Listen to Florence + The Machine’s Game of Thrones Song, “Jenny of Oldstones”

The second episode of Game of Thrones’ final season was an uncharacteristic one for several reasons, one of which was the relatively rare choice to use a song by a contemporary artist to play over the closing credits. That song was “Jenny of Oldstones,” a canonical folk song from George R. R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire books, performed by Florence + The Machine.

Florence + The Machine is the only contemporary artist to appear in the final season of Game of Thrones, and singer Florence Welch is the only musician to be personally approached by the show’s creators David Benioff and D.B. Weiss. “Jenny of Oldstones” was also sung during the episode by Daniel Portman, the actor who plays Podrick Payne.

“Jenny of Oldstones” is an adaptation of “Jenny’s song” from Martin’s novels, which recounts the tale of a Targaryen prince who forgoes his birthright to marry Jenny of Oldstones, a beautiful commoner who wove flowers into her hair. The song was written for the show by Benioff, Weiss, Ramin Djawadi and Martin.

“We’ve always been huge fans of Florence’s music, and the season two trailer with her song ‘Seven Devils’ was possibly the most powerful we’ve ever had,” say Benioff and Weiss in a statement. “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,” Welch says. “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.”

Florence + The Machine’s last album was 2018’s High As Hope, which Paste contributor Madison Desler referred to as “an album of cathedral-filling, mountain-moving sound.” Welch and company are continuing their world tour this year with a slew of North American dates this summer, featuring opening appearances from Blood Orange, Perfume Genius, Christine & The Queens, and Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats.

Watch the official lyric video for “Jenny of Oldstones” and check out Florence + The Machine’s full tour schedule below.

Florence + The Machine Tour Dates:

May
10 – Mayer, Ariz. @ FORM Arcosanti
12 – Santa Barbara, Calif. @ Santa Barbara Bowl *
13 – Santa Barbara, Calif. @ Santa Barbara Bowl *
15 – Concord, Calif. @ Concord Pavilion ^
17 – Las Vegas, Nev. @ T-Mobile Arena ^
20 – Denver, Colo. @ Red Rocks Amphitheatre ^
23 – Chicago, Ill. @ Huntington Bank Pavilion at Northerly Island +
24 – Detroit, Mich. @ DTE Energy Music Theatre +
26 – Toronto, Ont. @ Budweiser Stage +
28 – Montreal, Que. @ Centre Bell +
30 – Boston, Mass. @ Xfinity Center +

June
01 – New York, N.Y. @ Governors Ball Music Festival
03 – Columbia, Md. @ Merriweather Post Pavilion +
05 – Raleigh, N.C. @ Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek &
06 – Atlanta, Ga. @ Ameris Bank Amphitheatre &
08 – Orlando, Fla. @ Amway Arena &
09 – Miami, Fla. @ AmericanAirlines Arena &

(* with Perfume Genius)
(^ with Christine & The Queens)
(+ with Blood Orange)
(& with Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats)