"Sword from the Stone" is a song by English singer-songwriter Passenger. The song was released as a digital download on 8 January 2021 by Black Crow as the sixth single from his twelfth studio album, Songs for the Drunk and Broken Hearted. A new version of the song was released on 15 January 2021 titled 'Gingerbread Mix'.[1]
| "Sword from the Stone" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Passenger | ||||
| from the album Songs for the Drunk and Broken Hearted | ||||
| Released | 8 January 2021 | |||
| Length | 3:21 | |||
| Label | Black Crow | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Mike Rosenberg | |||
| Producer(s) |
| |||
| Passenger singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Background
editIn an interview with the Official Charts Company regarding co-writing the song with Ed Sheeran, Passenger said, "When I wrote this song I sent it to him because I was excited about it. Within about seven minutes he had replied twice and then phoned me to tell me he thought it was something special. The pair decided Ed would create a 'poppier, punchier single mix of the song - something probably more viable for commercial radio. Ed’s so clever and he's got such a brilliant ear for that stuff. I love what he's done – the integrity and the soul of the song is still very much intact – he's just Sheeran-ised it. It's brilliant to be mates with something like that who can help in such a way."[2] In a statement, Passenger said, "Ed was really excited about the song when I played it to him and suggested that he produce a version that could potentially work as a radio single. It's not every day you have that kind of offer from a pop genius, and I'm so delighted with what he and Joe have come up with. It's been such a fun one to work on."[3] He also talked about sharing the song with his friends and family and said, "I genuinely think it's had the best reaction of any song I've ever written."[4]
Reception
editThe Independent criticized the song's lyrics for "primary school platitudes" such as "up and down like a yo-yo".[5]
Music video
editA music video to accompany the release of "Sword from the Stone" was first released onto YouTube on 8 January 2021. The video was directed by Raja Virdi.[6]
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Sword from the Stone" (Gingerbread Mix) | 2:48 |
| 2. | "Sword from the Stone" | 3:21 |
| 3. | "Sword from the Stone" (Acoustic) | 3:33 |
Personnel
editCredits adapted from Tidal.[7]
- Chris Vallejo – Producer
- Ed Sheeran – Producer
- Joe Rubel – Producer
- Michael David Rosenberg – Composer, lead vocalist
Charts
edit| Chart (2021) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Iceland (Tónlistinn)[8] | 22 |
| New Zealand Hot Singles (RMNZ)[9] | 11 |
| Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[10] | 70 |
| UK Singles Downloads (OCC)[11] | 30 |
| US Adult Pop Airplay (Billboard)[12] | 20 |
| US Adult Alternative Songs (Billboard)[13] | 10 |
Certifications
edit| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Canada (Music Canada)[14] | Gold | 40,000‡ |
|
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||
References
edit- ^ "Sword from the Stone (Gingerbread Mix) - Single by Passenger". Apple Music. Archived from the original on 7 January 2022. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
- ^ "Passenger talks chart battle for Number 1 album: "Life feels ridiculous"". Official Charts Company. 12 January 2021. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
- ^ "Listen to Ed Sheeran's remix of Passenger's 'Sword From The Stone'". NME. 15 January 2021. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
- ^ "Passenger Taps Ed Sheeran for New Mix of 'Sword From the Stone'". Rolling Stone. 14 January 2021. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
- ^ "Album reviews: Passenger – Songs for the Drunk and Broken-Hearted, and Viagra Boys – Welfare Jazz". The Independent. 7 January 2021. Archived from the original on 2022-05-26. Retrieved 15 January 2021.
- ^ "Passenger | Sword From The Stone (Official)". YouTube. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
- ^ "Credits / Sword from the Stone / Passenger – TIDAL". Tidal. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
- ^ "Tónlistinn – Lög" [The Music – Songs] (in Icelandic). Plötutíðindi. Archived from the original on 15 February 2021. Retrieved 4 July 2021.
- ^ "NZ Hot Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. 1 February 2021. Retrieved 30 January 2021.
- ^ "Passenger – Sword From The Stone". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
- ^ "Official Singles Downloads Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 26 January 2021.
- ^ "Passenger Chart History (Adult Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 13 April 2021.
- ^ "Passenger Chart History (Adult Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 15 June 2021.
- ^ "Canadian single certifications – Passenger – Sword From The Sword". Music Canada. Retrieved August 12, 2024.