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"Broken Pieces Shine" is the second track on Evanescence's fifth studio album, The Bitter Truth.
Background[]
The song was written and conceived by Amy Lee and Jen Majura in 2019. It's about the pain and beauty of survival, the wisdom bred from suffering, the grace that can be found in the acceptance of what is.[1]
“We were in Canada on a writing camp trip out in the woods in 2019,” recalls Amy, before noting how the hunter-gatherer duties in the band were split. “The men went to go get music stuff that we forgot, like a snare stand and whatever else, and the women went to the grocery store (laughs). On the way back, we were just showing each other ideas in the car on our phones, little pre-recorded demos and stuff. Jen had this really cool idea that turned into that chugging verse music. I just started rewinding it and singing on it over and over.
I see Broken Pieces Shine as an anthem for us and our fans From the beginning, I visualised us onstage in that ‘together moment’. It’s about letting yourself fall apart, letting those flaws become the things that we not only accept about ourselves, but also embrace. To be your true self rather than holding it in is truly freeing. We have things about us that we may see as flaws, but just change your perspective a little bit – our flaws can be our superpowers. That’s what makes us different. That’s what makes us unique.”
In an interview with Consequence in March 2021, Amy discussed the inspiration behind the song:
We all really love that song. It was a tricky one to write. There was so many versions of that chorus, and that’s kind of a recurring theme for me. From a lyrical standpoint, it’s empowering for me, because it really kind of sums up one of the big themes on the album, which is about not glossing over or burying or hiding from the brokenness of ourselves and the world or our flaws or the things that we wish weren’t weren’t happening. To ignore it and to not face it would be to miss out on the beauty of life. You need the dark to have the light, and we all try to project our best selves, but there’s something really beautiful about just opening yourself up and letting the “Broken Pieces Shine.”[2]
The song was heard for the first time in Amy Lee's CBS This Morning interview in August 2020 when it showed her sitting in front of a computer in her home studio.[3]
Lyrics[]
Three, two, one, zero |
The Bitter Truth Evolution Demo[]
Going out of time |
Audio[]
Trivia[]
- The song opens with a sample of the Apollo 11 launch countdown, the spaceflight that first landed humans on the Moon in 1969.[4]
- The Bitter Truth Evolution cassette tape from the album's deluxe box set contains an early demo of the song with alternate lyrics.
Credits[]
- Amy Lee - vocals, piano, additional programming, songwriting
- Troy McLawhorn - guitar, songwriting
- Jen Majura - guitar, songwriting
- Tim McCord - bass guitar, songwriting
- Will Hunt - drums, songwriting
- Tiago Nunez - programming
- Nick Raskulinecz - production, mixing
- Ted Jensen - mastering engineer
References[]
- ↑ "“I needed to face the abyss head on”: Evanescence’s Bitter Truth laid bare". March 10, 2021. Kerrang!.
- ↑ Erickson, Anne (March 23, 2021). "Evanescence’s Amy Lee on The Bitter Truth, Billie Eilish, and More". Consequence
- ↑ "Evanescence's Amy Lee: On CBS This Morning (Interview)"
- ↑ Apollo 11 Launch Countdown