Walking On Broken Glass

Walking On Broken Glass

Originally Recorded by Annie Lennox

• Acappella
• Arranged by David Anthony
• Solo SSATB

Description: This piece was performed by the Funky Little Choir in the UK. It's a standard in contemporary Acappella literature.

Lyrics:

You were the sweetest thing that I ever knew

But I don't care for sugar honey if I can't have you

Since you've abandoned me

My whole life has crashed

Won't you pick the pieces up

'cause it feels just like I'm walking on broken glass

Walking on walking on broken glass

The sun's still shining in the big blue sky

But it don't mean nothing to me

Oh let the rain come down

Let the wind blow through me

I'm living in an empty room

With all the windows smashed

And I've got so little left to lose

That it feels just like I'm walking on broken glass

Walking on walking on broken glass

And if you're trying to cut me down

You know that I might bleed

Cause if you're trying to cut me down

I know that you'll succeed

And if you want to hurt me

There's nothing left to fear

Cause if you want to hurt me

You're doing really well my dear

Now everyone of us was made to suffer

Everyone of us was made to weep

But we've been hurting one another

And now the pain has cut too deep…

So take me from the wreckage

Save me from the blast

Lift me up and take me back

Don't let me keep on walking…

Walking on broken glass

Walking on walking on broken glass

About:

"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.

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. 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.