The Ballad of High Noon The Ballad of High Noon “The Ballad of High Noon” (or “Do Not Forsake Me, O My Darlin’”) is a popular song published in 1952, with music by Dimitri Tiomkin and lyrics by Ned Washington. It is the theme song of the movie "High Noon", sung over the opening credits by Tex Ritter, with its tune repeated throughout the film. It was awarded the 1952 Academy Award for Best Original Song, and was performed that night for the Academy by Ritter. The song is about the film's main character, Will Kane (played by Gary Cooper), and the moral dilemma of
Will Kane channel TBS. In "High Noon", Will Kane is a town marshal of the fictional Hadleyville, New Mexico Territory. It is both his wedding day and his last day as a marshal. He is about to leave town with his bride, Amy, to start a new life as a store clerk when the clerk of the telegraph office brings bad news: a man he sent to prison some years earlier, Frank Miller, has been released from prison and is arriving on the noon train. Kane, and the townsfolk who remember Miller, know Miller's visit is for one reason: revenge. Upon his