Taking place at the beginning of the timeline, Skyward Sword was able to make some interesting choices when it came to the portrayal of Link and Zelda. While there is frequently an implied sense of romance between the two in the other games, Skyward Sword is the first game that doubles down on showing a budding romance between the pair. A relationship that starts as an innocent friendship between two young people living at the Knights Academy on Skyloft turns romantic as Link and Zelda discover the depth of their feelings for each other over the course of their own respective journeys below the clouds. Through his use of a variety of instruments, musician Tim de Man is able to showcase these emotions by merging a Celtic sound with the song “Romance in the Air.”
The use of the tin whistle in this song creates a sense of innocence that is found in the early parts of Skyward Sword. There is a purity in the sound of the whistle as the musician holds long notes and accompanies the melody that brings to mind Link and Zelda’s time living in the floating city. Unlike the realm below which has been overrun by demonic monsters, Skyloft is free of enemies except for at night when it is twisted by the curse placed on Batreux. At this point in the game, Link and Zelda’s relationship also has a feeling of virtue to it. Zelda teases Link about oversleeping (a common ailment of heroes of Hyrule), and he does his best to make her smile. Their relationship has the hesitancy of an unstated (or unrealized) crush. They clearly both mean a lot to each other as both of them jump from the safety of the floating island and into the sky to rescue the other at different points during the prologue of the game, but neither Link nor Zelda understands the depths of their feelings yet.
Along with the tin whistle, Tim de Man also uses a guitar at the beginning of the song to pluck out the melody. It creates a feeling of first steps. As Zelda’s Loftwing sends a spittle-covered letter flying towards Link’s slumbering head, she is taking steps to show how much she cares about Link. She’s taking the first steps to start a relationship with her friend, and Tim de Man’s guitar shows the hesitancy of these initial acts where friendship turns to romance in his use of the guitar.
As the song continues, the melody matures with the introduction of the accordion which takes the pure and tentative feeling of the song and turns it into what sounds very much like a song two lovers might dance to while at a festival. The rapid movement of the melody brings to mind a Celtic reel, and it’s easy to imagine Link awkwardly dancing with Zelda after she rushes forward and pulls him onto the dance floor at an event hosted by the Knight Academy. Of course, in Skyloft dancing is not just confined to the ground. The playfulness of Tim de Man’s accordion reminds us of the few times we see Link and Zelda in flight upon their respective Loftwings or sharing a Loftwing after Link wins the aerial race. Even before Link chases after Zelda to rescue her from the dangers that lie below the clouds, he is falling for her. The fact that the accordion’s introduction is when the drums and cymbal enter the tune only strengthens the feeling that all the musical elements have aligned to bring the hidden feelings of both Link and Zelda to fruition.
Through his use of the tin whistle, guitar, and accordion, Tim de Man is able to take us on a journey through the early romance of Link and Zelda in Skyward Sword. The whistle reminds us of the innocent looks the two shared before following the guitar’s rhythm to those first awkward gestures of love, but it’s the introduction of the accordion (and the drums and cymbals alongside it) that implies a love strong enough to sustain the hero and heroine through all the struggles that wait for them in the world below.
