‘Game of Thrones’ + Florence + the Machine Is a Moving Combination
Brienne is a knight, the Battle of Winterfell is upon us, and Pod is one hell of a singer. All that and more was revealed on last night’s “Game of Thrones” episode “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms,” which functioned as a kind of calm before the storm that’s sure to arrive in this Sunday’s 82-minute episode. Minutes after Pod’s moving rendition of “Jenny of Oldstones,” Florence + Machine’s full-length version of the song premiered over the ending credits. Listen to it below, accompanied by a video that’ll make you even sadder when half the cast dies this weekend.
“We’ve always been huge fans of Florence’s music, and the Season 2 trailer with her song ‘Seven Devils’ was possibly the most powerful we’ve ever had,” showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss said. “So the opportunity to hear her otherworldly voice on our show was always at the forefront of our minds. We’re still pleasantly shocked that she agreed to sing ‘Jenny of Oldstones,’ and we’re in love with the result.”
“When I first heard the song it sounded like a Celtic lullaby to me,” said Florence. “Celtic music has always been in my blood, so I felt like I could do something with it. The magic and ritual in ‘Game of Thrones,’ not to mention the costumes, have always appealed to me. I am honoured to be a part of the final season.”
The opening verse comes from George R.R. Martin’s books, and “Game of Thrones” composer Ramin Djawadi added the music:
“High in the halls of the kings who are gone / Jenny would dance with her ghosts / The ones she had lost / and the ones she had found / and the ones who had loved her the most”
To avoid tearing up during the montage to which “Jenny of Oldstones” is set — it features a number of key moments from the series, many of them involving long-dead characters — avail yourself of the 20+ photos HBO released from last night’s episode as well.
