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

Seal Seal may refer to any of the following: Common uses * Pinniped, a diverse group of semi-aquatic marine mammals, many of which are commonly called seals, particularly: ** Earless seal, or "true seal" ** Fur seal * Seal (emblem), a device to impr ...

and Augustus Lundell "Gus" Isidore. It was released on 9 May 1994 as the

lead single A lead single (also known as a debut single) is the first single to be released from a studio album by an artist or a band, usually before the album itself is released and also occasionally on the same day of the album's release date. Release s ...

from his second studio album, ''Seal'' (also known as ''Seal II'') (1994), reaching number 14 on the

UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...

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 ''

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'' 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 The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph records and cassettes; these terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side usually features a recording that its artist, producer, or record company ...

with "

Don't Cry "Don't Cry" is a song by American hard rock band Guns N' Roses, two versions of which were released simultaneously on different albums. The version with the original lyrics is the fourth track on ''Use Your Illusion I'', while the version with ...

" in the UK; this release reached number 51 on the UK chart.

Critical reception

Troy J. Augusto from ''

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'' 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."

James Masterton James Masterton (born 2 September 1973) is a music writer and columnist, his work focusing on the UK Singles Chart having been an online fixture on various sites since the 1990s. Masterton is also a producer for talkSPORT, and has worked on air ...

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 Trevor Charles Horn (born 15 July 1949) is an English music producer, label and recording studio owner, musician and composer. He is best known for his production work in the 1980s, and for being one half of the new wave band The Buggles (wit ...

at the controls though and an instant chart smash." Alan Jones from ''

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'' 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." David Sinclair from ''

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'' viewed it as "a mature

soul ballad A sentimental ballad is an emotional style of music that often deals with romantic and intimate relationships, and to a lesser extent, loneliness, death, war, drug abuse, politics and religion, usually in a poignant but solemn manner.J. M. Cur ...

with a sinuous

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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."

Music video

music video A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotion (marketing), promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a m ...

was made to accompany the song, directed by Scottish director Paul Boyd.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

* UK CD1 and Australian CD single # "Prayer for the Dying" – 4:16 # "Dreaming in Metaphors" (piano version) – 5:02 # "Prayer for the Dying" (instrumental) – 4:15 # "

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" (acoustic version) – 3:31 * UK CD2 # "Prayer for the Dying" – 4:15 # "Prayer for the Dying" (Eren/Ollie Mix) – 4:57 # "Prayer for the Dying" (Psalm dub) – 6:37 * UK 7-inch and cassette single : US CD and cassette single # "Prayer for the Dying" – 4:15 (4:16 on UK 7-inch) # "Dreaming in Metaphors" (piano version) – 5:02 * US 7-inch single :A. "Prayer for the Dying" (album version) – 5:28 :B. "Prayer for the Dying" (Divine Spirit Mix) – 4:34

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

References

{{Authority control 1994 singles 1994 songs 1995 singles Music videos directed by Paul Boyd Seal (musician) songs Song recordings produced by Trevor Horn Songs written by Seal (musician) ZTT Records singles