All About Ed Sheeran's Song From the Game of Thrones Premiere
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Ed Sheeran's got the number-one single in the Seven Kingdoms. When the singer made a cameo in the Game of Thrones season premiere on Sunday, he played one of the Lannister soldiers Arya stumbles upon while traveling through the woods. As she approaches the group, Arya hears them singing a song — led by Sheeran, of course — and she ends up sharing a significant moment with the soldiers from the South.
Since just about everything on Game of Thrones has some significance, though, what's the deal with that song? When Arya compliments the soldiers on the catchy tune, Sheeran says, "It's new." And while it's certainly new to fans of the show, the song may have sounded familiar to those who have read the books. According to Vanity Fair, the song is lifted from the books, and it was written by a bard named Symon Silver Tongue. The lyrics (below) reference Tyrion's relationship with Shae, and the song appears earlier in the books when Symon Silver Tongue uses it to blackmail Tyrion.
He rode through the streets of the city,
down from his hill on high, O'er the wynds and the steps and the cobbles,
he rode to a woman's sigh.
For she was his secret treasure,
she was his shame and his bliss.
And a chain and a keep are nothing,
compared to a woman's kiss
For hands of gold are always cold, but a woman's hands are warm . . .
Listen to Sheeran singing the song in the clip below.
