful and timeless.
I've watched this movie countless times, and this song gives me memories of when times were simple and the joy of Christmas time. Man do I miss being a kid...
This takes me back to a magical time in my life when Christmas was magical and full of love and joy 🎄✝️
This song perfectly describes Christmas as a teenager. As a kid, Christmas is all about Santa and receiving presents. When your parents finally reveal that Santa isn’t real, the magic you once felt dies. Does that mean Christmas isn’t fun anymore? No. Christmas just doesn’t feel the same anymore.
This was my grandmother’s favorite movie before she passed so we get the entire family together to watch it every year in remembrance of her
We love you grandma and hope your living a peaceful life in heaven free of heartache and pain and are still proud of us I just wish you could’ve met my wife that is one thing I wish I could’ve given you 😢 we’ve been married since May 12 of 2022 you would’ve loved her , man I miss picking trees with you and grandpa 😢
How is this soundtrack so unbelievable powerful its just insane
One Christmas, when I was 6 or 8, my mother found a DVD in a store and decided to buy it for me. We decided to watch it with my mother and sister on Christmas Eve. An unforgettable memory. The first time I'd ever felt emotion in front of a film. Since then, I've watched it every year at Christmas time with my mom. It has a very sentimental place in my heart. One of the films that best captures the magic of Christmas for me. The music makes me cry. If I ever have a child, I'll be sure to share this film with them and keep them dreaming for years to come, like i did.
Thanks you Zemeckis
when i was a kid i loved this movie so much i cried listening to this
Still to this day the only movie to have make me cry, laugh, scared, excited and nervous...
Truly a wonderful movie
"Seeing is believing, am I right?"
But what about this train?
@@franciscomunoz8631 What about it
@@terminatormkii6354 We are going to the North Pole, are we?
@@franciscomunoz8631 Aren't we
@@terminatormkii6354 Are you saying this is all just a dream?
This movie brings back heartwarming childhood memories.
do you believe in ghosts?
*shakes head slowly*
interesting
cod ghosts after he says interesting there wont be any ghosts
It really has the same vibes than davy jones' song
This embodies how you feel when love and belief comes through doubt
That’s what I thought
The song feels like stepping into a quiet, snow-covered world where magic lingers in the air. The soft, ethereal tones of the choir and shimmering bells create a sense of wonder and mystery, as if you’ve stumbled upon something both beautiful and otherworldly. It’s haunting yet gentle, with a dreamlike quality that makes it feel as though time has slowed, inviting you to pause and take in the moment.
The melody carries a mix of reverence and curiosity, like you’re on the edge of discovering something extraordinary. It’s not overtly joyful, but there’s an undercurrent of hope and awe that builds subtly, making you feel both small and connected to something greater. It’s the kind of music that captures the magic of belief and the quiet mystery of Christmas.
It almost crosses into a winter Pirates of the Caribbean scene where gentle strings mimic the creak of a ship's hull gliding through icy waters, while the ethereal bells echo frost forming from the gently falling snow. There's an eerie calm to the scene, as if the ocean is holding its breath, balanced between the promise of wonder and the threat of an unseen danger. One which even irreverent pirates pause their usual chaos to behold a magical stillness they can no more describe than deny the beauty of.
this is such a beautiful and soothing composition. it always makes me cry when i hear it...
I watched this movie since I was 3, I’m currently 15 and now have a new sibling and watched it with him and was just thrown back into my childhood memories watching this movie every Christmas Eve before going to bed and now I get teary eyed as I hum the soundtrack every time
You have my eternal gratitude.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS ITS MY FAVORITE MUSIC IN THE WHOLE MOVIE
Everything Fangirl I love your pfp
So glad someone did this. And the description is the best!
I always come back every year to listen to this. My favorite part of the sound track. A mix of sadness, hope, haunting, and a drop that encapsulates an epic journey.
This song creates a steady feeling in your heart. When you feel like all the hope and magic of the world has faded, when reality seems colorless and doomed, there is still magic in this cold world, we just have to search deep in our hearts and find it.
"One more thing about trains: It doesn't matter where you're going! What matters is deciding to get on!"
The conductor said👍
I work on a show at Silver Dollar City in Branson Missouri called Its A Wonderful Life and we use this song in our show for the pottersville scene. It’s such a beautifully creepy song.
Hi I went to Silver Dollar City and it was my favorite thing I’ve ever done during Christmas time❤️🥺😭 *sigh*
The comments send letters to the heart. I too cherish the beginning of this song, the sonber tones to the uphill climb. My magic has faded, but i will give my children the spirit and will this song gives me.
God bless you all.
These comments are making me cry man
I once watched the sunrise with this playing, perfectly timing the first rays of sunlight with the start. It was just an otherworldly experience
In 15 years I will come back here and say. My childhood is right here ❤️
Delux Marquette well this movie is 15 years old. I don’t know how old you’re but you could already now say that this was your childhood
Im blessed to be apart of the early 2000s such good times
This music just captures that cryptic and cold aspect of the movie that you really don't see in Christmas media outside of A Christmas Carol, a contrast to the bright and warm feeling usually associated with the holiday.
I’m with you on that feeling. I wish more Christmas movies would go into themes like this, the holidays aren’t necessarily a happy time for *everyone* some of us get a little melancholy and that’s okay too
That's why the Polar Express is one of my favorite Christmas movies, as it takes a more melancholy tone when it comes to its storytelling.
This is one of the most beautiful soundtracks of all time.
100% chilling,beautiful,epic, and amazing
Damn.. this ambience is actually making me so emotional. I was so in love with this movie as a kid and I always *believed.* As I grow up this movie will always be my favorite christmas movie and my childhood memory
Growth is rough. I miss my naivety. I miss my youth. I spent so much of it wasted. I didnt understand that time is a depreciating asset. Every second wasted, can never be recovered. Despite this revelation, I cant seem to make up lost time. I toil over over a mortal coil and watch time pass. I question everything. Why am I here? What am I meant to be? Why do I make her so unhappy? She just wants to help me but she never has enough time. Endless time on screens but no time at all. Not for me, I let myself go. I'll suffer more and more until I make time.
*You said it kid, not me*
*~ghost hobo*
I love good old Christmas stories about going on a magical journey to The North Pole. And this movie is very enchanting, but also frightening at times.
Believing in something can be terrifying, but the reward can be so gratifying.
Here i am on christmas night, 39 year old man, wife and kids asleep, listening to this while laying on the floor under the christmas tree looking up through the branches.
Desperately trying to get a small glimpse of the feeling I used to get. The kid I used to be.
... maybe next year
I hope there's a video with only the soft melody before the orchestra. That's the real energy that I need rn
I’m here December 25, 2019 🤍
Just marking my spot :,)
December 25, 2020 🥳
@@M0A0R0k00W0Y0L0D0E lol omg hey Merry Christmas ♥️
I’m back again December 25th, 2020
Marking my spot once again (,:
@@princessparis2289 lol Merry Christmas to you too and a happy new year! 🥳
@@M0A0R0k00W0Y0L0D0E ♥️
This makes me tear up
HOW AM I JUST FINDING THIS? I HAVE WANTED THIS FOR SO LONG!!!! WOW I LOVE YOU YESSS
yeah I don't like the rest of the parts but this bit just gives you feels
Omg that French horn at 1:09 is amazing
This is probably one of the best parts of the movie. The music is so magical.
This song gives me this feeling I can’t describe, like a feeling of uneasiness yet calmness…
I think of my deceased (1986-2019) brother Kris every time I hear this because not only did he represent the hobo in so many (bad) ways, but he also looked and sounded (a little) like him too.
Sorry about that man.
This movie hits different.
I'm 17. It is my last christmas as a child. I don't know if adulthood is really as scary and stressful and soul-crushing as everyone says it is.
I feel scared. I never thought I would actually see my last christmas as a kid. It's just one of those things I never thought would happen. Like the matrix isn't supposed to be allowing this to happen.
I have 6 months left of being a kid, but with how horrible and scary the world is right now, I feel like I have 6 months left to live. Like this is my last christmas ever.
I want to believe. Not only in Santa, but in hope. Hope that maybe everything will be okay, and that being an adult isn't as bad as everyone's making it out to be. But I can't. I've never been shown proof of a god or higher being, let alone a santa. And if God does exist, I feel extremely angry that he has let the world get this bad for this long.
I don't know what happens when I die. I don't know anything. All I can do is remenisce on a time when I didn't care about knowing the reasons of life, or the answer to death.
One of my biggest fears is that some day I'll become some old man, who looks at this movie and scoffs thinking 'I cant believe I used to like that'. And all I'll ever look at is the admittedly creepy CGI and the cheesy dialogue about 'the spirit of christmas' and completely ignore how this movie made me feel.
I knew from the very beginning since I was a kid, "this movie is supposed to hit different when I get older." And it did. I feel like I'm watching my childhood slowly wither and die before my very eyes. And it hurts. It hurts to watch so much. Because I am afraid.
Turning 18 sounds so extremely exciting and fun, yet so heartwrenchingly existentially terrifying at the same time.
I am very, very afraid.
my favorite part of the movie is when the hobo laughs at the boy for "searching for a girl"
"AREN'T WE All?!"
This is EXACTLY what I was looking for - thank you so much for making this!!!
This is the best part of the soundtrack. I tear up every time I hear it. Thank you so much.
Listening to this now that I’m older has a deeper impact
This literally brings back my childhood so clearly
I cannot thank you enough for this lol
The song feels like stepping into a quiet, snow-covered world where magic lingers in the air. The soft, ethereal tones of the choir and shimmering bells create a sense of wonder and mystery, as if you’ve stumbled upon something both beautiful and otherworldly. It’s haunting yet gentle, with a dreamlike quality that makes it feel as though time has slowed, inviting you to pause and take in the moment.
The melody carries a mix of reverence and curiosity, like you’re on the edge of discovering something extraordinary. It’s not overtly joyful, but there’s an undercurrent of hope and awe that builds subtly, making you feel both small and connected to something greater. It’s the kind of music that captures the magic of belief and the quiet mystery of Christmas.
It almost crosses into a winter Pirates of the Caribbean scene where gentle strings mimic the creak of a ship's hull gliding through icy waters, while the ethereal bells echo frost forming from the gently falling snow. There's an eerie calm to the scene, as if the ocean is holding its breath, balanced between the promise of wonder and the threat of an unseen danger. One which even irreverent pirates pause their usual chaos to behold a magical stillness they can no more describe than deny the beauty of.
this song rlly transports you to another world
Thank you for this, I no longer have to stop what I’m doing and rewind the song to listen to the first part. You made it possible to listen for a while.
this song is my childhood, i've watched this film since the firs christmass of my life and i've done so every christmass
The second part of the intro gives me goosebumps everytime 2:10
For me, it was 2:42 (most specifically 2:57)
Y'know what I've discovered about the holiday season as I've gotten older? For as happy and warm and fun as it can be, the holidays, and Christmas in particular, can feel really cold and empty. Once you become an adult, now knowing Santa Claus was never real and having your eyes opened to the commercial side of the whole thing, everything feels different. Almost... wrong, in a way. Now don't misunderstand me, I still adore the holidays and have plenty of wonderful memories with my family from recent years, but most Christmases in the last few years just feel so much emptier than they ever used to. Perhaps I've watched too many adaptations of a Christmas Carol, but I can't help but think of my younger self as a ghost. I remember her happiness on Christmas morning, opening gifts and singing songs and dancing around like no one was watching. Now, it's all very different.
I adore Polar Express and watch it every year, but every time I hear this theme in the movie, I can't help but be reminded of these feelings.
"Seeing is believing. Am I right?"
"Well, what about this train?"
"What about it?"
"We are really going to the North Pole... aren't we?"
"Aren't we?"
"... Are you saying this is all just a... a dream?"
"YOU said it, kid! Not me. So... let's go find that girl! One other thing... do you believe in ghosts?"
"..."
"Interesting...."
it's really sad music :'(
But uplifting at the same time.
Enomenos
Communism in a nutshell.
"Ten years, I devoted to the duty you charged me. Ten years, I transported those to you who doubted your existence. For ten years, I brought this train in on time.."
@@topsecret1837 💀💀💀
It feels nostalgic to me, but I understand what you mean about it sounding sad. This music spoke to me when I heard it in the movie as a kid. It encompasses how I feel about Christmas and what it represents. And I don’t mean in a religious sense, but just in the “Christmas spirit” sense. It reminds me of my childhood, and how festive Christmas was with my family. Those were simpler, happier times. I hope I can give my future children the same experience in their childhood.
this movie is the only Christmas movie that gives me a true feeling about Christmas for some reason
thank you for this omg
Oh THANK YOU for posting only this part of the song! And for 14 minutes! I hated listening to the original version because this part was so short and it was all I wanted to listen to! This video makes me so happy!
If your feeling sad, it probably because the song reminds you of your childhood.
The nostalgia makes me cry of happiness 😭 It is so magical and good! I know it's early but... MERRY CHRISTMAS and remember... Believe
This is my favorite part of the entire soundtrack. Gives chills every time, because when I reflect on the harshness of reality, i realize all the dreams that needed to be crushed to mature into an adult. This song and the car full of broken toys reminds me of those, and I miss those times when they seemed like they were within reasonable distance.
Bless your soul, my friend. I have been looking everywhere for this EXACT piece of art. I havent heard these bells in so long, every single memory started flowing through me like a cold breeze.
Happy holidays my friend.
Keep the flame inside you alive and Merry Christmas.
My theater re released this last week as a special screening and the music in this is so hauntingly beautiful. I was 11 when this came out in 04 and when I watched it last week, I cried so hard. I miss my childhood Christmas and the traditions. This is so bittersweet for me. I love this movie. I cried harder when the reindeer come out all joyful and jumping way before the bells and I just sob
this song makes me cry with nostalgic happiness
Thank you! Completely agree. Glad someone made this
I could write my entire thesis on this movie.
I took a field trip in the 2nd grade to the theaters for this
OMFG THIS IS BEST SONG EVER BEST CHRISTMAS MOVIE EVER AND THANK YOU FOR CUTTING THE LAST BIT SO WE CAN LISTEN TO THE BEGGING ONLY I NEED THIS PLAYED WHEN I DIE
I had a bit of a rough childhood, this movie always hit me as a kid but I never truly understood why. Even now at 18 I get comfort from this movie that it feels like deja vu. Reminds me of times when I was younger but I have to prepare for a mans world, the way I call it the big boy leagues. Because believing, hope, dedication is what has to run my core. To be the best me I can be
I feel ya. I never had a rough childhood, but I can say being 18 sucks. I wanna be 19 already. I was born in 03 btw
Christmas. That feeling. All gone. We’re not kids anymore. We’ve moved on. But one thing remains it’s our inner child begging to be let out and this year I’m gonna let him out 🙂
AHHHHH IM THANKING THE HEAVENS
Kid-"We all are to to the north pole,,.aren't we?"
Hobo-"Aaren't we?"
the ending song believe is sad bc it’s talking about how the magic is going away. sadly i don’t believe anymore but this movie helps me bring back my childhood
Quick theory: The boy, the girl, Billy and all of the kids were never seen again. The story is told from the dad's perspective as he tries to make sense of his son's dissapearance. He woke up to the sound of the train, but was held down by sleep paralysis. The entire movie is him making up a story. All around the town the train was seen, but never again after that night. The children never returned.
😳
Now there’s a Christmas horror story
OMG🤔
The dad never believed. So why did "he" hear the bell? The hero boy is the conductor and the hobo, one is his faith and the other his doubt. The train being a dream to believe explains his robe. And later the imagination to hear the bell