‘Resident Evil 7’ Composer Tells On ‘Aunt Rhody’

"Resident Evil 7" has an ultra-creepy theme titled "Go Tell Aunt Rhody" that is giving players some mean goosebumps. Because of how spooky it is, fans are wondering how composer Michael Levine came up with a fitting horror game song.

And they also want to know who the titular "Aunt Rhody" is. Now, those questions can be put to rest. GameSpot spoke to composer Michael Levine to discover the origins of the eerie "Resident Evil 7" theme. Through him, the gaming website discovered that the song is actually a cover of the classic by Burl Ives. However, Levine masterfully recreated it to become the horrific theme for an equally horrific game.

However, the road to the masterpiece was a long one. Levine managed to catch the ears of Capcom honchos because of his previous work. Still, it was hard to please them. In fact, he repeatedly received requests to make the next "Aunt Rhody" version scarier than the last. Twenty iterations later, he had something spooky that was most fitting for "Resident Evil 7."  

As for the origin of "Aunt Rhody," Levine revealed to PC Gamer that it was a traditional American song. Most people think that the "Resident Evil 7" soundtrack has its roots in Japan, but it is actually a western song. It was born in France, traveled to the UK and landed in the US. It only made its way to the Land of the Rising Sun in the 19th century. At the time, American teachers were shipped there to help set up the public school system. And that was how the Japanese version, titled "Musunde Hiraite," came to be.

"Resident Evil 7" is the latest installment of the popular horror movie franchise. After its release on January 24, critics have been praising the game for going back to its horror origin.