Song of Time

The "Song of Time" is a recurring song in. It is implied that this sacred melody is only known by members of the Royal Family of Hyrule and is taught to a selected few.

In, the "Song of Time" is one of the requirements (the Spiritual Stones and the being the others) necessary to open the Door of Time so Link can access the Sacred Realm. Once the other keys are gathered, the "Song of Time" must be played in the altar of the Temple of Time, thus opening the Door of Time and allowing access to the resting place of the Master Sword. Link learns the song after he retrieves the Ocarina, which Princess Zelda throws into the moat as she escapes Hyrule Castle. Upon getting the Ocarina, Link has a vision of the princess explaining her reasons for leaving and teaches him the "Song of Time" through this telepathic message. With the Ocarina of Time and the three Spiritual Stones in hand, Link can play the melody to open the Door of Time, withdrawing the Master Sword to become the legendary Hero of Time.

The "Song of Time" can also be used to remove and bring back blocks that have the Symbol of Time engraved on them. The song is also used as the Temple of Time theme.

Prior to the events of, Princess Zelda hands over the Ocarina of Time to Link as a memento of the times that she and Link spent together in the land of Hyrule. According to Zelda, the "Song of Time" holds a special meaning to her, and as such, she teaches it to the young hero before handing over the Ocarina of Time. Princess Zelda reminds Link to play the sacred song if anything happens to him, mentioning that the Goddess of Time will come to his aid.

By playing the "Song of Time", Link can warp back to the dawn of the First Day at any given time or place. Any spendable item, such as Bombs or Rupees, will be lost when playing the song. However, masks, weapons (except the Razor Sword), songs learned, and other non-event items are kept; if Link's sword is with the smithy, he will regain his Kokiri Sword. Playing the song is the only way to permanently save the game. However, in, it no longer saves the game.

Variations
In, variations of the "Song of Time" can alter the regular flow of time. Scarecrows will hint at these variations if Link chooses to speak with them. While these songs make progressing through the game easier, they are not necessary to complete it.

The "Song of Double Time" lets Link warp to the night of the same day he is in if played during the day, or to the dawn of the next if played at night. The song cannot be played during the night of the Final Day. In, playing the song lets Link jump to a specific hour of the current day. The "Song of Double Time" is composed of the first three notes of the "Song of Time" played twice each.

When Link plays the "Inverted Song of Time", the three-day cycle's flow of time is slowed, extending its length to 333.33% of its normal length. All events directly related to the flow of time will move at 30% of its original speed, including scripted movements such as Anju's routine. Events that are not directly involved with the flow of time, such as an enemy's attack patterns or the rate at which Link can move, are not affected. In, the Inverted Song of Time will cause the flow of time and events directly related to the flow of time to move at 50% of their normal speed. The song is, as its name implies, the "Song of Time" played backwards.

In, the "Song of Time" from serves as the Temple of Time entrance area theme.

In, a slowed down piano version of the "Song of Time" serves as the Temple of Time theme.

In and, the "Song of Time" is part of the  medley. It appears alongside other melodies such as the "Song of Storms", "Zelda's Lullaby", "Saria's Song", and "Epona's Song". In the Nintendo 3DS version, the song can be heard on the Gerudo Valley stage when the bridge repairs itself.

In, the Song of Time and the Inverted Song of Time appear as Item Cards in the Termina Map in Adventure Mode. They are represented by the Ocarina of Time, with the Ocarina being upside down for the Inverted Song of Time. When the Song of Time is used, the Termina Map resets. If the Inverted Song of Time is used, 10 extra hours are added to the time counter.

Young Link will play the Song of Time on his Ocarina when transferring his Special Attack Gauge to his Magic Gauge. He may also occasionally play the Song when not being commanded and an allied Warrior is near.

The Song of Time can also be heard during "" theme that plays on the Title Screen when viewing the Gallery or the Settings menu.