"In the Shape of a Heart" is a song written and performed by American singer-songwriter

Jackson Browne Clyde Jackson Browne (born October 9, 1948) is an American rock musician, singer, songwriter, and political activist who has sold over 30 million albums in the United States. Emerging as a teenage songwriter in mid-1960s Los Angeles, he had his ...

included on his 1986 album, ''

Lives in the Balance ''Lives in the Balance'' is the eighth album by American singer-songwriter Jackson Browne, released in 1986. It reached number 23 on the ''Billboard'' 200 chart. The title track as well as " For America" and " In the Shape of a Heart" were releas ...

''. Released as the second single from the album, it reached No. 70 on ''Billboard'''s

Hot 100 The ''Billboard'' Hot 100, also known as simply the Hot 100, is the music industry standard record chart in the United States for songs, published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine. Chart rankings are based on sales (physical and digital), o ...

chart, spending seven weeks on that chart after debuting at No. 72, but was a big

Adult Contemporary Adult contemporary music (AC) is a form of radio-played popular music, ranging from 1960s vocal and 1970s soft rock music to predominantly ballad-heavy music of the 1980s to the present day, with varying degrees of easy listening, pop, soul ...

hit, peaking at No. 10. It was also released as a single in the United Kingdom and Japan, and as a promotional 12" in Germany. A

heart The heart is a muscular Organ (biology), organ found in humans and other animals. This organ pumps blood through the blood vessels. The heart and blood vessels together make the circulatory system. The pumped blood carries oxygen and nutrie ...

-shaped red vinyl promotional single was also released by

Asylum Asylum may refer to: Types of asylum * Asylum (antiquity), places of refuge in ancient Greece and Rome * Benevolent asylum, a 19th-century Australian institution for housing the destitute * Cities of Refuge, places of refuge in ancient Judea * ...

, which included two remixes.Paris, Russ
JACKSON BROWNE COMPLETE DISCOGRAPHY.
In 2002, Browne also recorded a version of the song in Spanish ("''Como Un Corazon''") with the Spanish rock band

Los Secretos Los Secretos are a Spanish rock band founded in Madrid in 1978 and often associated with the movida madrileña movement. The band's lineup has undergone many changes over the years, beginning with the successive deaths of two of their drummer ...

for their album '' Sólo para escuchar''.

History

Browne is documented as saying that the song specifically addresses his relationship with his first wife, Phyllis Major, who died in March 1976 of a drug overdose:Paris, Russ
JACKSON BROWNE TRIVIA QUIZ.
Jimmy Guterman, upon reviewing the album in 1986, singled out the song as a "mature version of the dark love songs on '' The Pretender.'' With the lyric "I guess I never knew/What she was talking about" coupled with "I guess I never knew/What she was living without,'" Guterman writes, Browne "nails heartbreak to the wall and sends his listeners scurrying for the Kleenex." In 1989, Rolling Stone magazine referred to it as "one of Browne's finest love songs." In lines such as "People speak of love / Don't know what they're thinking of / Wait around for the one who fits just like a glove," the song can be read as the expression of a more experienced, skeptical or ''realistic'' view of love relationships. They "try to fit some name to their longing." Browne speaks of damage: The lyrics concludes with a dramatic moment: Addressing the song's relationship between music and message, Allmusic's Mike DeGagne wrote that Browne "maintains a certain empathetic sincereness that is created without utilizing the traditional ballad-like form, and the song is helped along musically by a sound rhythm and a positive tempo, taking away any indications of self-pity." The B-side of the single is a non-album track; a cover of

Steve Van Zandt Steven Van Zandt (né Lento; born November 22, 1950), also known as Little Steven or Miami Steve, is an American musician and actor. He is a member of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band, in which he plays guitar and mandolin. He has appeared in ...

's "Voice of America", from his album of the same name. That recording has never been made available on album or CD, although Browne put his version of Van Zandt's "I Am A Patriot" on his next album, ''

World in Motion "World in Motion..." is a song by English band New Order (band), New Order (performed with the England national football team, credited as ENGLANDneworder). The song is New Order's only number-one song on the UK Singles Chart. It was produced fo ...

''.

Reception

Cash Box ''Cashbox'', also known as ''Cash Box'', is an American music industry trade magazine, originally published weekly from July 1942 to November 1996. Ten years after its dissolution, it was revived and continues as ''Cashbox Magazine'', an online ...

'' called it an "appealing, heart-felt treatise on modern love" and said that "creative, captivating production effectively builds to an emotional climax" and "typically powerful Browne lyrics make the package rewarding on many levels." ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...

'' said it "explores politics of a personal kind in a quiet vignette."

Chart positions

Notes

{{authority control 1986 songs 1986 singles 1980s ballads Asylum Records singles Jackson Browne songs Rock ballads Commemoration songs Songs written by Jackson Browne Song recordings produced by Jackson Browne