Fans were shocked to hear Outlander season 6’s new theme song during the season premiere on Sunday, March 6. The Starz series is known for altering the opening song to reflect the current season’s setting and story, but Outlander season 6’s new theme song is the largest change to date, featuring a male singer. This change foreshadows what readers of Diana Gabaldon’s sixth book in the Outlander series, A Breath of Snow and Ashes, already know—that big changes are coming to Fraser’s Ridge.
The story of Outlander begins with Claire (Caitriona Balfe), a World War II nurse on holiday in Scotland with her husband Frank, when she is transported back to 1743 through a magical stone circle. Claire finds herself trapped in the 18th century where she meets and falls in love with Jamie Fraser (Sam Heughan). Though Claire decides to remain in the past to live with Jamie, the Battle of Culloden forces her to return to her time to protect her and Jamie’s unborn daughter, Brianna. Claire later returns to the 18th century and is soon followed by Brianna and her boyfriend, Roger, who are time-travelers as well. The family then reunites in America, where they establish a settlement in North Carolina called Fraser’s Ridge.
The Outlander theme song is a modified version of the traditional Scottish ballad, "The Skye Boat Song", sung by Raya Yarbrough. And, while Outlander season 6’s new theme song remains "The Skye Boat Song" and Yarbrough is still featured on the track, the song is now begun by Griogair Labhruidh and ends in a duet. The choice to change the theme to a ballad sung by a male leads to the idea that the new season is not told from Claire’s point of view, but rather through the lens of a male character, with Outlander season 6 likely focusing on either Jamie or Roger.
Outlander’s "The Skye Boat Song" is sung by someone that has left their homeland behind to journey to a new land and has changed greatly along the way. As such, earlier versions of the Outlander theme song were sung by a female, inferring that the story was Claire’s and lyricizing her journey as she conquers time to be with Jamie. The fact that Outlander season 6’s new theme song is begun by a male voice lends to the idea that the forthcoming season will focus on Jamie’s journey “over the seas to Skye”—Skye being an unknown land; in this case, America—to “mountains of rain and sun”, with the song’s duet at the end signaling Claire and Jamie’s story being Outlander season 6’s secondary storyline.
Alternatively, season 6’s new theme song may not be sung by Jamie at all, but by Roger. Like Claire, Roger has traveled through time to be with his love, following Brianna through the stones in Outlander season 4, and has changed a great deal over the course of his journey. Furthermore, readers of Diana Gabaldon’s A Breath of Snow and Ashes know that Roger’s journey is far from over, with another big change coming for him and his family in Outlander season 6.
New episodes of Outlander drop Sundays on Starz.