Scribd
Upload
40 views

Critical Reception

Prayer for the Dying" is a 1994 song by Seal that reached #14 on the UK Singles Chart and #21 on the US Billboard Hot 100. It received positive critical reception for its smooth soul sound and Seal's vocals. The music video featured Seal singing in an empty room with multiple doors. The single included the song itself along with remixes and acoustic versions of other Seal songs.

Uploaded by

Choy Dan
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
40 views

Critical Reception

Prayer for the Dying" is a 1994 song by Seal that reached #14 on the UK Singles Chart and #21 on the US Billboard Hot 100. It received positive critical reception for its smooth soul sound and Seal's vocals. The music video featured Seal singing in an empty room with multiple doors. The single included the song itself along with remixes and acoustic versions of other Seal songs.

Uploaded by

Choy Dan
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 4

"Prayer for the Dying" is a song by British musician 

Seal and
Augustus Lundell "Gus" Isidore. It was released on 9 May 1994 as
the lead single from his second studio album, Seal (also known
as Seal II) (1994), reaching number 14 on the UK Singles
Chart and number 21 on the US Billboard Hot 100. In Canada, it
became Seal's first of three songs to peak at number two on
the RPM Top Singles chart, becoming his joint highest-charting
single in Canada. In November 1995, "Prayer for the Dying" was re-
issued as a double A-side with "Don't Cry" in the UK; this release
reached number 51 on the UK chart.

Contents

 1Critical reception
 2Music video
 3Track listings
 4Charts
o 4.1Weekly charts
o 4.2Year-end charts
 5References

Critical reception[edit]
Troy J. Augusto from Cash Box described the song as a "sultry,
smooth-as-silk mid-tempo number". He added, "One of those rare tracks
that will work at top 40, rock and adult formats, “Prayer For The
Dying” sports a captivating bass line, a nifty, head-bobbing rhythm
structure and Seal’s wonderful, unique vocals. His prayers, it
seems, are about to be answered."[2] James Masterton wrote in his
weekly UK chart commentary, that the singer "is back with another
stunning piece of music, casting aside much of the electronics that
characterised his debut album, still with Trevor Horn at the
controls though and an instant chart smash."[3]
Alan Jones from Music Week rated the song three out of five,
saying, "After a slow start, this builds nicely into an edgy and
convincing comeback, with a swirl of sound dominated by that familiar
and perfectly measured voice."[4] David Sinclair from The
Times viewed it as "a mature soul ballad with a
sinuous funk beat." He explained further, "Couched in a typically
lush and large production by Trevor Horn, Seal's message is a
spiritual tour de force about crossing bridges, walking on water and
life going on, regardless. Rock meets soul to produce a smooth song
with a big heart."[5]

Music video[edit]
A music video was made to accompany the song, directed by Scottish
director Paul Boyd.[citation needed]The video begins with Seal standing in a
dark, empty room with multiple doors in the white background. As Seal
starts to sing he is then shown from different angles throughout the
video in the now brighly lit room.

Track listings[edit]
 UK CD1 and Australian CD single (ZANG 51CD)[6]

1. "Prayer for the Dying" – 4:16


2. "Dreaming in Metaphors" (piano version) – 5:02
3. "Prayer for the Dying" (instrumental) – 4:15
4. "Crazy" (acoustic version) – 3:31

 UK CD2 (ZANG 51CD2)[7]

1. "Prayer for the Dying" – 4:15


2. "Prayer for the Dying" (Eren/Ollie Mix) – 4:57
3. "Prayer for the Dying" (Psalm dub) – 6:37

Charts[edit]
Weekly charts[edit]

Peak
Chart (1994–1995)
position

Australia (ARIA)[13] 56

Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[14] 33

Canada Top Singles (RPM)[15] 2


Peak
Chart (1994–1995)
position

Canada Adult Contemporary (RPM)[16] 24

Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[17] 35

Germany (Official German Charts)[18] 62

Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40)[19] 2

Netherlands (Single Top 100)[20] 40

New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[21] 13

Scotland (OCC)[22] 17

Scotland (OCC)[23]
54
Double A-side with "Don't Cry"

Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[24] 49

UK Singles (OCC)[25] 14

UK Singles (OCC)[26]
51
Double A-side with "Don't Cry"

US Billboard Hot 100[27] 21

US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[28] 16
Peak
Chart (1994–1995)
position

US Alternative Airplay (Billboard)[29] 3

US Mainstream Top 40 (Billboard)[30] 11

You might also like

pFad - Phonifier reborn

Pfad - The Proxy pFad of © 2024 Garber Painting. All rights reserved.

Note: This service is not intended for secure transactions such as banking, social media, email, or purchasing. Use at your own risk. We assume no liability whatsoever for broken pages.


Alternative Proxies:

Alternative Proxy

pFad Proxy

pFad v3 Proxy

pFad v4 Proxy