Visiting Hours (song) explained

Visiting Hours
Cover:Ed Sheeran - Visiting Hours.png
Type:promo
Artist:Ed Sheeran
Album:=
Genre:Folk-pop
Length:3:35
Label:
Producer:
  • Ed Sheeran
  • Johnny McDaid

"Visiting Hours" is a song by English singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran. It was released on 19 August 2021 as the promotional single from his fifth studio album, =, the same day he announced the album. The song was produced by Sheeran and Johnny McDaid.[1]

Background and release

On 2 March 2021, Australian music promoter Michael Gudinski died at the age of 68. Sheeran first performed "Visiting Hours" at Gudinski's funeral on 24 March 2021 as a tribute to him in Australia, delivering an emotional performance.[2] Gudinski's close friends and fellow musicians, Kylie Minogue and Jimmy Barnes, as well as comedian Jimmy Carr, provide backing vocals on the song. He finished the song during his two weeks of mandatory quarantine because of COVID-19 rules due to his decision to travel to Australia. On 19 August 2021, Sheeran released the song as a promotional single and announced the album.[3] A live performance video, which was filmed in St. Stephen's Church in Hampstead, London, was also released with the song.[4] Sheeran stated that he "finished writing this song going through proper grief for the first time, and for me its one of the most important songs on =".[5]

Lyrics

Lyrically, "Visiting Hours" is an ode to the late Michael Gudinski, an Australian music promoter. In the first verse, Sheeran makes a reference to his daughter, Lyra Seaborn Sheeran, wishing that Gudinski had got to meet her: "I wish that Heaven had visiting hours / So I could just show up and bring the news / That she's getting older and I wish that you'd met her / The things that she'll learn from me, I got them all from you".[6]

Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from Tidal.[7]

Charts

Chart (2021)! scope="col"
Peak
position
Denmark (Tracklisten)[8] 16
France (SNEP)[9] 169
Italy (FIMI)[10] 68
Lithuania (AGATA)[11] 44
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[12] 11
Norway (VG-lista)[13] 9
Singapore (RIAS)[14] 24
Slovakia (Singles Digitál Top 100)[15] 33
South Africa (TOSAC)[16] 26
South Korea (Gaon)[17] 183
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[18] 16

Notes and References

  1. News: Ed Sheeran Announces Album and Shares New Song "Visiting Hours". Price. Joe. 19 August 2021. Complex. 19 August 2021.
  2. Ed Sheeran Gets Emotional During Debut of New Song 'Visiting Hours' at Michael Gudinski Memorial. Kaufman. Gil. 24 March 2021. Billboard. 19 August 2021.
  3. Web site: Ed Sheeran to Complete the Equation With New Album =. Curto. Justin. Vulture. 19 August 2021. 19 August 2021.
  4. Web site: Ed Sheeran - Visiting Hours - [Official Performance Video]]. YouTube. 19 August 2021. 19 August 2021.
  5. Web site: Filmed a live version of visiting hours in St Stephens Church, Hampstead. I finished writing this song going through proper grief for the first time, and for me its one of the most important songs on =. Thank you to @kylieminogue and @jimmybarnesofficial for sharing their talent on the backing vocals of the recorded version of this song. It's an honour to sing with you. I hope you love it, it's out on all platforms now, and preorder the album, link in bio x. https://ghostarchive.org/iarchive/s/instagram/CSw3bXlHVYC . 2021-12-24 . limited. Ed Sheeran (@teddysphotos) on Instagram. Ed Sheeran. Sheeran. Ed. 19 August 2021. 19 August 2021.
  6. Web site: Ed Sheeran's 'Visiting Hours': Inside The Heartfelt Lyrics From The Upcoming Album. Capital FM. Capital FM. 20 August 2021. 20 August 2021.
  7. Web site: Credits / Visiting Hours / Ed Sheeran. Tidal. 19 August 2021. 19 August 2021. subscription.
  8. Web site: Track Top-40 Uge 34, 2021. Hitlisten. 1 September 2021.
  9. Web site: Top Singles (Week 34, 2021). SNEP. 1 September 2021.
  10. Web site: Top Singoli – Classifica settimanale WK 34. Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. it. 30 August 2021.
  11. Web site: 2021 34-os savaitės klausomiausi (Top 100). AGATA. Lithuanian. 27 August 2021. 30 August 2021.
  12. Web site: NZ Top 40 Singles Chart. Recorded Music NZ. 30 August 2021. 27 August 2021.
  13. Web site: VG-lista – Topp 20 Single 2021-34. VG-lista. 30 August 2021.
  14. Web site: RIAS International Top Charts Week 34. Recording Industry Association (Singapore). 5 September 2021. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20210831074919/https://www.rias.org.sg/rias-top-charts/. 31 August 2021.
  15. Web site: ČNS IFPI. IFPI ČR. Note: Select SK SINGLES DIGITAL TOP 100 and insert 202134 into search.. 30 August 2021.
  16. Web site: Local & International Streaming Chart Top 100: 20/08/2021 to 26/08/2021. The Official South African Charts. 14 September 2021. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20210908193322/https://theofficialsacharts.co.za/charts/streaming-chart-20-08-2021-to-26-08-2021/. 8 September 2021.
  17. Web site: Digital Chart – Week 35 of 2021. Gaon Chart. ko. 2 September 2021.
  18. Web site: Veckolista Singlar, vecka 34. Sverigetopplistan. sv. 27 August 2021.