Stay the Night

"Stay the Night" is the lead single from English singer-songwriter James Blunt's third studio album, Some Kind of Trouble. The single was released on 25 October 2010. The single received an exclusive advance-release in Austria on 10 September 2010. The song has been a success on the ARIA Charts, scoring his first top ten hit in Australia since 2005's "Goodbye My Lover". Background "Stay the Night" was first written after Blunt stated he was "tired of writing self-pitying songs". In an interview for STV, Blunt claimed: "After the last tour I tried writing at the piano, but I was repeating myself, writing sad songs about poor old me. I needed to get away from music for a while. My new songs, most prominently 'Stay the Night', are more optimistic. One thing I did learn is that your artistic credibility goes out the window when you have a big record. 'You're Beautiful' meant something to me, but to most people, it's a song they sing when they're drunk." The lyrics in "Stay the Night" feature a reference to Bob Marley's classic "Is This Love" in the lines: Just like the song on my radio said / We’ll share the shelter of my single bed. Marley is credited as a co-writer. The version released on the U.S. edition of the album is different than the original; it features a fade-in intro and runs for a length of 3 minutes and 25 seconds. Live performances Blunt performed the song live for the first time at the Help for Heroes Charity Concert in Twickenham on 12 September 2010. Blunt performed it on The Ellen DeGeneres Show on 9 February 2011. Critical reception The song received positive reviews from critics, with many calling it one of the album's high points.