"Walking on Broken Glass" is a song written and performed by Scottish singer

Annie Lennox Ann Lennox (born 25 December 1954) is a Scottish singer-songwriter, political activist and philanthropist. After achieving moderate success in the late 1970s as part of the new wave band the Tourists, she and fellow musician Dave Stewart w ...

, included on her debut solo studio album, '' Diva'' (1992). Released on 10 August 1992, the single peaked at number one in Canada, number eight in the United Kingdom and Ireland and number 14 in the United States.

Critical reception

AllMusic editor Thom Jurek viewed the song as a "ubiquitous" hit. Jennifer Bowles from ''Associated Press'' described it as a "more upbeat, mocking tune". Larry Flick from ''Billboard'' wrote that it is a "study in stylistic contrasts; retro-soul vocal musing glides atop a pristine, keyboard-and string-anchored modern-pop environment." He also deemed it a "sophisticated, complex respite from the color-by-numbers fare that crowds radio airwaves." Randy Clark from ''Cashbox'' stated that the song "is pretty much straight up, but mature pop, and contains more shattered relationship lyrics (I wonder "why") backed by light percussion, piano, strings and an elaborate background vocal arrangement." Stephanie Zacharek from ''Entertainment Weekly'' noted that "the jaunty, Caribbean-flavored "Walking on Broken Glass" (faintly reminiscent of

Eurythmics Eurythmics were a British Pop music, pop duo consisting of Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart (musician and producer), Dave Stewart. They were both previously in The Tourists, a band which broke up in 1980. The duo released their first studio alb ...

' " Right by Your Side") is laden with sharp-edged metaphors for broken love affairs." Mike Ragogna from ''HuffPost'' wrote that Lennox "rolls out its words Joan Armatrading-style, proclaiming 'Every one of us is made to suffer, every one of us is made to weep.' Then, almost to prove the opposite point, she happily gavottes with the groove." Dennis Hunt from ''Los Angeles Times'' picked it as "the highlight of this solo debut album and one of the best tunes she’s ever had." A reviewer from ''Music Week'' called it "immediately and extremely commercial, with Annie's voice reaching up from a sea of strings. Polished and superior". Kjell Moe from Norwegian newspaper ''Nordly'' stated that the song has "clear Kate Bush-references". Pop Rescue said it is a "pretty catchy track", adding that Lennox' vocals and the backing vocals all "shine perfectly".

Music video

Directed by British director Sophie Muller, the music video for "Walking on Broken Glass" is based in part on the 1988 film '' Dangerous Liaisons'', and on period films dealing with the late 18th century, such as '' Amadeus''. John Malkovich, who starred in the former film, is joined by Hugh Laurie, in garb similar to the 18th-century dress he wore to play the

Prince Regent A prince regent or princess regent is a prince or princess who, due to their position in the line of succession, rules a monarchy as regent in the stead of a monarch regnant, e.g., as a result of the sovereign's incapacity (minority or illne ...

in '' Blackadder the Third.''Billboard 7 Dec 2002
Billboard. Retrieved 7 November 2011 The setting of the video is that of a ''salon'' evening at the Prince Regent's Carlton House. It presents an assembly of nobles and notables for an evening of society, gambling and dancing, the highlight of which is the arrival and feting of the newlyweds. The groom is played by Malkovich. Lennox's character wears a royal red in an environment dominated by white, a costuming technique designed to draw attention to her, and sports a 'Turkish' headdress in an environment dominated by wigs of the period. She displays significant pique as she is emotionally wounded by the appearance of her former lover on the arm of his new bride. Throughout the video, Lennox's character communicates conflicting emotions of jealousy, continued desire, and anger towards the man who still holds her heart. In the process, she spurns the previously welcome advances of the Prince Regent, much to his embarrassment, consumes glass after glass of champagne and grows ever more agitated, until she finally throws herself at Malkovich's character, to the shock and amusement of the partygoers. Lennox's character, realizing that she has made a fool of herself, flees the party in a fury, only to be swept into Malkovich's arms when she reaches the foot of the stairs.

Track listings

CD single Tracks 2 to 5 were recorded for '' MTV Unplugged'' in July 1992. UK CD single

Personnel

* Engineer – Heff Moraes * Producer – Stephen Lipson * Written by –

Charts and certifications

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Walking on Broken Glass 1992 singles 1992 songs Annie Lennox songs Arista Records singles Music videos directed by Sophie Muller RPM Top Singles number-one singles Song recordings produced by Stephen Lipson Songs about heartache Songs written by Annie Lennox