On April 13, 2010, Walker released his second single in New Zealand titled, "Unbroken" and later in Australia on April 20, 2010. The single was written and produced by Ryan Tedder and is the lead single from his second studio album, From the Inside Out. The album is set to be released on August 20, 2010
Walker was born on 23 October 1990 in Melbourne, Australia, but Walker and his family moved back and forth from Australia to New Zealand, spending relatively equal periods of his life in both countries. He is of Māori descent. In New Zealand, Walker's heritage tribes is Nga Potiki (a sub tribe of Maunga-Pohatu and Ngāi Te Rangi from the city of Tauranga). During Walker's childhood his father was often abusive, which led to him smoking marijuana and thieving. Walker says his passion for music and his church made him a "good boy" again. Before Walker had entered Australian Idol in 2009, he was a shop assistant at a menswear shop in Coolangatta, Queensland where his family currently lives.
In 2009, Walker auditioned for the seventh season of Australian Idol, singing "Ordinary People" by John Legend at his Brisbane audition. He received praise from the judges with Marcia Hines applauding him and stating: "You've got a beautifully house cat voice... it resonates [and] this whole room was captivated by your voice. You coulda heard a penny drop and that to me is what a great artist is.".He progressed through to the theatre rounds receiving more recognition from the judges with Kyle Sandilands saying, after his second round performance of Kings of Leon's song Use Somebody, "You're the only person after the auditions that I ever told anyone about; family, friends other people that I run into. I only told them about you."After all three theatre rounds were over, it was announced that Walker made it into the top-twenty four. In the top twenty-four semi-finals Walker was part of the first group of performers and sang "If I Ain't Got You" by Alicia Keys. The judges were impressed with his performance with all three judges praising his vocal skills but Marcia and Dicko told him not to get side-tracked while singing but letting it flow naturally. The following evening they announced the first two contestants to be put through to the top twelve according to viewer votes. The first contestant through was Walker who praised God for making it through alongside fellow contestant Kate Cook. The judges were pleased with the result with Springbett telling them to get ready for the hard work.
Throughout the season Walker was praised continually for his voice and for the daring choices he took with his song choices. During the season the contestants were mentored by established artists including Suzi Quatro, Liza Minnelli, Joel Madden, Benji Madden, Michael Bublé and Pete Wentz. After his performance of Miley Cyrus' "The Climb" the judges including Joel and Benji Madden were left speechless. Joel stated that listening to Walker sing made him want to sing R&B music and Benji stating that he would watch him perform whether he won the competition or not. After his R&B influenced performance of "Eye of the Tiger" by Survivor guest judge Pete Wentz stated that he had heard about him from Joel Madden and that if he had no where to go after Idol to give him a call. While being mentored by Michael Bublé, after being put through to the final 2, the singer compared his voice to Walker stating: "When he sang to me I wanted to kick him a little bit! Really, I just thought why am I here... 'cause I'm gonna sound like crap singing next to Stan... that voice is like God kissed [his] throat... it's hard when you're a singer and you meet... a better singer than you and you have to come up and mentor them..." Additionally he told Walker that he would like to introduce him to his producers because his voice would blow them away.That night he also performed his winner's single "Black Box" live for the first time. One of his most highly praised performances was of the Prince song Purple Rain which received a standing ovation from the judging panel and the audience. Marcia Hines praised him for his choice to sing accapella at the end of the song while Jay Dee Springbett said that "... it was a moment and you know, I didn't hear it, I felt it brother..."
On November 22, 2009 Walker and fellow finalist Hayley Warner took to the stage at the Sydney Opera House for the Australian Idol grand final. During the night he performed with the top twelve singing Take Back the City by Snow Patrol, as well as a solo of It's a Man's Man's Man's World and did a special performance with Michael Bublé and Warner of Feeling Good. After the viewer votes had been tallied it had been announced that the winner of Australian Idol 2009 was Stan Walker. A shocked and emotional Walker gave a speech saying: "I just want to thank God, man. Hey, I want to thank my family for coming and supporting me. My family they came from New Zealand..." Only a day after winning the competition, Walker stated that he was ready to take the music industry by storm. Stan said that, "I'm ready to make music, and I'm ready to start my career and just give it everything I've got".
After coming out of Australian Idol as the winner he was signed to Sony Music as well as an artist's development fund worth AUD$200,000. During this time he established his own company called Stan Walker Music Pty Ltd, which is run by his mother April. The company was set up in order to negotiate his contract with Sony Music and not end up like past Idol contestant Damien Leith who claimed he didn't make any money from from his "Winners Journey" release. Walker's debut album was recorded in just two days and released on December 9, 2009 three days ahead of its original release date. The album featured all the songs which he performed during Australian Idol as well as his winner's single "Black Box" and a new song called "Think of Me" which was produced by Guy Sebastian. The first single from the album, "Black Box", was officially released on 25 November 2009. It debuted and peaked at #2 on the ARIA Charts, and peaked at #1 on the New Zealand Singles Chart with double platinum certification in Australia and New Zealand. "Introducing... Stan Walker" was received well so far peaking at number-three on the Australian albums chart and number-two on the New Zealand albums chart for seven weeks, also achieving platinum status in Australia and double platinum in New Zealand.
During the last few stages of 2009, Walker began working on his second studio album. "Unbroken", the lead single from Walker's second studio album, From the Inside Out, was written and produced by Ryan Tedder and was released in New Zealand on April 13, and released in Australia on April 20. Walker performed the new single in Pukekohe, New Zealand. The single debuted on the New Zealand Singles Chart on 19 April 2010, a week after its release, at number 29. It later peaked at number 9. On 2 May 2010, "Unbroken" entered the Australian ARIA Charts at number 27 and has since then peaked at number 23 on the Australian Singles Charts which only include Australian artist singles it peaked at number 3, and also reached number 7 on the Australian Urban Charts. The single received a gold certification in Australia for sales of over 35,000 copies. Walker has also once again worked with Lucas Secon and the team who wrote Black Box on a new track called "FaithFool". On June 15 2010, New Zealand rapper, Young Sid released a single titled, "Stuck In A Box" which features Walker. On June 29 2010, Walker released an exclusive video message on his official YouTube channel to his fans, announcing that the album would be released on August 20 and the second single to be released from the album is titled, "Choose You", which was written by Australian singer, Cassie Davis. On 26 July 2010, "Choose You" debuted on the New Zealand Singles Chart at number seven.
Unbroken
Stan Walker Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's like your showing me where happiness lives and all I have the strength to do is turn to you.
With every empty space I'm missing pieces only you can replace I'm like a packet saying please don't wait
Your contents are fragile so I'm glad you're here to stay
I can promise you that this heart was brighter than a falling star and all the money that I could take
now there's nothing more I can break
Ya picked up my pieces and put me together
there's no way you'd ever know
that my heart was breaking
cause you came and threw me a line
I was falling apart but now I'm falling forever
For someone that wont let go my loves a token
because of you I'm unbroken
because of you I'm unbroken
because of you I'm unbroken
now every piece of my heart is falling back into place
Time stops when I'm with you I count the seconds I got
Cause every minute I was something I'm not
you given back to me it's like history don't mean a thing
when im tryin to run away i can't hide I'm in the dark and all I see is your lies
and your shining brighter than anything I've ever seen
and I can promise you this heart will be a falling star 'cause you know what it means
Ya picked up my pieces and put me together
there's no way you'd ever know
that my heart was breaking
cause you came and threw me a line
I was falling apart but now I'm falling forever
For someone that wont let go my loves a token
because of you I'm unbroken
because of you I'm unbroken
because of you I'm unbroken
now every piece of my heart is falling back into place
I just woke up from a dream where I was in one piece
no fragment of me and in these empty streets
love held me together and it never let me go
love held me together and it never let me go
nothing left for me to break
Ya picked up my pieces and put me together
there's no way you'd ever know
that my heart was breaking
cause you came and threw me a line
I was falling apart but now I'm falling forever
For someone that wont let go my loves a token
because of you I'm unbroken
because of you I'm unbroken
because of you I'm unbroken
now every piece of my heart is falling back into place
The lyrics of Stan Walker's Unbroken describe a person who's been brokenhearted and lost, but finds hope in another person who has shown them true happiness and love. The opening line of the song suggests that the person is uncertain about what they're experiencing, but they know that they can't ignore it because it feels so right. The following lines emphasize the person's dependency on their partner, as they recognize that only they can fill the spaces that are missing in their life. They see the value in the person, and they are grateful that they are still present.
The chorus reinforces this dependency, with the person acknowledging that their partner has picked up their broken pieces and put them back together. They no longer feel like they're falling apart because the other person has held them up and kept them together. The second verse focuses on the power that the other person holds over the person. They recognize that they can't run away from their feelings and that they're drawn to the other person. The final verse ends on a hopeful note, with the person describing a dream where they were no longer broken and love helped hold them together.
Overall, the lyrics of Unbroken describe a person who's been lost, but finds hope and love in another person. They recognize their dependency on this person and are grateful for their presence in their life.
Line by Line Meaning
I don't know what this is but I can tell it's something that I can't miss
Though I can't put a finger on it, I sense an opportunity I cannot afford to let pass.
It's like your showing me where happiness lives and all I have the strength to do is turn to you.
You guide me to a joyous existence that only you can show me. I long to put my trust in you.
With every empty space I'm missing pieces only you can replace I'm like a packet saying please don't wait
There are gaps in my life that only you can fill. I cry out for you to come and make me whole.
Your contents are fragile so I'm glad you're here to stay
You are a delicate soul, and I am grateful that you remain by my side.
I can promise you that this heart was brighter than a falling star and all the money that I could take
My heart was once ablaze with pure light and worth more than all the riches in the world.
now there's nothing more I can break
I have broken everything in my path, but you have taught me to be gentle and kind.
Ya picked up my pieces and put me together
You have helped me heal from the pain and sorrow of my past.
there's no way you'd ever know that my heart was breaking
You have been there for me in ways I could never express.
cause you came and threw me a line
You reached out to me in my time of need and saved me from despair.
I was falling apart but now I'm falling forever
I was once lost, but now I have found a love that will last for all eternity.
For someone that wont let go my loves a token
My love for you is a symbol of my devotion and my commitment to never let go.
because of you I'm unbroken
Thanks to you, I am whole and complete once again.
now every piece of my heart is falling back into place
My heart is mending and coming together thanks to your love and care.
Time stops when I'm with you I count the seconds I got
When I'm with you, time seems to stand still, and I cherish every moment we share.
Cause every minute I was something I'm not
Without you, I felt lost and incomplete, like a person living a lie.
you given back to me it's like history don't mean a thing
Your love has erased the pain and heartache of my past and given me hope for the future.
when im tryin to run away i can't hide I'm in the dark and all I see is your lies
When I try to distance myself from you, I realize that you are the light in my life that I cannot live without.
and your shining brighter than anything I've ever seen
Your radiance and inner beauty shine brighter than any star in the sky.
I just woke up from a dream where I was in one piece
I once thought that I would never be whole again, but now I feel complete and content.
no fragment of me and in these empty streets
I am no longer shattered and lost in a lonely, dark world.
love held me together and it never let me go
Your love has held me together and kept me from breaking apart again.
nothing left for me to break
I have reached a point of peace and satisfaction, and I am no longer capable of causing harm or destruction.
Contributed by Annabelle J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@colmmonaghan3976
Here in 2024 , Stan’s amazing and finally a world star now a days ,
@uniqueraupunga8973
R u a time traveler 😀
@margaretj.kwaiga3280
Come back after 9yrs to listen to this😍❤Brings back memories from senior high school☺️
@alexanderfricska4317
Great song.Still like it ten years later.
@BMXwer
in my opinion this is his best song
@TimEffectsPlanning
still
@lisaschuster9305
And it was written by Ryan Tedder.
@s0064019
couldnt agree more.
@Jung1981giggles
Agreed
@pippen2k
Does he have another decent song ?