‘No Time To Die’ Ending Song References a Classic 1969 James Bond Moment
We have all the time in the world.
After the shocking ending of the James Bond movie No Time To Die, you may have some questions. If for some reason, you’re not obsessed with the long history of these twenty-five movies, which began way back in 1963, then you’ll be forgiven as to the extra significance of a very specific line from Daniel Craig at the end of this movie. On top of that, if you’re confused as to why Louis Armstrong’s song “We Have All the Time In the World,” is such a HUGE deal in No Time To Die, we have all the time in the world to explain.
Here’s the ending of No Time To Die, explained, plus the significance of that classic 1969 song. Very big spoilers ahead.
Right when Bond is about to die (yes, he dies, it’s true) he has an emotional goodbye with Madeleine Swann, during which she confirms that the adorable kid Mathilde is his child. He then tells her that she and Madeleine “have all the time in the world.” It’s a fitting line. Here’s why: It featured in both Ian Fleming’s book, On her Majesty’s Secret Service, and in the 1969 film version of that novel. George Lazenby, in his only 007 outing, delivers the line (Bond’s final line) after the death of his wife, Tracy (Diana Rigg). Legendary Bond composer John Barry and lyricist Hal David teamed up to write the composition, “We Have All the Time in the World,” which can be heard as both an instrumental and a full-on song, performed by the great Louis Armstrong, in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. So, this is why you hear Loius Armstrong singing at the end of this movie. No Time to Die basically ends with a big tribute to George Lazenby, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, and one of the most underrated Bond songs of all time, “We Have All the Time in the World.”
Also, if you’re really listening for those sonic Easter eggs, an earlier scene in the film featured a slowed-down Hans Zimmer version of the instrumental piece, just called “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service.”
And then there’s M’s (Ralph Fiennes) quote when he eulogizes Bond. It may sound familiar to the hardcore 007 audiences and make others curious. During his toast, M says, “The proper function of man is to live, not to exist. I shall not waste my days in trying to prolong them. I shall use my time.” That line, much like “all the time in the world,” should resonate with Bond fans. It’s a portion of a century-old quote from Jack London that Ian Fleming saw fit to include in his book, You Only Live Twice.
No Time To Die is in theaters now.
