Broken (Seether song)

"Broken" is a song by South African rock band Seether, first appearing on their debut album Disclaimer (2002). It was reworked and recorded again in 2004, this time featuring American singer Amy Lee, the lead singer of Evanescence and then-girlfriend of Seether vocalist Shaun Morgan. It was included on the soundtrack to the 2004 Marvel Comics superhero film The Punisher, and was also on Seether's second studio album Disclaimer II.

"Broken"
Single by Seether featuring Amy Lee
from the album The Punisher: The Album and Disclaimer II
Released13 April 2004
Recorded2004
Genre
Length4:21
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Bob Marlette
Seether singles chronology
"Gasoline"
(2003)		 "Broken"
(2004)		 "Remedy"
(2005)
Amy Lee singles chronology
"Broken"
(2004)		 "Freak on a Leash"
(2007)
Music video
"Broken" on YouTube

Released as a single in April 2004, "Broken" peaked at number 20 on the US Billboard Hot 100, number three in Australia, and number two in New Zealand. It was later certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). It is the band's biggest pop hit and is often considered Seether's most popular track, as well as their only song to enter and crossover to the US pop and adult contemporary charts, but it is not their highest-charting single on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart and Modern Rock Tracks chart. Despite this, it was the most played song on most rock radio formats due to the pop success of the song. In addition, it still charted highly, peaking at number nine on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart and number four on the Modern Rock Tracks chart.

Shaun Morgan wrote the song about the breakup of his marriage and family, after his wife chose to remain in South Africa with their daughter rather than accompany him to live in the United States.[1]

Critical reception

While reviewing Disclaimer, Jason D. Taylor of the website AllMusic noted, "The album closes with the one successful laid-back song: 'Broken' is mellow yet confident, as vocalist Shaun Morgan finds the courage to open himself up without releasing a scream every few seconds."[2]

The song earned Seether a Metal Edge Readers' Choice Award in 2004, when it was voted "Best Song from a Movie Soundtrack".[3]

Music video

The Nigel Dick-directed music video features Morgan sitting in an abandoned car playing an acoustic guitar while Lee appears behind him as her vocals fade in. For the remainder of the video, Lee and Morgan wander through a dilapidated landscape that was revealed on the Disclaimer II DVD to be a real-life trailer park that was burned to ashes by a crystal meth lab explosion. Although there are shots of the band and Lee performing together in a clearing, the underlying theme of the video is that Lee and Morgan are looking for but will never find each other. Lee knows that Morgan is there and where he is at through the video but Morgan is unaware of her presence around him, which is the meaning of the lyrics "you've gone away... you don't feel me here anymore". As of March 2020, the video has more than 250 million views on YouTube.

Track listings

Charts

Certifications
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[33] Platinum 70,000^
United States (RIAA)[34] Platinum 1,000,000

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References
  1. , VH1, 12 May 2017. Accessed 12 January 2018.
  2. Taylor, Jason D. "allmusic ((( Disclaimer > Overview )))". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 7 November 2011.
  3. Metal Edge, June 2005
  4. Broken (US promo CD liner notes). Seether. Wind-up Records. 2004. WUJC 20089-2.CS1 maint: others (link)
  5. Broken (US enhanced maxi-single liner notes). Seether. Wind-up Records. 2004. 875007 2.CS1 maint: others (link)
  6. Broken (European & Australian enhanced maxi-single liner notes). Seether. Wind-up Records, Epic Records. 2004. WIN 675007 2.CS1 maint: others (link)
  7. Broken (European CD single liner notes). Seether. Wind-up Records, Epic Records. 2004. WIN 675007 1.CS1 maint: others (link)
  8. Broken (European mini-CD single liner notes). Seether. Wind-up Records. 2004. WIN 675007 3.CS1 maint: others (link)
  9. "Australian-charts.com – Seether feat. Amy Lee – Broken". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved 7 November 2011.
  10. "Austriancharts.at – Seether feat. Amy Lee – Broken" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 7 November 2011.
  11. "Ultratop.be – Seether feat. Amy Lee – Broken" (in French). Ultratip. Retrieved 19 August 2020.
  12. "R&R Canada CHR/Pop Top 30" (PDF). Radio & Records. No. 1566. 30 July 2004. p. 28. Retrieved 14 October 2020.
  13. "R&R Canada – Rock Top 30" (PDF). Radio & Records. No. 1566. 30 July 2004. p. 75. Retrieved 6 October 2019.
  14. "Offiziellecharts.de – Seether feat. Amy Lee – Broken". GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 19 August 2020.
  15. "Top 50 Singles Εβδομάδα 30/1–5/2" (in Greek). IFPI. Archived from the original on 4 February 2005. Retrieved 1 July 2020. See Best Position column.
  16. "Italiancharts.com – Seether feat. Amy Lee – Broken". Top Digital Download. Retrieved 19 August 2020.
  17. "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 32, 2004" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40 Retrieved 18 April 2019.
  18. "Dutchcharts.nl – Seether feat. Amy Lee – Broken" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 7 November 2011.
  19. "Charts.nz – Seether feat. Amy Lee – Broken". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 7 November 2011.
  20. "Notowanie nr1179" (in Polish). LP3. 3 September 2004. Retrieved 20 April 2019.
  21. "Spanishcharts.com – Seether feat. Amy Lee – Broken" Canciones Top 50. Retrieved 19 August 2020.
  22. "Swisscharts.com – Seether feat. Amy Lee – Broken". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 7 November 2011.
  23. "Chart Log UK 1994–2010 DJ S – The System Of Life". Zobbel. Retrieved 17 March 2019.
  24. "Official Rock & Metal Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 31 July 2020.
  25. "Seether Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 7 November 2011.
  26. "Seether Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved 1 July 2020.
  27. "Seether Chart History (Adult Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 1 July 2020.
  28. "Seether Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved 1 July 2020.
  29. "Seether Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved 1 July 2020.
  30. "Seether Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 1 July 2020.
  31. "ARIA Charts – End of Year Charts – Top 100 Singles 2004". ARIA. Retrieved 2 September 2018.
  32. "End of Year 2004". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 2 September 2018.
  33. "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2004 Singles". Australian Recording Industry Association. Archived from the original on 10 August 2020. Retrieved 3 September 2018.
  34. "American single certifications – Seether – Broken". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 5 August 2020. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Single, then click SEARCH. 
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