Walking on Broken Glass
Encyclopedia
"Walking on Broken Glass" is a song written and performed by Scottish
singer Annie Lennox
, taken from her 1992 album, Diva. This song reached #1 in Canada, #8 in the UK and Ireland and #14 in the US singles charts.
Tracks 2-5 were recorded for MTV Unplugged
in July 1992.
, the music video
is based in part on the 1988 film Dangerous Liaisons
, and on period films dealing with the late 18th Century, such as Amadeus
. John Malkovich
, who starred in the former film, is joined by Hugh Laurie
, in character as Prince George, The Prince Regent from Blackadder the Third
. The setting of the video is that of a salon evening at Prince George's Carlton House, and is meant to represent an assembly of nobles and notables for an evening of society, gambling and dancing. Annie Lennox's character is striking in her somewhat unusual dress (a royal red in an environment dominated by white), and in wearing a 'Turkish' headdress hat in an environment dominated by wigs of the period. Lennox character displays significant jealousy of, and dramatically attempting to woo back her former lover (played by Malkovich), who is accompanied by someone new, in the process spurning the advances of, and embarrassing, The Prince Regent (Laurie).
The orchestration of the music, with prominent harpsichord and string orchestra, echoes the musical style of the period. Stylistic elements of late 18th Century music come forth in the form of piano & harpsichord providing the leading theme of the song, and with string section then elaborating on the central theme. Period musical flourishes include the use of the trill and the use of bridging passages as to present variations on the central theme. Modern percussion and synthesiser instrumentation provide additional thematic strength to the central themes played on the period instruments, but do not dominate to the point of drowning out the main instrumentation chosen.
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
singer Annie Lennox
Annie Lennox
Annie Lennox, OBE , born Ann Lennox, is a Scottish singer-songwriter, political activist and philanthropist. After achieving minor success in the late 1970s with The Tourists, with fellow musician David A...
, taken from her 1992 album, Diva. This song reached #1 in Canada, #8 in the UK and Ireland and #14 in the US singles charts.
CD single
- Walking on Broken Glass (single version) (4:03)
- It's Alright (Baby's Coming Back)It's Alright (Baby's Coming Back)"It's Alright " is a song recorded by pop music duo Eurythmics. It was released as the fourth and final single from their album Be Yourself Tonight. Written by band members Annie Lennox and David A. Stewart, the track's distinctive brass arrangement was devised by Michael Kamen...
(4:18) - River Deep, Mountain High (3:33)
- Here Comes the Rain AgainHere Comes the Rain Again"Here Comes the Rain Again" is a song by British pop duo Eurythmics. It was written by group members Annie Lennox and David A. Stewart and produced by Stewart. The song was released as the third single in the UK from the album Touch and in the United States as the first single. It became...
(4:44) - Walking on Broken Glass (3:50)
Tracks 2-5 were recorded for MTV Unplugged
MTV Unplugged
MTV Unplugged is a TV series showcasing many popular musical artists usually playing acoustic instruments. The show has received the George Foster Peabody Award and 3 Primetime Emmy nominations among many accolades.-Unplugged:...
in July 1992.
UK CD Single
- Walking On Broken Glass (Single Version) (4:03)
- Legend In My Living Room (3:45)
- Don't Let Me Down* (3:49)
- Non-album studio track
Music video
Directed by Sophie MullerSophie Muller
Sophie Muller is a British music video director, noted for her long-time collaborations with artists like Sophie Ellis-Bextor, No Doubt, Sade, Shakira, Shakespears Sister, Garbage, Blur, Annie Lennox and Eurythmics.-Background:...
, the music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
is based in part on the 1988 film Dangerous Liaisons
Dangerous Liaisons
Dangerous Liaisons is a 1988 drama film based upon Christopher Hampton's play, Les liaisons dangereuses, which in turn was a theatrical adaptation of the 18th-century French novel Les Liaisons dangereuses by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos....
, and on period films dealing with the late 18th Century, such as Amadeus
Amadeus
Amadeus is a play by Peter Shaffer.It is based on the lives of the composers Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Antonio Salieri, highly fictionalized.Amadeus was first performed in 1979...
. John Malkovich
John Malkovich
John Gavin Malkovich is an American actor, producer, director and fashion designer with his label Technobohemian. Over the last 25 years of his career, Malkovich has appeared in more than 70 motion pictures. For his roles in Places in the Heart and In the Line of Fire, he received Academy Award...
, who starred in the former film, is joined by Hugh Laurie
Hugh Laurie
James Hugh Calum Laurie, OBE , better known as Hugh Laurie , is an English actor, voice artist, comedian, writer, musician, recording artist, and director...
, in character as Prince George, The Prince Regent from Blackadder the Third
Blackadder the Third
Blackadder the Third is the third series of the BBC situation comedy Blackadder, written by Richard Curtis and Ben Elton, which aired from 17 September to 22 October 1987....
. The setting of the video is that of a salon evening at Prince George's Carlton House, and is meant to represent an assembly of nobles and notables for an evening of society, gambling and dancing. Annie Lennox's character is striking in her somewhat unusual dress (a royal red in an environment dominated by white), and in wearing a 'Turkish' headdress hat in an environment dominated by wigs of the period. Lennox character displays significant jealousy of, and dramatically attempting to woo back her former lover (played by Malkovich), who is accompanied by someone new, in the process spurning the advances of, and embarrassing, The Prince Regent (Laurie).
The orchestration of the music, with prominent harpsichord and string orchestra, echoes the musical style of the period. Stylistic elements of late 18th Century music come forth in the form of piano & harpsichord providing the leading theme of the song, and with string section then elaborating on the central theme. Period musical flourishes include the use of the trill and the use of bridging passages as to present variations on the central theme. Modern percussion and synthesiser instrumentation provide additional thematic strength to the central themes played on the period instruments, but do not dominate to the point of drowning out the main instrumentation chosen.
Chart performance
| Chart (1992) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canadian Singles Chart | 1 |
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
8 |
| Irish Singles Chart Irish Singles Chart The Irish Singles Chart is Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on behalf of the IRMA by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured... |
8 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... Chart |
14 |
| U.S. Billboard Adult Contemporary Chart Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks The Adult Contemporary chart is a weekly chart published in Billboard magazine that lists the most popular songs on adult contemporary and "lite-pop" radio stations in the United States... |
6 |
| U.S. Billboard Alternative Songs | 7 |
| Swedish Singles Chart | 31 |
| German Singles Chart | 51 |
| Australian Singles Chart | 58 |