New York (Snow Patrol song)

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"New York"
Single by Snow Patrol
from the album Fallen Empires
Released20 December 2011
Recorded2011
GenreSoft rock
Length4:02
LabelPolydor
Songwriter(s)Gary Lightbody, Johnny McDaid[1]
Snow Patrol singles chronology
"This Isn't Everything You Are"
(2011) 		"New York"
(2011) 		"In the End"
(2012)

"New York" is a song by Scottish alternative rock group Snow Patrol. The track is the third single from the band's sixth studio album, Fallen Empires. It was released as a digital download on 20 December 2011 in the US.

Background and writing[edit]

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]

Promotion[edit]

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.

Critical reception[edit]

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]

Music video[edit]

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]

Track listing[edit]

No.TitleLength
1."New York" (album version)4:02

Chart performance[edit]

Chart (2011–12) Peak
position
Belgium (Ultratip Bubbling Under Flanders)[11] 16
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[12] 37
U.S. Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles 2
Billboard Canadian Hot 100 94
Billboard Rock Digital Songs 15
Billboard Alternative Digital Songs 10

References[edit]

  1. ^ "New York | Allmusic". Allmusic. Retrieved 19 March 2012.
  2. ^ a b c d "New York by Snow Patrol Songfacts". Songfacts. Retrieved 19 March 2012.
  3. ^ "SP RETURN TO GREYS ANATOMY". snowpatrol.com. 9 January 2012. Retrieved 3 April 2012.
  4. ^ "Video: 'New York' on 'Letterman'". Rolling Stone. 10 January 2012. Archived from the original on January 12, 2012. Retrieved 3 April 2012.
  5. ^ Young, Jon. "Snow Patrol: 'Fallen Empires'". Spin. Retrieved 2012-03-19.
  6. ^ Mike Haydock (18 March 2012). "BBC - Music - Review of Snow Patrol - Fallen Empires". BBC.
  7. ^ Tedder, Michael. "Snow Patrol: 'Fallen Empires'". Paste Magazine. Retrieved 2012-05-02.
  8. ^ Grischow, Chad. "Snow Patrol: 'Fallen Empires'". Paste Magazine. Archived from the original on June 4, 2012. Retrieved 2012-05-02.
  9. ^ Jay, Arthur (2 April 2012). "Snow Patrol - New York Video". KOvideo. Archived from the original on 5 September 2012. Retrieved 3 April 2012.
  10. ^ Scott, Shetler (3 May 2012). "Snow Patrol - New York Video". diffuser.fm. Retrieved 3 May 2012.
  11. ^ "Snow Patrol – New York" (in Dutch). Ultratip.
  12. ^ "Snow Patrol – New York" (in French). Ultratop 50.
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