Michaela Strachan You Broke My Heart (When I Was 12)

Album: Scouting for Girls (2007)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This song is an ode to the English television presenter Michaela Strachan, who was a fixture across the range of children's programming in the 1980s and early 1990s. Frontman Roy Stride wrote the song about coming home from school, seeing Michaela on the TV and falling in love. She is now best known for her work on wildlife programs.
  • It seems Strachan was relatively unfazed by the impact she made on the group. "The band was more worried about it than I was," she told The Independent. "All I could think was, did I really mean this much to people?"
  • The song is a hidden track, which begins 3 minutes 47 seconds into the song "James Bond" on the Scouting For Girls album.
  • Michaela Strachan had her own brief music career as "Michaela" with two UK hit singles; a cover of Edwin Starr's "H.A.P.P.Y. Radio," which peaked at #62 and "Take Good Care of My Heart" which reached #66 the following year.
  • Michaela Strachan had a night to remember when she went to a Scouting For Girls concert with a friend. "It was hilarious," she recalled to The Daily Mail's Weekend magazine. "I sat there and the singer said, 'You all know the song. There was a woman that broke my heart when I was 12. Well, she's here tonight!'"

    Suddenly, a spotlight landed on Strachan, illuminating her in front of a packed O2 Shepherd's Bush Empire. "Next thing I know, a thousand people are holding up their phone lights, swaying, and singing to me," she recalled. "It was one of those times when you try to be terribly humble but then I thought, Do you know what? Sod that!"

    Embracing the moment, Strachan leapt to her feet, waving back to the crowd and basking in the adoration. "I'm just a showgirl at heart," she admitted. "It was the most surreal night I've had in ages. I left with the biggest grin on my face."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Andrew Farriss of INXS

Andrew Farriss of INXSSongwriter Interviews

Andrew Farriss on writing with Michael Hutchence, the stories behind "Mystify" and other INXS hits, and his country-flavored debut solo album.

Jethro Tull

Jethro TullFact or Fiction

Stage urinals, flute devices, and the real Aqualung in this Fact or Fiction.

Songs in Famous Movie Scenes: Tarantino Edition

Songs in Famous Movie Scenes: Tarantino EditionMusic Quiz

Whether he's splitting ears or burning Nazis, Quentin Tarantino uses memorable music in his films. See if you can match the song to the scene.

Mike Rutherford (Genesis, Mike + The Mechanics)

Mike Rutherford (Genesis, Mike + The Mechanics)Songwriter Interviews

Mike Rutherford talks about the "Silent Running" storyline and "Land Of Confusion" in the age of Trump.

Donald Fagen

Donald FagenSongwriter Interviews

Fagen talks about how the Steely Dan songwriting strategy has changed over the years, and explains why you don't hear many covers of their songs.

Soul Train Stories with Stephen McMillian

Soul Train Stories with Stephen McMillianSong Writing

A Soul Train dancer takes us through a day on the show, and explains what you had to do to get camera time.