She cites Dolly Parton, Madonna, Cher, and Barbra Streisand as some of her influences among others. Rossum offers that, "I was inspired to cut this album because I'm so frustrated listening to the radio these days. There is so little emotional honesty.” Her own songs are reflective of her inner thoughts, often about relationships and “getting hurt, wanting the other person back, not wanting to be the first person to go back.”
She joined Counting Crows, Augustana, and Michael Franti & Spearhead as a "special guest" for select performances of the "Traveling Circus and Medicine Show" tour in the summer of 2009. In 2010, Rossum sang a song called "Cruel One" on singer Alex Band's debut solo album We've All Been There. On the track she sings with Band and Chantal Kreviazuk. The song is available on the album's deluxe edition.
In November 2012, Rossum announced that her second album would be released on Warner Bros.. Sentimental Journey was released on January 29, 2013. Unlike Inside Out on which Rossum wrote the songs herself, Sentimental Journey is a collection of covers of classic songs that span the ‘20s to the ‘60s. Rossum selected these songs because "Classics, jazz, and standards really infused my childhood and so it felt quite natural to finally make this record.” Rossum designed the album as a musical calendar that takes the listener through an emotional journey over all the months of a year - “Each song needed to either lyrically or emotionally reflect the corresponding month.” Sentimental Journey peaked at 92 on the U.S. Charts. It also hit number one on the US Billboard Charts Top Jazz Albums.
Rossum does not consider herself an opera singer, but she has described herself as a light lyric soprano, though she admits her voice is still developing.
She currently stars on the Showtime dramedy Shameless, as Fiona Gallagher.
A Million Pieces
Emmy Rossum Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Feel the cold dissolve.
Black clouds rolling overhead.
Part of me is gone.
Like water now within my hands,
You're nothing I can hold.
As every second slips away,
I'm undone.
Without you now I'm in a million pieces.
Undone.
I'm not myself if you say I am not yours.
Porcelain white, the storm sets in.
Unraveling my life.
Cut my hands on broken glass.
Holding on too tight.
I'm barely held with tape and string.
And I'm still alive.
This heavy heart is caving under this goodbye.
I'm undone.
Without you now I'm in a million pieces.
Undone.
I'm not myself if you say I am not yours.
Undone.
Without you now just echoes in the silence.
Undone.
I'm nowhere now if you say I'm not yours.
Why can't I just let go?
Would you leave my head alone?
Please now now I can't take anymore.
Going around around.
I'm going nowhere fast.
Here I am.
I'm undone.
Without you now I'm in a million pieces.
Undone.
I'm not myself if you say I am not yours.
Undone.
Without you now just echoes in the silence.
Undone.
I'm nowhere now if you say I'm not yours.
The lyrics to Emmy Rossum's song "A Million Pieces" depict a woman who is struggling to come to terms with a painful breakup. The opening lines, "shiver cold, I stand alone, feel the cold dissolve, black clouds rolling overhead, part of me is gone" sets the tone for the song. The singer is left feeling adrift and vulnerable in the aftermath of the breakup, with the imagery of the black clouds signaling an approaching storm of emotions.
As the song proceeds, she reflects on the relationship she has lost, admitting that she cannot hold onto it, comparing it to water slipping through her fingers. She is aware that time is slipping away, with nothing left to show for what once was. The chorus conveys her emotional turmoil, as she feels shattered and incomplete without her lover. The repetition of the phrase 'undone' underscores her emotional disintegration, as she realizes that she is not herself without her partner.
The second verse describes her physical injuries- cuts from broken glass, symbolic of the emotional pain that she feels. She also uses vivid imagery of tape and string holding her fragile state together. She hopes that her pain will fade, and she can move on, but she knows that it's easier said than done. The bridge starts with her asking herself why she can't let go, and if her partner would be kind enough to leave her thoughts alone. The song ends on a disoriented note, with her feeling stuck in emotional turmoil and not knowing which way to go.
Line by Line Meaning
Shiver cold I stand alone.
Feeling alone and chilled.
Feel the cold dissolve.
Feeling the cold slowly disappear.
Black clouds rolling overhead.
Dark thoughts circling around.
Part of me is gone.
Feeling incomplete without you.
Like water now within my hands,
Realizing that you cannot hold onto everything forever.
You're nothing I can hold.
Feeling like you have lost your grip on something.
As every second slips away,
Watching life pass you by.
I've nothing left to show.
Feeling like you have nothing left to offer.
I'm undone.
Feeling broken and shattered.
Without you now I'm in a million pieces.
Feeling incomplete without the person you love.
Undone.
Feeling completely shattered and lost.
I'm not myself if you say I am not yours.
Feeling lost without the love of your life.
Porcelain white, the storm sets in.
Feeling fragile and vulnerable.
Unraveling my life.
Feeling like everything is falling apart.
Cut my hands on broken glass.
Feeling hurt and broken.
Holding on too tight.
Trying to hold onto something that you cannot keep.
I'm barely held with tape and string.
Holding on by a thread.
And I'm still alive.
Feeling like you have survived something difficult.
This heavy heart is caving under this goodbye.
Feeling the pain of saying goodbye.
Without you now just echoes in the silence.
Feeling alone without the love of your life.
I'm nowhere now if you say I'm not yours.
Feeling like you have lost your sense of direction without the love of your life.
Why can't I just let go?
Struggling to move on from a relationship.
Would you leave my head alone?
Feeling haunted by memories.
Please now now I can't take anymore.
Feeling overwhelmed by emotions.
Going around around.
Feeling trapped in a cycle of grief.
I'm going nowhere fast.
Feeling stuck and unable to make progress.
Here I am.
Feeling lost and uncertain.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: EMMY ROSSUM, STUART BRAWLEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind