All Along the Watchtower (3:33)

Bear McCreary’s version of All Along the Watchtower by Bob Dylan, with vocals performed by Brendan McCreary of Brendan’s Band. Snippets of this song are heard interspersed through episodes of the last two seasons of the television drama series Battlestar Galactica (2004-2009). The track is from the Battlestar Galactica Season 3 soundtrack.

This melody has a major significance to the plot of the show as it recurs at key points, giving characters clues to their objectives and ultimately linking entire civilisations. The track is well suited to this purpose, beginning with an ancient and mystical feel merging with progressive heavy riffs, orchestral depth and unconventional-sounding guitar solos. It is not recognisable as a cover of the original Bob Dylan song until the vocals are heard.