 A writer for Filmtracks.com touted "Journey to the Past" a "hopeful and energetic major-key representation of the entire film".Lyrically, the song discusses themes such as home, love and family, ideas that are central to both the film's storyline and Anya's journey.The song undergoes a lyrical progression that, according to Ahrens, mirrors the emotions of a young woman who is "standing on the brink of life and waiting to take it", beginning tentatively with "Heart, don't fail me now, courage, don't desert me, don't turn back now that we're here.