When Leona Lewis won the third season of the British singing competition The Ex Factor in 2006, part of her prize was a recording contract with Sony BMG. At the time, Simon Cowell, who also served as Lewis’ mentor on the show, was an A&R executive with the label and worked on her first album.
Not wanting to rush the making of her debut, Spirit, Cowell pulled in some of the best songwriters, including Max Martin (Celine Dion, Britney Spears, Taylor Swift), Jörgen Elofssonm, who co-wrote Kelly Clarkson‘s 2011 hit “Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You),” and more to write the album.
On the album, Lewis co-wrote two tracks (“Whatever It Takes,” “Here I Am”), while Cowell also shared a writing credit for the closing track “Footprints in the Sand” with former Mr. Mister frontman Richard Page and Swedish songwriters and producers Per Magnusson and David Kreuger.
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Pure Poetry
The song was based on the Christian poem of the same name describing a dream where someone is walking along the beach with God. The song also speaks to standing by someone in need.
You walked with me
Footprints in the sand
And helped me understand
Where I’m going
You walked with me
When I was all alone
With so much unknown
Along the way
I heard you say
I promise you
I’m always there
When your heart is filled with sorrow
And despair
And I’ll carry you
When you need a friend
You’ll find my footprints in the sand
“I recorded ‘Footprints In The Sand’ in the UK with [producer] Steve Mac and it’s a very special song to me,” said Lewis. “Originally it was a poem. It’s very inspirational so we put it into a song. I think it is very moving, with a very emotional lyric and I really love to sing this song.”
Initially Magnusson thought the song would be good for the Irish group Westlife before it was given to Lewis. While Magnusson and Kreuger wrote the gospel-slanted song, Cowell also received songwriting credit for suggesting they adapt the poem. “He [Cowell] came up with the original idea to make it into a song,” said Lewis. “He told me [about it] and I was, like, ‘That could be really quite interesting.'”
In 2008, “Footprints in the Sand” was released as a double A-sided single with “Better In Time” in the UK and benefitted the charity Sport Relief.
When released, the song went to No. 2 on the UK Singles chart. Along with her No. 1 hit “Bleeding Love,” Spirit also went to No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and on the UK charts.
Photo: Kate Green/Getty Images
