My Heart Is Broken

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General information

Written by: A. Lee, T. Balsamo, T. McCord and Z. Williams

"My Heart Is Broken" is the 4th track on Evanescence's self-titled third album, Evanescence. It was chosen to be the second single. In a Spotify fan interview in July 2012, Amy revealed that the working title for the song was "Metalocalarp".

Q: In the Spotify chat, you said the working title for "My Heart Is Broken" was 'Metalocalarp'. Can you tell us more about it? A: Tim, Terry and I wrote the song together at my house in NY. Tim programmed a simple drum beat on the computer and looped it, and I started jamming that piano riff on the harp, and then Terry came in w the guitar. We loved it right away, and once we got together with the rest of the band, it really came to life. We almost always have stupid temporary names for songs before we get the lyrics written and name it for real. Metalocalypse plus harp equals Metalocalarp.

The song premiered online before the official release of the album on September 27, 2011. The name of the song was revealed along with "Secret Door" and "Oceans" in a Spin interview, in which it was said to be a harp ballad. In a track-by-track interview with NME, Amy explained why the song turned out to not be a harp ballad:

Let's see, this is another one from that session when we wrote "What You Want". Actually the song at first we were jamming Tim and Terry and I. I actually used to play that piano part on the harp because it was a lot slower and a little bit easier. And then it just got faster and faster at pre-production with the band. And when we get into recording I was cool, get in the harp and I was like 'Nah, this is not possible anymore, it's way fast'! So it's a piano part, actually I think it sounds better as a piano part. It's more prominent, it's a stronger instrument so you're hearing it a little bit more. I love that song, it's definitely one of the more passionate tracks on the album. And I hope that that's the second single, I think it might be.

Amy further explained the song in an MTV interview:

A lot of times when I write, I just sort of make up words, and something will stick, and I'll be like, "Oh, that's from my subconscious. That's what I need to write the song about." And that's sort of what happened [with the song]. I was like, "I think I'm writing about this thing; it's on my heart," just imagining being in such a trapped place and how that might feel, so the song was actually inspired by that idea.

In another interview with Kerrang! Magazine, Amy noted that the song was inspired by her involvement with the organisation Restore NYC rather than romantic heartbreak as the title of the song might suggest.

A good friend of mine heads up an organisation in New York that rescues victims of sex trafficking. My husband and I got involved and were really moved and horrified. As I was writing the song I was putting myself in that place - what would it be like to be trapped? Threatened? Alone? Unable to tell anyone what was happening because you're afraid of what would happen?

Versions

Studio versions:

My Heart Is Broken

• Recording date: February 2011 - July 2011
• Status: Released
• Released on: Evanescence (track #4)
• Length: 4:29

My Heart Is Broken [Demo]

• Recording date: 2010-2011
• Status: Unreleased
• Length: Unknown

My Heart Is Broken [Single version]

• Recording date: February 2011 - July 2011
• Status: Released
• Released on: "My Heart Is Broken" digital single and some of the radio singles
• Length: 4:30

My Heart Is Broken [Rock mix]

• Recording date: February 2011 - July 2011
• Status: Released
• Released on: "My Heart Is Broken" digital single (track #2)
• Length: 4:29

My Heart Is Broken [Pop mix]

• Recording date: February 2011 - July 2011
• Status: Released
• Released on: "My Heart Is Broken" digital single (track #3)
• Length: 4:02

My Heart Is Broken [Rock mix edit/Alternate mix]

• Recording date: February 2011 - July 2011
• Status: Released
• Released on: My Heart Is Broken radio singles
• Length: 3:50

My Heart Is Broken [Pop remix edit]

• Recording date: February 2011 - July 2011
• Status: Released
• Released on: "My Heart Is Broken" radio singles
• Length: 3:45

My Heart Is Broken [Radio edit/Radio mix]

• Recording date: February 2011 - July 2011
• Status: Released
• Released on: "My Heart Is Broken" radio singles
• Length: 3:45

My Heart Is Broken [Instrumental version]

• Recording date: February 2011 - July 2011
• Status: Released
• Released on: "My Heart Is Broken" UK radio single
• Length: 4:30

Live versions:

My Heart Is Broken [Live]

• Performing period: October 2, 2011 - November 9, 2012
• Example: Littlejohn Coliseum, Clemson, South Carolina (January 13, 2012)

My Heart Is Broken [SiriusXM acoustic]

• Performing date: December 7, 2011
• Performed at: Octane Artist Confidential, SiriusXM Radio

My Heart Is Broken [Restore Freedom Gala acoustic]

• Performing date: April 10, 2012
• Performed at: Restore Freedom Gala 2012, City Winery NYC

My Heart Is Broken [Top30 Countdown acoustic]

• Performing date: April 14, 2012
• Performed at: Australia

My Heart Is Broken [BigFM acoustic]

• Performing date: May 30, 2012
• Performed at: BigFM, Wiesbaden, Germany

Lyrics

Album, single and rock mix versions

I will wander till the end of time
torn away from you

I pulled away to face the pain
I close my eyes and drift away
over the fear that I will never find a way to heal my soul
and I will wander till the end of time
torn away from you

My heart is broken
sweet sleep, my dark angel
deliver us from sorrow's hold

Over my heart

I can't go on living this way
But I can't go back the way I came
chained to this fear that I will never find a way to heal my soul
and I will wander till the end of time
half alive without you

My heart is broken
sweet sleep, my dark angel
deliver us

Change
Open your eyes to the light
I denied it all so long, oh so long
Say goodbye
Goodbye

My heart is broken
release me, I can't hold on
deliver us

My heart is broken
sweet sleep, my dark angel
deliver us

My heart is broken
sweet sleep, my dark angel
deliver us from sorrow's hold

Pop mix version

I pulled away to face the pain
I close my eyes and drift away
Over the fear that I will never find
A way to heal my soul
And I will wander till the end of time
Torn away from you

My heart is broken
Sweet sleep, my dark angel
Deliver us from sorrow's hold
(Over my heart)

I can’t go on living this way
But I can't go back the way I came
Chained to this fear that I will never find
A way to heal my soul
And I will wander till the end of time
Half alive without you

My heart is broken
Sweet sleep, my dark angel
Deliver us

Change
Open your eyes to the light
I denied it all so long
Oh so long
Say goodbye, goodbye

My heart is broken
Release me, I can't hold on
Deliver us

My heart is broken
Sweet sleep, my dark angel
Deliver us

My heart is broken
Sweet sleep, my dark angel
Deliver us from sorrow's hold

Pop remix edit and radio edit/radio mix versions

I pulled away to face the pain
I close my eyes and drift away
Over the fear that I will never find
A way to heal my soul
And I will wander till the end of time
Torn away from you

My heart is broken
Sweet sleep, my dark angel
Deliver us from sorrow's hold
(Over my heart)

I can't go on living this way
But I can't go back the way I came
Chained to this fear that I will never find
A way to heal my soul
And I will wander till the end of time
Half alive without you

My heart is broken
Sweet sleep, my dark angel
Deliver us

Change
Open your eyes to the light
I denied it all so long
Oh so long
Say goodbye, goodbye

My heart is broken
Sweet sleep, my dark angel
Deliver us

My heart is broken
Sweet sleep, my dark angel
Deliver us from sorrow's hold

Rock mix edit/Alternate mix version

I will wander till the end of time
Torn away from you

I pulled away to face the pain
I close my eyes and drift away
Over the fear that I will never find
A way to heal my soul
And I will wander till the end of time
Torn away from you

My heart is broken
Sweet sleep, my dark angel
Deliver us from sorrow's hold
(Over my heart)

I can't go on living this way
But I can't go back the way I came
Chained to this fear that I will never find
A way to heal my soul
And I will wander till the end of time
Half alive without you

My heart is broken
Sweet sleep, my dark angel
Deliver us

Change
Open your eyes to the light
I denied it all so long
Oh so long
Say goodbye, goodbye

My heart is broken
Release me, I can't hold on
Deliver us

My heart is broken
Sweet sleep, my dark angel
Deliver us from sorrow's hold

Restore Freedom Gala version (Live)

(Ashley Arrison's parts are in parentheses)
[Paula Cole's parts are in brackets]

I will wander till the end of time
Torn away from you

I pulled away to face the pain
I close my eyes and drift away
Over the fear that I will never find
(that I will never find)
[that I will never find]
A way to heal my soul
(A way to heal my soul)
[A way to heal my soul]
And I will wander till the end of time
(will wander till the end of time)
[will wander till the end of time]
Torn away from you

My heart is broken
(My heart is broken)
[My heart is broken]
Sweet sleep, my dark angel
(Sweet sleep, my dark angel)
[Sweet sleep, my dark angel]
Deliver us from sorrow's hold
(from sorrow's hold)
[Oooo...]
Over my heart

I can’t go on living this way
(can’t go on living this way)
But I can't go back the way I came
(can’t go back the way I came)
Chained to this fear that I will never find
(that I will never find)
[that I will never find]
A way to heal my soul
(A way to heal my soul)
[A way to heal my soul]
And I will wander till the end of time
(will wander till the end of time)
[will wander till the end of time]
Half alive without you

My heart is broken
(My heart is broken)
[My heart is broken]
Sweet sleep, my dark angel
(Sweet sleep, my dark angel)
[Sweet sleep, my dark angel]
Deliver us

Change
Open your eyes to the light
I denied it all so long
(I denied it all so long)
Oh so long
(Oh so long)
Say goodbye, goodbye
(Say goodbye, goodbye)

My heart is broken
(My heart is broken)
[My heart is broken]
Release me, I can't hold on
(Release me, I can't hold on)
[Release me, I can't hold on]
Deliver us

My heart is broken
(My heart is broken)
[My heart is broken]
Sweet sleep, my dark angel
(Sweet sleep, my dark angel)
[Sweet sleep, my dark angel]
Deliver us from sorrow's hold
(Deliver us from sorrow's hold)
[Deliver us from sorrow's hold]

Video

My Heart Is Broken video.

The video for My Heart Is Broken, shot in Los Angeles, California by Dean Karr, began shooting on December 1, 2011 and was released on January 24, 2012.

"We have an air conditioner this time," she laughed. "This [video] is going to look a lot different. Actually, I kind of wanted it to be the opposite. The first video, for 'What You Want,' was very real, and this is very surreal." Amy playing the piano in the video. To help get that surreal feel, Lee explained that she drew inspiration from a decidedly below-the-radar source: the 1988 British fantasy/horror film "Paperhouse," which stuck with her since she first saw it as a teen. "[It's about] this girl, and everything that she would draw would come to life in her dreams, and she was creating this dream world for herself. And at first, it was cool, but then it's like this nightmare," she explained. "So I sort of thought it would apply, and be cool, to have it be this dream that you're trapped in. So you're in a place that, at first, is a magical world, but at the same time, you're isolated and trapped there, and that's the reason you want to come back to reality after a time. "We're playing with fiber optics, and so it's basically like I'm drawing the world around me from nothingness, and when I draw things with my hands, it's like they actually come to life," she continued. "So it's a lot of fun with creating this surreal dream world, and the guys' performance is sort of like the dream within the dream, in an abyss of darkness; it's very cool."

The dress worn by Amy while playing the piano was designed by the artist Dawn Ritz.

My Heart Is Broken Lyric Video

The video can be watched on YouTube.

Lyric video

A lyric video was released on Evanescence's channel on January 31, 2012 on YouTube, a week after the the music video was released.

It can be watched on YouTube.

Commercial release

Main article: My Heart Is Broken Single

My Heart Is Broken was chosen to be the second single, and it was digitally released on November 11, 2011. The song was sent to radio stations in the United States on October 31, 2011.

Tracks released with the single include:

• "My Heart Is Broken" [Single version]
• "My Heart Is Broken" [Rock mix]
• "My Heart Is Broken" [Pop mix]
• "My Heart Is Broken" [Album version] (promotional only)
• "My Heart Is Broken" [Rock mix edit] (promotional only)
• "My Heart Is Broken" [Pop remix edit] (promotional only)
• "My Heart Is Broken" [Alternate mix] (same as the rock mix edit)
• "My Heart Is Broken" [Radio edit] (promotional only)
• "My Heart Is Broken" [Radio mix] (same as the radio edit)
• "My Heart Is Broken" [Instrumental version] (promotional only)
• "My Heart Is Broken" [Video] (promotional only)