Her first single, "Torn", reached number 2 in the UK charts and became the most played song on the radio in 1998. "Torn" is originally written by Anne Preven, Scott Cutler and Phil Thornalley. In 1995, "Torn" was recorded by Preven's and Cutler's band Ednaswap, although the band would record several more versions prior and following Imbruglia's hit recording. The first released version of "Torn", though, was a 1993 version by Danish singer Lis Sørensen, entitled "Braendt". Norwegian singer Trine Rein had a hit with an English language version of "Torn" in her home country, a year prior to Imbruglia's million selling single. Co-writer Phil Thornalley was involved in all of these versions and eventually offered the song to Natalie Imbruglia, whose album he produced. Imbruglia initially declined recording the song, stating she didn't want to do a cover. Ironically, "Torn" did not only become her biggest hit, it also became her signature song.
Following "Torn", Natalie's debut album "Left of the Middle", released on November 1997, became a million seller. Further singles ("Big Mistake", "Wishing I Was There", and "Smoke"), again proved to be hits in terms of radio and video airplay, but had a less than stellar chart run compared to "Torn".
In a 1999 cooperation with singer Tom Jones, she appeared on his duet album "Reload", on which the pair teamed up for a cover of INXS' ""Never Tear Us Apart".
Imbruglia's sophomore album, "White Lilies Island", was released in November 2001, although it met with significantly less success than its precursor. It did spawn the UK hit singles "That Day", "Wrong Impression" and "Beauty On The Fire".
She returned to acting in 2002 with a supporting role in British spy spoof Johnny English, playing alongside Rowan Atkinson. Natalie married her long-time boyfriend Daniel Johns, lead singer of Silverchair, on 31 December 2003.
In April 2005, Imbruglia released her third studio album "Counting Down The Days" in UK, which in its first week of sales hit number one on the album charts. The first single from this album "Shiver" became her longest running single on the UK charts since her debut "Torn" and also topped the UK Airplay charts for several weeks. The second single, the title track "Counting Down The Days", was released on 25 July 2005 and although it did not have as much success in the singles chart as "Shiver" it reignited interest in its parent album.
After "Counting Down the Days", Natalie switched labels and released in a greatest hits "Glorious: The Singles 97-07", which included five new tracks and was promoted by the single "Glorious".
Natalie's fourth studio album "Come to Life" was released on October 2009 in Europe, preceded by the music video of "Wild About It". The first official single issued on 28 September 2009, was "Want", a song written by Natalie Imbruglia, Daniel Johns (credited Kat Kourtney), Gary Clark and Chris Martin. The next single "Scars" was sent to radio in the UK on 22 March 2010; however, due to any support from radio networks, the single release was cancelled.
Appearances on other albums:
"Troubled by the Way We Came Together" on Go! O.S.T. (1999)
"Never Tear Us Apart" with Tom Jones on Reload (1999)
"Identify" on Stigmata O.S.T (1999)
"Cold Air" on Y Tu Mama Tambien (And Your Mother Too) O.S.T. (2001)
"Wrong Impression" (Radio Remix) on Mr. Deed O.S.T. (2002)
"Pineapple Head" on She Will Have Her Way (2005)
"All The Magic" on Winx Club O.S.T. (2007)
Broken Thread
Natalie Imbruglia Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Waking early I hear myself breathing
Covered up in my hand me down hand me down
Hiding under my patchwork freezing
With my wedding dress calling me, calling me
I dress myself in dis-function
Do I drown you in sympathy, sympathy
Scarred around and around me....around me
Cause I'm stiched up like an angel chord, I'm fixed up
They try to run and hide somehere in there defense
And now want to hand me down again.....
On a broken thread
On a broken thread
I choose to set you on fire
No-more wearing and tearing me, tearing me
Your still my only desire
And now it seems like your leaving me, freeing me, healing me.
Cause I'm stiched up like an angel chord, I'm fixed up
They try to run and hide somehere in there defense
And now want to hand me down again.....
They try to run and hide somehere in there defense
And now want to hand me down again.....
On a broken thread
On a broken thread
On a broken thread
On a broken thread
On a broken thread
The song "Broken Thread" by Natalie Imbruglia is a hauntingly beautiful portrayal of a woman's struggle to move on from a toxic relationship. The opening lines suggest a sense of anxiety and uncertainty as the singer wakes up early to the sound of herself breathing. The use of the phrase "hand me down" implies a sense of second-handness, as if the singer feels as if she is living in someone else's life rather than her own. She is hiding under a patchwork, perhaps a metaphor for the shattered pieces of her self-confidence and self-worth. The wedding dress calling her suggests a disconnect between her reality and her aspirations, as if she is trapped in the past and unable to let go.
The second stanza introduces the idea of dysfunction and drowning in sympathy, suggesting that the singer is perhaps codependent in her relationships. The idea of a winter messiah implies a sense of longing for someone to save her from the coldness of her current situation, but this too seems like an impossible fantasy. She feels stitched up, fixed up like an angel chord, but this is not a positive image. Instead, it suggests a feeling of being trapped, unable to move or change. The final lines of the song, "On a broken thread," emphasize this sense of fragility and vulnerability, as if the singer is barely holding on.
Overall, "Broken Thread" is a powerful and moving song that speaks to the experience of those who have struggled in toxic relationships. It offers a nuanced depiction of the difficulties of moving on and the sense of inertia that can accompany trauma.
Line by Line Meaning
Waking early I hear myself breathing
I wake up early and become aware of my own breath
Covered up in my hand me down hand me down
I am covered, but not comfortably, in clothes that I've inherited or obtained second-hand
Hiding under my patchwork freezing
I hide from my problems and feel cold and uncomfortable
With my wedding dress calling me, calling me
I am reminded of my failed marriage by my wedding dress that seems to taunt me
I dress myself in dis-function
I present myself to the world as someone who is not functioning properly
Do I drown you in sympathy, sympathy
I wonder if my constant need for sympathy is overwhelming to those around me
You could be my winter messiah
I long for someone who can save me from my winter of despair
Scarred around and around me....around me
My scars and past traumas seem to be all around me and affect everything I do
Cause I'm stiched up like an angel chord, I'm fixed up
I am very damaged, but I try to cover up my flaws in a way that makes me look perfect
They try to run and hide somehere in there defense
Others distance themselves from me and avoid confronting my issues because it's too difficult or uncomfortable for them
And now want to hand me down again.....
Despite others' reluctance to deal with me, they still want to pass me from one person to the next
On a broken thread
My life is hanging by a thread, and it's very fragile
I choose to set you on fire
I decide to let go of something or someone that has been causing me pain or distress
No-more wearing and tearing me, tearing me
I am no longer going to allow someone else or something else to wear me down or break me apart
Your still my only desire
Despite the pain this thing or person has caused me, I still long for it/him/her
And now it seems like your leaving me, freeing me, healing me.
Despite my longing, I am starting to realize that this thing or person leaving me may actually be a good thing that will allow me to heal and move on
On a broken thread
My life is still hanging by a thread
On a broken thread
My life is still hanging by a thread
On a broken thread
My life is still hanging by a thread
On a broken thread
My life is still hanging by a thread
On a broken thread
My life is still hanging by a thread
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: CHRIS CORNER, IAN PICKERING, LIAM COVERDALE-HOWE, NATALIE JANE IMBRUGLIA
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
jrbgeog
Terrific song. Thanks for posting.
Alexander Brown
Aaaah! I love this song! Every single song of hers is absolute bliss! <3
Lok
are you a man or a woman? I ask because in general women like pop female singers but not many men do. However I´m a guy and I love her music, voice and her looks too.
Alpha Lax
A lot of guys love people like Avril Lavigne and Lauryn Hill tho
zimzimzalabim
Dude here. I too love female singer songwriters, they've been a major influence in my life over the years. Been a fan of Natalie since day one. I love stuff like this that shows a darker, heavier side to her music, light years away from the pop singer label that she was unfairly labeled with for being too pretty.