Game of Thrones fans were treated to a brand new song by Florence + The Machine during last night’s episode, with the UK band performing over the final credits. Florence Welch delivered a record titled “Jenny of Oldstones,” which the character Podrick Payne sang in the episode. Fans of George R. R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire series are sure to recognize it.
The song is about Prince Duncan Targaryen, who fell in love with a commoner named Jenny of Oldstones and ultimately abdicated the throne to be with her. Fans have noted the similarities between the song and the current dynamic between Jon Snow and Daenerys Targaryen. On “Jenny of Oldstones,” Florence sings:
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
Although A Storm of Swords contained a portion of the song, originally titled “Jenny’s Song,” Game of Thrones creators David Benioff and D.B. Weiss had to write the rest themselves. They reached out to Welch to sing it after using her music for the show years ago.
“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,” Benioff and Weiss said in a statement reported by Entertainment Weekly. “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.”
As Benioff and Weiss mention, Welch’s “Seven Devils” soundtracked the trailer for the show’s second season back in 2012. They confirmed in an after-show clip that Welch will be the last musician featured in the show before its series finale.
“Jenny of Oldstones” is not included in the tracklist of For the Throne, an album of songs inspired by the show that’s set to drop later this week. That release will feature The Weeknd, SZA, Travis Scott, A$AP Rocky, Joey Bada$$, and more.
Listen to the song above and read all the lyrics to Florence + the Machine’s “Jenny of Oldstones” on Genius now.
