New York (Snow Patrol song)

Snow Patrol frontman Gary Lightbody struggled with writer's block when penning Fallen Empires. Speaking to Q magazine, the singer explained how a chance meeting with R.E.M. vocalist Michael Stipe at a Californian studio rejuvenated his writing process.[2] He recalled, "I couldn't even write my name on a cheque. It was that bad at the time ... (Stipe arriving at the studio) was amazing because the first song I ever played live was R.E.M.'s 'Find the River' at a school concert." Although Stipe's input was minimal, it was enough to inspire Lightbody to rediscover his muse. He recalled, "Michael just made a few suggestions here and there. On a track called 'New York' there was a line, 'Your face has never left me.' He said, 'That sounds like you've got a girl's head in your bag.' So we changed that."[2]

Lightbody explained the story behind the piano ballad: "I always try to write about personal experiences - 'New York' is about a girl I was seeing over there. We both had strong feelings for one another, but we were never in the same place at the same time. It's about missed opportunities."[2] Lightbody penned this song with Snow Patrol pianist Johnny McDaid in his London studio.[2]

The song was featured in the "Suddenly" episode of Grey's Anatomy, which aired on 5 January 2012.[3] Snow Patrol performed it live on 9 January 2012 on American late-night talk show Late Show with David Letterman.[4] This song was also featured in Season 4 Episode 10 of The Vampire Diaries.

Jon Young from Spin wrote that the somber "New York" calls out, "Come on / Come out / Come here," to a faraway lover with persuasive fervor.[5] Mike Haydock from BBC Music wrote that "New York and In the End are the massive, sweeping songs that form the heart of Fallen Empires."[6] Michael Tedder from Paste Magazine refers to "New York" as "a memorable melody, which will probably be in a million TV dramas".[7] Chad Grischow from IGN Music calls it a power-ballad and "one of many instantly memorable offerings" on the album.[8]

The official music video was released on 30 March 2012. The video shows Gary Lightbody, the band's frontman sitting at a bar, lonely and looking upset, while having drink after drink.[9] "Ignoring all the dancing and smiling faces around him, the frontman stares into space. His lip-synching is even half-hearted, as he's lost in thought about a relationship that didn’t work out...The emotional video is simple but powerful."[10]

• Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics