Hans Zimmer and Raye release ‘Mother Nature’ from David Attenborough’s Planet Earth III

‘Forgive us, Mother Nature, for we know not what we do,’ Raye sings on soaring track

Hans Zimmer’s song with singer Raye for David Attenborough’s long-awaited nature series Planet Earth III has been released.

Narrated by Attenborough following the success of 2006’s Planet Earth and 2016’s Planet Earth II, Planet Earth III returned to the BBC on Sunday (22 October).

The trailer for the show, which was filmed over five years and around 43 countries, features an original song written for the series by Academy Award-winning composer Hans Zimmer and pop superstar Raye.

Titled “Mother Nature” and featuring vocals from Raye, the song pays homage to Earth’s awe, beauty, fragility and resilience and was played for the first time on Greg James’s BBC Radio 1 breakfast show.

On the track, Raye sings: “She will provide for as long, oh, as long as she can / She’ll be beautiful, so beautiful, for as much as she can stand / Forgive us, Mother Nature, for we know not what we do / But in her dress of green and blue, she still turns, she still turns, and she’s still turning.”

Since its premiere, Raye has been inundated with messages from fans asking for the track’s release. On Friday (27 October), she and Zimmer officially released the track.

German composer Zimmer, who has composed the music for films such as Gladiator, Inception, and Dunkirk, and Raye created the track alongside composer collective Bleeding Fingers Music. She is joined on the track by Dan Smith of the band Bastille, who provides additional vocals.

Attenborough’s long-awaited ‘Planet Earth III’ hit the BBC last weekend (BBC Studios)

Describing herself as a “Planet Earth stan”, Raye said: “I’ve watched religiously for years, so having this opportunity open for me doesn’t even feel real.

“David Attenborough and Hans Zimmer are two of my heroes, to be able to compose a song with Hans is BEYOND a wildest dream, and then to hear Sir David narrate over and in between my voice actually brings tears to my eyes. To be able to contribute in my small way to this massively important and equally beautiful documentary series is an honour and a moment I will always cherish.“

Hans Zimmer added: “Creating scores for any of the BBC’s Natural History series is always an honour for me as there are no more epic stories than those occurring naturally every day in our own planet’s ecosystem.

“For Planet Earth III it’s a further privilege to bring the incredible world class talents of Bastille and Rayeto create both a wonderful soundscape for the series, and the beautiful, poignant track, Mother Nature.”

Planet Earth III continues Sunday 29 October at 6.20pm on BBC One.