Canterbury, UK band Broken Hands stimulate both halves with a two-prong style fueled by half-time gutter groove rock ‘n’ roll and ethereal flights of cerebral sonic exploration. This duality initially powered the group’s 2015 full-length debut, Turbulence. Produced by Tom Dalgety [Royal Blood, Pixies, Ghost], it walked a fine line between arena ambition and alternative adventurousness. Moreover, the record announced the boys - brothers Dale [lead vocals] and Callum Norton [drums, backing vocals], Jamie Darby [lead guitar], Thomas Ford [bass], and David Hardstone [rhythm guitar, keys] - as a critical favourite with acclaim from NME, The Independent, BBC Music Introducing, and more. Simultaneously, they developed a reputation for raucous live shows, performing alongside the likes of The Kills, Catfish and the Bottlemen, The Cult and Deaf Havana in addition to gracing the stage of the world-famous Reading & Leeds festivals.
Along the way, they landed a deal with Atlantic Records stateside and plotted their sophomore effort. Just prior to entering the studio, the pace slowed when Dale endured the sort of nightmare most musicians don’t dare dream about: intensive ear surgery that left him unable to sing or play music for nearly two months.
“I had to have this dissection to basically open up the pathways,” he explains. “I couldn’t do anything after for what felt like forever. I’m probably hearing music completely different from how I did. The upside was I came into this record with a fresh palette.”
Embracing this fresh palette, the band opted to work with producer Julian Emery [Nothing But Thieves, Lower Than Atlantic] on new music with long-term collaborator Dalgety moving to the mixer’s chair. Nodding to American influences as diverse as Nine Inch Nails, Big Brother and The Holding Company, and My Morning Jacket, Broken Hands adopted a “half-time” rhythm. As a result, the guitars, drums, bass, and vocals hit harder as they seesaw back and forth.
“For a British rock guitar band, it’s all about fast, four-to-the-floor singles,” says Dale. “We went slower and heavier. We loved doing the slow vibe. It was a big lightbulb moment.”
Case in point, hulking distortion and sinewy riffing propel the 2018 single “Split In Two” forward at a confident strut before giving way to Dale’s hypnotic hook.
“We literally felt split in two,” says the frontman. “Touring as much as we have, you’re divided from the ones you love and spend the rest of your life. In a psychological sense, you can also feel divided between two things. You’re stuck in a corridor. The idea extends to the sonics. One minute, I want to write a screaming heavy record. In the next, I want to write something tranquil. It’s a push-and-pull.”
Another standout “Friends House” tempers moments of introspection with a bombastic sense of dread siphoned through sparse percussion and a paranoid wail. It draws on a moment when Dale found himself threatened at gunpoint in the midst of the band’s first U.S. tour.
“It’s quite a dark song,” he admits. “You think you’re happy and you think you’re safe, but actually you couldn’t be any further from safety. When you get very intoxicated, you’re happy and comfortable, but it’s actually the most dangerous position to be in. When we first went to the States, I got held up at a bar at 4AM. I was drunk, British, and not familiar with this sort of situation. That could happen anywhere. It’s the illusion of safety.”
In the end, Broken Hands translate duality into definitive anthems. “It’s okay to be divided,” Dale leaves off. “You don’t have to feel like you’ve got to be one thing all of the time physically, psychologically, or musically. Too often in life, people try to tell you to be one thing. We reached a new level by clinging to both sides.”
Impact
Broken Hands Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
our world is coming to an end.
Let me know, when you need me most,
I'm coming to the bridge.
Cos all I want and all I've got is impact,
to the heart,
All I want and all I've got is impact,
to the heart.
my universe has no end.
Cos all I want and all I've got is impact,
to the heart
All I want and all I've got is impact,
to the heart.
So keep secrets close for me,
because the sun can never see,
I really want to believe,
that this meteor won't leave,
it just wants to make us bleed.
All I want and all I've got is impact,
to the heart.
All I want and I've got is impact,
to the heart.
The Broken Hands's song "Impact" speaks about the apocalyptic end of the world, where the singer of the song seeks comfort in his lover's arms. The lyrics express the need to hold on tightly and not let go as the world seems to be ending. The singer assures his lover that he will always be there for them when they need him the most. The phrase "I'm coming to the bridge" could allude to the idea of crossing a bridge to a new world or a new beginning. The song emphasizes that all they want and have is impact on the heart, which could mean the intense feelings they share with their lover.
The lyrics also hint at an impending meteor strike, which could be the event leading towards the end of the world. The singer urges his lover to keep their secrets safe as the world around them begins to crumble. The sun signifies a new day, and the metaphor of the sun not being able to see secrets implies that only the singer and his lover can understand and share their deepest thoughts and feelings. The meteor's arrival is imminent, but the hurt and pain it brings are not merely physical but emotional. The singer wishes for the impact to make them bleed, probably a metaphor for feeling the emotions on the deepest level.
Overall, the song "Impact" by Broken Hands speaks about a doomsday scenario where the safety and comfort of human relationships and emotions become the only things that matter.
Line by Line Meaning
Hold me close and don't let go
I need your comfort and support in this time of crisis.
our world is coming to an end
Our situation is dire and we may not have much time left.
Let me know, when you need me most
I want you to communicate with me when you need my help the most.
I'm coming to the bridge
I will be there for you when you need me most.
Cos all I want and all I've got is impact, to the heart,
I want to make a significant impact on your life and your heart.
Don't call home cos I'm not alone
I am not physically alone, even if I may feel alone emotionally.
my universe has no end
My world and my experiences are vast and never-ending.
So keep secrets close for me, because the sun can never see
I want you to keep my secrets safe and hidden from others who may judge me.
I really want to believe, that this meteor won't leave, it just wants to make us bleed
I hope that the difficulties we are facing will not completely destroy us, but only make us stronger.
All I want and all I've got is impact, to the heart
I am still focused on making a meaningful impact on your heart and your life.
All I want and I've got is impact, to the heart.
My desire to have a significant impact on your life and your heart remains unchanged.
Writer(s): Dale Norton, Jamie Darby, Thomas Ford, Callum Norton
Contributed by Alex P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
tim tafilica
Please help, since nov 2017 no surgeon has done nothing, just xrays, ct scans, ultrasounds, etc, Fusion I am pushed to do, being left handed, that is my bad wrist, replacement is it. I cannot write, hardly type today.
I surely cannot live much longer, my 2 girls will not speak to me, all my siblings passed, my parents are slowly passing, i moved to a small town 2 help them. In the last year my health has failed to a point where I am ashamed I can do little for them.
What a loser I am as a son. Children who hate me, I have no reason why, not being able to pick up my dad if he falls, alzeimers, and my mother is crippled. Their son just feels sorry for himself.
All I know is Pain, I need 2 wrist replacements, major spine surgery, etc, etc, haha. The pain is at a level which is altering my mind. I cannot get help, No horizon exists, no surgeries planned and no help from my fellow man.
The Lord I pray will help me survive for my parents, I want to go now but destiny awaits.
God Bless all, good health and happiness to all of you. Tim, tafilica@gmail.com
Braeden McIntyre
Who else watching this with a broken wrist right now?😂
GYMtok
🖐️
video dud
Me
capfury Gaming
No
robert de guzman
Me sir I have a broken wrist since when I am 14 years old until now I'm 44 years old it's very hard for me to do the things like when I'm trying to lift something heavy I feel the pain in my broken wrist.by the way my broken right wrist was dislocated until now.iwant my wrist to be back in shape..is there any remedy to my broken wrist back in shape even though 30years later!thanks!!!
jimmy klerk
me
Arthur Leywin
Let's all hope we all heal with this fracture🙏😭
LB-Alex
@WOCK GAMING just fractured mines friday
WOCK GAMING
Fr😂😂
Samuel Flores
*UPDATE my friends, I’m three weeks and five days after surgery. I’m already on a brace and my wrist is feeling like normal again. Im gaining my strength and movement back, I can grab things, do Landry, wash my body, brush my teeth, tie my shoes etc etc. I just can’t lift more than 2 pounds for now. The progress I made in a month has surprised me and I’m really happy I’m going to return to normal again. Don’t feel discouraged in first few weeks, your body is hurt but it’s doing it’s job to repair you so it’s going to take time. I fully trust my body and the therapy exercises, they really work. My wrist was so stiff after surgery but now that I’m two weeks into therapy exercises, I’m getting my wrist rotation back to normal, it’s all uphill from here. Reminder my progress has happened in a month, I was discouraged that I was going to heal up slower but I was wrong. I’m really excited that I’ll be healed up a lot sooner.