Sharon Van Etten And Unexpected Collaborator Michael Imperioli Team Up For A New Throwback Cover

Sharon Van Etten has released a new cover of Ink Spots’ “I Don’t Want To Set The World On Fire,” and it features a very fun surprise guest. Listeners might recognize the voice in the song’s spoken word section as Michael Imperioli, best known for his acting work as Christopher from The Sopranos and his recent role on HBO’s The White Lotus (he also has a band called Zopa).

Van Etten’s vocals open the jazz-influenced moody song, adding in the chorus, “I don’t want to set the world on fire / I just want to start a flame in your heart.” Imperioli’s voice can be heard after that in the bridge, as she hums along in the background.

Produced by Este Haim, the cover song appears in episode three of the new National Geographic series, A Small Light, where she also served as an executive music producer. The show centers around the life of Miep Gies, a woman who helped hide Anne Frank and her family in an Amsterdam attic.

The full soundtrack for A Small Light: Songs From The Limited Series arrives May 23, as Este Haim brought on a number of other musicians for songs, including Angel Olsen, Danielle Haim, Kamasi Washington, Weyes Blood, Moses Sumney, and more.

Check out Van Etten and Imperioli’s cover of “I Don’t Want To Set The World On Fire” above.