No more counting dollars We'll be counting stars Having written hits for Leona Lewis ("Bleeding Love"), Kelly Clarkson ("Already Gone") and many other superstars, OneRepublic frontman Ryan Tedder had plenty of dollars, but also the vision to know that money can't always buy happiness. Tedder had the idea for this tune while working with Beyoncé on her follow-up to 2011's 4. One morning while Tedder was prepping for his studio time with Bey, he came across a little known folk song that he fell in love with. Wanting to write his own version of the tune, Tedder tried to reach out to the original writer to see if he would collaborate with him. "He was like, 'I don't know about that,' and it was aloof enough that I was like, 'Oh screw it,'" Tedder explained to Radio.com. Tedder finally did his own interpretation, heavy on piano and acoustic guitar. This arrangement took on a more soulful, gospel sound than the original. "It kept the spirit of what I was looking for the whole time," he said.
The song was the first ever UK #1 single for Ryan Tedder as a performer, though the Oklahoman had previously been credited as co-writer on the British chart-topping singles for Leona Lewis ("Bleeding Love") and Ellie Goulding ("Burn").
The song's music video was filmed on May 10, 2013, in New Orleans, Louisiana and directed by James Lees. It features the band performing in a basement beneath an ongoing church congregation.
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