To honour the 10th anniversary of their breakout hit, Sam Smith re-recorded Stay With Me with updated lyrics to reflect their non-binary identity.
Sam Smith ‘Stay With Me’ updated with new lyrics
Smith, who publicly came out as non-binary in 2019 and uses they/them pronouns, shared the news with fans via email, emphasising the personal significance of the change.
The update includes a significant lyrical change to remove gender-specific language.
Originally, the lyric stated, “but I still need love, because I’m just a man.”
In the new version, this has been altered to “but I still need love, baby understand.”
Smith explained the reasoning behind the change, stating:
“This song is truly so special to me, so for the 10-year anniversary I re-recorded the track, which will be available on all platforms & physical, including the updated lyric ‘but I still need love, baby understand’ which felt really important to me. It’s beautiful to know that sometimes, we can change the past.”
The song originally debuted in 2014 and quickly became an international hit, peaking at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100.
It was a pivotal moment in Smith’s career, propelling them to global stardom.
The song’s success was driven by its soulful melody and poignant lyrics, capturing the hearts of listeners worldwide.
In their email to fans, Smith reminisced about the creation of Stay With Me, recalling the moment when their collaborator Tourist played the three chords that sparked the song.
“I stopped everything I was doing and said ‘what is that’. Those chords and this song still stir me in the same way to this day. I’ve never once got sick of singing it.”
Smith has often adapted the lyrics during live performances since coming out as non-binary, but this marks the first time the recorded version has been updated.
