The moving video for the Artists for Grenfell cover of Simon & Garfunkel’s “Bridge Over Troubled Water” opens with images of the charred 24-story apartment tower near London that burst into flames last Wednesday (June 14) in a fire that took the lives of 79 residents. Grime rapper Stormzy provides narration to footage of the many tributes as he raps, “That could have been my mom’s house/ That could have been my nephew/ That could have been me up there” over a minor-key piano intro to the iconic 1970 ballad.
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The black and white clip intersperses shots of such stars as Liam Payne, Louis Tomlinson, Robbie Williams, James Blunt, Rita Ora, Emile Sandé, Craig David, Bastille, Labrinth, Leona Lewis, Jessie J, James Arthur, Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend, Brian May, Dua Lipa, Geri Halliwell and Nile Rodgers singing or playing in the studio with stills of the firefighters who responded to the conflagration and the stunned Londoners affected by the tragedy. One of the most moving images is of the 300-person choir made up of residents and survivors singing the song’s soaring chorus as the track comes to a close.
Click here to purchase the single put together by America’s Got Talent judge Simon Cowell on iTunes and here to donate to the charity.
In a note on the official site for the single, Cowell says: “Following the tragic fire at Grenfell Tower in West London, the record industry came together to record a single for the victims of the disaster. Over 50 artists gave their time and support to make this happen. The song is ‘Bridge Over Troubled Water’. This website has been built to create a donation page which, together with the money raised by the record, will hopefully encourage people to donate whatever they can to help those who have been affected by this terrible event. All donations made here will be used by The London Community Foundation to help those in need.”
The fire, the deadliest to hit mainland Britain in more than 100 years, has displaced more than 120 families.