Broken Love Song

Album: Grace/Wastelands (2009)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Doherty's friend, the poet Peter "Wolfman" Wolfe, is the guitarist and co-writer on this song. Doherty had previously made a guest appearance on Wolfe's U.K #7 single and Ivor Novello Award-nominated song "For Lovers."
  • An earlier version was recorded with producer Jake Fior, who also helmed "For Lovers." However Doherty binned those recordings in favor of Stephen Street who had previously produced Babyshambles' Shotters Nation.
  • Doherty told the NME March 21, 2009, that this song is about his time in Wormwood Scrubs prison for breaching a probation order. He explained: "People writing, saying they'd like to see me swinging (hanging himself.) Hard when you can't see the light fittings."
  • Some of the lyrical ideas for this song were inspired by Oscar Wilde's The Ballad of Reading Gaol. The Irish playwright wrote the poem in 1897 after his release from Reading jail, where he'd been incarcerated for homosexual offences.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Allen Toussaint - "Southern Nights"

Allen Toussaint - "Southern Nights"They're Playing My Song

A song he wrote and recorded from "sheer spiritual inspiration," Allen's didn't think "Southern Nights" had hit potential until Glen Campbell took it to #1 two years later.

Philip Cody

Philip CodySongwriter Interviews

A talented lyricist, Philip helped revive Neil Sedaka's career with the words to "Laughter In The Rain" and "Bad Blood."

Which Restaurants Are Most Mentioned In Song Lyrics?

Which Restaurants Are Most Mentioned In Song Lyrics?Song Writing

Katy Perry mentions McDonald's, Beyoncé calls out Red Lobster, and Supertramp shouts out Taco Bell - we found the 10 restaurants most often mentioned in songs.

Name the Character in the Song

Name the Character in the SongMusic Quiz

With a few clues (Works at a diner, dreams of running away), can you name the character in the song?

Jesus Christ Superstar: Ted Neeley Tells the Inside Story

Jesus Christ Superstar: Ted Neeley Tells the Inside StorySong Writing

The in-depth discussion about the making of Jesus Christ Superstar with Ted Neeley, who played Jesus in the 1973 film.

Little Richard

Little RichardFact or Fiction

Was Long Tall Sally a cross-dresser? Did he really set his piano on fire? See if you know the real stories about one of rock's greatest innovators.