Jen Foster is an award-winning singer/songwriter influenced heavily by clas… Read Full Bio ↴Jen Foster is an award-winning singer/songwriter influenced heavily by classic artists such as the Rolling Stones, U2, and Bob Dylan. In 2009 Foster has spent the last several months in a Nashville recording studio working on her third album. Foster, along with co-producer, Greg Droman, put together an all-star group of musicians, including Peter Stroud (Sheryl Crow), Rami Jaffee (The Wallflowers), Sean Hurley (Vertical Horizon), and Fred Eltringham (The Wallflowers, Dixie Chicks, The Wreckers). Embodying a blend of sounds which range from soft, lazy-day melodies to more raucous guitar-driven tracks, the forthcoming new collection includes two tracks (“Closer To Nowhere” and “Venice Beach”) which have recently garnered nominations in the International Songwriting Competition.

Foster started her own label – now called Fosterchild Records - in 2003. Her debut release, Everybody’s Girl, garnered national radio success at the Triple A format, as well as positive reviews, praising her no-frills, unfiltered lyrics. Songwriting awards followed and she has also secured some impressive Film/TV placements, with songs placed in the popular television soap opera All My Children as well as a recent placement in an American Pie movie sequel.

The title track of Foster’s 2006 sophomore CD, The Underdogs, won “Song of the Year” at the Out Music Awards. Foster grew up in a very conservative, Houston, TX, suburb.

Foster credits another outsider, Ani DiFranco, for inspiration in her business model. “Ani did it her way, and she inspired me to do it my way. I’ve created a fairly unique situation. I’ve built a team of people I trust at my label and also, a community of fans,” Foster proudly notes. “It’s always challenging to take off the artist hat and put on the business hat, but it’s a challenge I embrace. My music means too much to me to blindly put it in someone else’s hands.”

Foster’s new album, "Thirty-Nine," was slated for a 2009 release, and a four-song EP, "Songs From Thirty-Nine," is currently available. The video for the single "Closer To Nowhere" recently reached #1 on the LOGO Channel (MTV Network) charts.

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SONGWRITING AWARDS

1) "CLOSER TO NOWHERE" - WINNER, TRIPLE A CATEGORY, INTERNATIONAL SONGWRITING COMPETITION
2) "TAKING BOB DYLAN" - GRAND PRIZE, INTERNATIONAL ACOUSTIC MUSIC AWARDS

3) "TAKING BOB DYLAN" - BEST FEMALE ARTIST, INTERNATIONAL ACOUSTIC MUSIC AWARDS

4) "THE UNDERDOGS" - SONG OF THE YEAR, OUT MUSIC AWARDS

5) "AMEN" - WINNER, GOSPEL CATEGORY, USA SONGWRITING CONTEST

6) "SHE" - WINNER, POP CATEGORY, 2001, JOHN LENNON SONGWRITING CONTEST

7) "SHE" - WINNER, POP CATEGORY, 2001, GREAT AMERICAN SONGWRITING CONTEST

8) "EVERYBODY'S GIRL" (FULL RECORD) - WINNER, BEST DEBUT RECORDING - FEMALE, 2004, OUT MUSIC AWARDS

9) "IN BETWEEN POSES" - WINNER, 1st ANNUAL AWARDS, BEST FEMALE ARTIST, INTERNATIONAL ACOUSTIC MUSIC AWARDS 10) "TAKING BOB DYLAN" - WINNER, NASHVILLE SONG & LYRIC CONTEST

Broken
Jen Foster Lyrics

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Words & music by Jen Foster

Pieces, falling
Through the sky, I'm wanting
To feel you beneath me
But not like this, believe me
No, I can't wake up, no I can't crash down
To half that's lost and half that's found

I can't believe that you
Would leave me this way
I am broken up into a thousand pieces
You have stolen one, it's a piece I needed
I can't open up, you can't close me shut
I am broken
Pieces, floating
Up off the ground, exploding
I feel you above me
But not like this, don't rush me
'Cause I cannot look, no, I cannot find
The half that's yours and the half that's mine
I can't believe that you
Could leave me this way
I am broken up into a thousand pieces
You have stolen one, it's a piece I needed
I can't open up, you can't close me shut
I am broken
And you stole my heart
Right from the wreckage
Now I can't ever be put back together
Pieces, resting
Upon the ground you're blessing
Can you feel me beneath me?
All over everywhere?
I am broken up into a thousand pieces
You have stolen one, it's a piece I needed
I can't open up, you can't close me shut

I can't open up, you can't close me shut
I can't open up, you can't close me shut

Overall Meaning

The song “Broken” by Jen Foster is a powerful and emotive ballad that addresses the feelings of being broken-hearted and vulnerable. The lyrics describe the singer’s feelings of being shattered and separated into a thousand pieces as a result of a painful breakup. The song is rich with imagery and the chorus repeatedly says “I am broken up into a thousand pieces, you have stolen one, it’s a piece I needed.”

In the first verse, the pieces are “falling through the sky” and the singer expresses her longing to feel her lover’s presence, but not in the way it is now. She feels lost and unsure of how to heal from the pain of the breakup. The half that is lost and the half that is found is a metaphor for the pieces of her heart that are with her lover and the pieces that remain with her. She is struggling with the idea that her lover could leave her feeling this injured and fragile.

The second verse describes the pieces as “floating up off the ground, exploding”. The singer feels her lover’s presence above her, but she is not ready to be rushed into healing. The half that is his and the half that is hers symbolizes the aspects of their relationship that are shared and those that belong only to one person. As the chorus repeats, the singer acknowledges that a piece of herself has been stolen by her lover and it is a piece that she needs to find and reclaim in order to begin healing.

Overall, the song is a poignant portrayal of the emotional tumult that can result from a painful breakup. The lyrics use strong metaphors and imagery to convey the singer’s feelings of vulnerability and loss.

Line by Line Meaning

Pieces, falling
My life is falling apart

Through the sky, I'm wanting
I'm reaching for something out of my grasp

To feel you beneath me
I want to feel supported by you

But not like this, believe me
But not like this situation

No, I can't wake up, no I can't crash down
I'm stuck in a state of limbo

To half that's lost and half that's found
I'm torn between two worlds

I can't believe that you
I never thought you would

Would leave me this way
Leave me so broken

I am broken up into a thousand pieces
I feel shattered and scattered

You have stolen one, it's a piece I needed
You've taken something important from me

I can't open up, you can't close me shut
I can't be vulnerable with you

Pieces, floating
My life is drifting

Up off the ground, exploding
Everything is coming apart at the seams

I feel you above me
I feel like I'm beneath you

But not like this, don't rush me
But not like this or at this pace

'Cause I cannot look, no, I cannot find
I'm lost and can't find my way

The half that's yours and the half that's mine
We're both at fault here

And you stole my heart
You took my love for granted

Right from the wreckage
From the mess of our relationship

Now I can't ever be put back together
I can never fully recover from this

Pieces, resting
My life is calm for the moment

Upon the ground you're blessing
While you move on with your life

Can you feel me beneath me?
Do you care about how I feel?

All over everywhere?
In every aspect of my life?

I am broken up into a thousand pieces
I feel shattered and scattered

You have stolen one, it's a piece I needed
You've taken something important from me

I can't open up, you can't close me shut
I can't be vulnerable with you

Lyrics © MUSIC SALES CORPORATION, O/B/O DistroKid, Songtrust Ave, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: RICHARD FOSTER, NICK MAGNUS

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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