The closing song, Always With Me (いつも何度でも, Itsumo Nandodemo?, literally, Always, No Matter How Many Times) was written and performed by Yumi Kimura, a composer and lyre-player from Osaka. The lyrics were written by Kimura's friend Wakako Kaku. The song was intended to be used for a different Miyazaki film which was never released, Rin the Chimney
Painter (煙突描きのリン, Entotsu-kaki no Rin?). The other 20 tracks on the original soundtrack were composed by Joe Hisaishi. His The River of That Day (あの日の川, Ano hi no Kawa?) received the 56th Mainichi Film Competition Award for Best Music, the Tokyo International Anime Fair 2001 Best Music Award in the Theater Movie category, and the 16th Japan Gold Disk Award for Animation Album of the Year.
Later, Hisaishi added lyrics to "Ano hi no Kawa" and named the new version The Name of Life (いのちの名前, Inochi no Namae?) which was performed by Hirahara Ayaka.