"Sway" is a song by New Zealand singer Bic Runga. It was released as the second single from her debut studio album, Drive (1997), in 1997. The song peaked at 7 in New Zealand and No. 10 in Australia, earning gold certifications in both countries. At the 32nd New Zealand Music Awards, the song won three awards: Single of the Year, Best Songwriter, and Best Engineer (Simon Sheridan). In 2001, it was voted the 6th best New Zealand song of all time by members of APRA. A music video directed by John Taft was made for the song. An acoustic version of the song can be found on the charity album Even Better than the Real Thing Vol. 2. In September 2019, Runga re-recorded the song for Waiata / Anthems, a collection of re-recorded New Zealand pop songs to promote te Wiki o te Reo Māori (Māori Language Week). The new version, retitled "Haere Mai Rā / Sway", featured lyrics reinterpreted by scholar Tīmoti Kāretu. In June 2022, R3hab and Amy Shark released a cover titled "Sway My Way". Background Bic Runga wrote the song in Ireland. While she was on her way to the airport before her trip, she saw a bridge with graffiti on it. One of the words painted on the bridge was "sway". Although Runga did not understand the circumstances in which this word appeared on the bridge, she decided to give her next song the same title. Commercial performance In New Zealand, "Sway" debuted at number 28 on the RIANZ Singles Chart, then climbed into the top 10 five weeks later, eventually peaking at number seven on 13 July 1997. The song spent a total of 17 weeks on the chart and left the top 50 on 14 September 1997. "Sway" was certified gold in New Zealand with 5,000 copies sold. In Australia, "Sway" debuted on the ARIA Singles Chart at number 42, peaked at number 10, and spent a total of 22 weeks on the chart. The Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) certified the song gold, denoting shipments of 35,000 units. In 2004, the single charted in Ireland and the United Kingdom. In the former country, the song first appeared on the Irish Singles Chart on 16 September 2004 and peaked at number 26. In the United Kingdom, "Sway" stayed on the UK Singles Chart for a single week, peaking at number 83. Track