Jenny of Oldstones

"Jenny of Oldstones", alternatively titled "Jenny's Song", is a song appearing in the HBO TV series Game of Thrones. It was included in two separate parts in the second episode of the series' eighth season, "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms". In the first instance of the song, it was performed during the episode by character Podrick Payne, portrayed by Scottish actor Daniel Portman. The song then played during the episode's end credits, performed by British indie rock band Florence and the Machine.[1][2] Florence and the Machine released the song as a single the day after the episode aired, on 22 April 2019.[3] The song was released by HBO and record label Universal Music Group.

"Jenny of Oldstones"
Single by Florence and the Machine
from the album Game of Thrones: Season 8
Released22 April 2019 (2019-04-22)
GenreFolk
Length3:09
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
Florence and the Machine singles chronology
"Moderation"
(2019)		 "Jenny of Oldstones"
(2019)		 "Light of Love"
(2020)

Background

"Jenny of Oldstones" is an adaptation of a fictional folk song mentioned in George R. R. Martin's fantasy novel series A Song of Ice and Fire, on which Game of Thrones is based. In the third novel in the series, A Storm of Swords, a mysterious elderly woods witch nicknamed "the Ghost of High Heart" asks the singer Tom of Sevenstreams from the outlaw group Brotherhood Without Banners to perform "my Jenny's song" as payment for her prophecies. Only one line of the song, "High in the halls of the kings who are gone, Jenny would dance with her ghosts", is quoted in the series, appearing in the epilogue chapter of A Storm of Swords. In the fictional history of A Song of Ice and Fire, the titular Jenny of Oldstones was a peasant girl whom the crown prince Duncan Targaryen (the "Prince of Dragonflies") fell in love with and gave up his inheritance to marry.[4]

The television version of the song is a folk ballad with influences of Celtic music, written by German composer Ramin Djawadi, who composed all the music for Game of Thrones, and screenwriters D. B. Weiss and David Benioff, who added lyrics to the fragment written by Martin in A Song of Ice and Fire. Florence and the Machine's recording of it was produced by American musician Doveman and Florence and the Machine frontwoman Florence Welch. Weiss and Benioff reportedly approached Welch in 2012 to record the song "The Rains of Castamere", although she had turned down their request. Following the release of "Jenny of Oldstones", Welch stated in an interview with The New York Times that this was during her "wild years", when she was "less focused".[5][1]

In the episode "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms", the studio version of the song by Welch was played over the closing credits. The song was however first heard from the character Podrick Payne (played by Daniel Portman), who sang a verse in a sequence reminiscent of the scene in The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King when Pippin sang "The Edge of Night" before the battle of Minas Tirith.[6][7] The version sung by Portman is simplified in its harmonies, while the version by Welch is close to how Djawadi originally wrote it with more chord changes.[8]

Commercial performance

"Jenny of Oldstones" debuted at number 75 in the UK and 64 in Ireland.[9][10] It was the seventh best-selling digital song the week it was released in the United States.[11] In Belgium, the song did not enter the Ultratop 50 or Ultratip 50, but did appear on the Flemish extra tips chart.[12]

Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from YouTube, provided by Universal Music Group.[13]

Charts

See also

References
  1. Vineyard, Jennifer (21 April 2019). "'Game of Thrones': Florence and the Machine's Frontwoman on That Haunting Closing Song". The New York Times. Retrieved 22 April 2019.
  2. Kaufman, Gil (22 April 2019). "Florence + The Machine Debut Celtic Ballad 'Jenny of Oldstones' on 'Game of Thrones': Listen". Billboard. Retrieved 22 April 2019.
  3. "Game of Thrones releases 'Jenny of Oldstones' by Florence + the Machine". Entertainment Weekly. 21 April 2019.
  4. Goslin, Austen (21 April 2019). "Podrick's song has ties to the books and a Game of Thrones prophecy". Polygon. Retrieved 25 April 2019.
  5. Krol, Charlotte (22 April 2019). "Listen to Florence + the Machine's new song 'Jenny of Oldstones' featured in 'Game of Thrones'". NME. Retrieved 22 April 2019.
  6. Robinson, Joanna (21 April 2019). "The Hidden Meaning Behind Podrick's Song". Vanity Fair. Retrieved 22 April 2019.
  7. Miller, Matt (22 April 2019). "Game of Thrones Fan Favorite Daniel Portman Has Big Pod Energy". Esquire. Retrieved 26 April 2019.
  8. Kornhaber, Spencer (25 April 2019). "How Game of Thrones' New Song 'Jenny of Oldstones' Was Made". The Atlantic. Retrieved 28 April 2019.
  9. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 4 May 2019.
  10. "IRMA – Irish Charts". Irish Recorded Music Association. Retrieved 4 May 2019.
  11. "Digital Song Sales". Billboard. 4 May 2017.
  12. "Florence + The Machine – Jenny Of Oldstones". ultratop.be (in Dutch). Retrieved 27 April 2019.
  13. "Jenny of Oldstones". Retrieved 22 April 2019 – via YouTube.
  14. "ARIA Australian Top 40 Digital Tracks" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. 29 April 2019. Retrieved 27 April 2019.
  15. "Ultratop.be – Florence %2B the Machine – Jenny of Oldstones" (in Dutch). Ultratip. Retrieved 17 May 2019.
  16. "Official IFPI Charts – Digital Singles Chart (International) – Week: 17/2019". IFPI Greece. Retrieved 9 May 2019.
  17. "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Single (track) Top 40 lista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége. Retrieved 4 May 2019.
  18. "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Stream Top 40 slágerlista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége. Retrieved 9 May 2019.
  19. "Le Top de la semaine : Top Singles Téléchargés". SNEP - Syndicat Nation de l'Edition Phonographique (in French). 26 April 2019. Archived from the original on 5 September 2015. Retrieved 29 April 2019.
  20. "NZ Hot Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. 29 April 2019. Retrieved 26 April 2019.
  21. "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 27 April 2019.
  22. "ČNS IFPI" (in Slovak). Hitparáda – Singles Digital Top 100 Oficiálna. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Select SINGLES DIGITAL - TOP 100 and insert 201918 into search. Retrieved 7 May 2019.
  23. "Swisscharts.com – Florence %2B the Machine – Jenny of Oldstones". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 29 April 2019.
  24. "Florence the Machine Chart History (Hot Rock & Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 30 April 2019.
  25. "Single Top 100 - eladási darabszám alapján - 2019". Mahasz. Retrieved 31 March 2020.
  26. "Top AFP - Audiogest - Top 3000 Singles + EPs Digitais" (PDF) (in Portuguese). Associação Fonográfica Portuguesa. Retrieved 16 December 2020.
  27. "Rock Digital Song Sales – Year-End 2019". Billboard. Retrieved 12 December 2019.
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