Walking on Broken Glass
| "Walking on Broken Glass" | |
|---|---|
| Song | |
| B-side | "Don't Let Me Down" "Legend In My Living Room" "River Deep, Mountain High" "Here Comes the Rain Again" |
"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 United Kingdom and Ireland and #14 in the United States singles charts.
Track listing
CD single
- "Walking on Broken Glass" (single version) (4:03)
- "It's Alright (Baby's Coming Back)" (4:18)
- "River Deep, Mountain High" (3:33)
- "Here Comes the Rain Again" (4:44)
- "Walking on Broken Glass" (3:50)
Tracks 2-5 were recorded for MTV 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" (Lennon/McCartney)* (3:49)
- Non-album studio track
Music video
Directed by Sophie Muller, 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.[1]
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, the highlight of which is the arrival and feting of the newlyweds, the groom of which is played by Malkovich.
Annie Lennox's character is striking in her somewhat unusual dress (a royal red in an environment dominated by white, a stage costuming technique designed to draw significant attention to her), and in wearing a 'Turkish' headdress hat in an environment dominated by wigs of the period. Lennox's character displays significant pique, as she is emotionally wounded by the appearance of her former lover on the arm of his new bride.
Throughout the video, she tries to communicate the conflicting emotions of jealousy, continued desire, and anger towards this man who still clearly holds her heart. In the process, she spurns the previously welcome advances of the Prince Regent (Laurie), and repels him, to his embarrassment.
Personnel
- Engineer - Heff Moraes
- Producer - Stephen Lipson
- Written by - Annie Lennox
Chart performance
| Chart (1992) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canadian Singles Chart | 1 |
| UK Singles Chart[2] | 8 |
| Irish Singles Chart | 8 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Chart[3] | 14 |
| U.S. Billboard Adult Contemporary Chart[4] | 6 |
| U.S. Billboard Alternative Songs[4] | 7 |
| Swedish Singles Chart | 31 |
| German Singles Chart | 51 |
| Australia (ARIA Chart)[5] | 58 |
References
- ^ Billboard 7 Dec 2002 Billboard. Retrieved 7 November 2011
- ^ UK Singles Chart info Chartstats.com. Retrieved 22 July 2009.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits, 8th Edition (Billboard Publications), page 364.
- ^ a b U.S. chart info Billboard.com. Retrieved 22 July 2009.
- ^ Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988-2010. Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia: Moonlight Publishing.