Vonda Shepard was born in New York but her family relocated to California when she was fairly young. She played piano from an early age. Her father is Richmond Shepard, a mime and improv actor. Vonda has three sisters: Rosetta, Luana, and Brianna. Her mother left the family when Vonda was ten, and her father raised the four girls by himself.
After performing as a backing singer for many years she was eventually given her own recording contract. Shepard's first chart appearance was in 1987 when she recorded a duet with Dan Hill entitled 'Can't We Try'. She released her first self-titled album in 1989 with little fanfare. The album did yield one chart single, Don't Cry Ilene, a mid-tempo, piano-driven jazz-RnB flavored song dealing with the break-up of a relationship between a black woman and a white man, arising from adult peer pressure. The track is sung from the perspective of the woman's white female friend, who harbors a desire to have the man for herself, but keeps her distance out of respect for her friend. The song peaked at 17 on the Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary chart and stayed on the charts for 12 weeks.
After her third album, Shepard was signed up to appear on Ally McBeal after being spotted by the show's creator David E Kelley. While on the show she recorded two full soundtrack albums and was featured on two other Ally McBeal compilations. The songs Shepard recorded for Ally McBeal soundtrack albums were mainly covers of old songs with lyrics that paralleled what was happening in the title character's life onscreen. Since appearing in the show, Shepard has released two more studio albums and a live album.
Shepard is married to music producer Mitchell Froom and they had their first child, Jack Froom, on 15 April 2006.
What Becomes of the Brokenhearted
Vonda Shepard Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I have visions of many things
Love's happiness is just an illusion
Filled with sadness and confusion
What becomes of the brokenhearted
Who had love that's now departed?
I know I've got to find
Some kind of peace of mind, maybe
But for me they come a-tumblin' down
Every day heartaches grow a little stronger
I can't stand this pain much longer
I walk in shadows searching for light
Cold and alone, no comfort in sight
Hoping and praying for someone to care
Always moving and going nowhere
What becomes of the brokenhearted
Who had love that's now departed?
I know I've got to find
Some kind of peace of mind, maybe
I'm searching though I don't succeed
But someone look, there's a growing need
Oh, he is lost; there's no place for beginning
All that's left is an unhappy ending
Now what's become of the broken-hearted
Who had love that's now departed?
I know I've got to find
Some kind of peace of mind
I'll be searching everywhere
Just to find someone to care
I'll be looking every day
I know I'm gonna find a way
Nothing's gonna stop me now
I will find a way somehow
(What's become, what's become
What's become of the brokenhearted?
What's become, what's become
What's become of the brokenhearted?)
I know, oh yeah
The song "What Becomes of the Brokenhearted" by Vonda Shepard is a soulful lament about the pain of lost love. The lyrics speak to the feelings of heartbreak and confusion that come with the end of a relationship. The singer walks through life with broken dreams and visions of what they believed love would be - happiness, but instead finds it to be filled with sadness and confusion. They wonder what becomes of those who have experienced love that is now gone. The singer is searching for some kind of answers or peace of mind but feels lost and alone. They are hoping and praying for someone to care while moving through life, going nowhere. The song ends with the singer determined to keep searching, certain they will find a way to move on.
The lyrics of this song are powerful in their portrayal of the anguish that comes with a broken heart. The repeated refrain of "What becomes of the brokenhearted?" underscores the universal nature of the experience and the sense of loss that it engenders. The verses that follow detail the unfulfilled hopes and dreams of the singer and their search for meaning and resolution.
Line by Line Meaning
As I walk this land with broken dreams
While I roam aimlessly with my shattered aspirations
I have visions of many things
My imagination presents me with numerous thoughts
Love's happiness is just an illusion
The bliss of romance is just a mere fantasy
Filled with sadness and confusion
Swamped with sorrow and perplexity
What becomes of the brokenhearted
What happens to those who are emotionally wounded
Who had love that's now departed?
Whose love has left them now?
I know I've got to find
I'm aware that I need to locate
Some kind of peace of mind, maybe
Some sort of tranquility, perhaps
The fruits of love grow all around
The benefits of love are ubiquitous
But for me they come a-tumblin' down
Yet, for me, they all come crashing down
Every day heartaches grow a little stronger
Each day the emotional pain intensifies marginally
I can't stand this pain much longer
I cannot endure this agony for much more time
I walk in shadows searching for light
I wander in obscurity searching for guidance
Cold and alone, no comfort in sight
In frigid solitude with no solace in view
Hoping and praying for someone to care
Pining and beseeching for someone to be concerned
Always moving and going nowhere
Persistently moving forward without making progress
I'm searching though I don't succeed
I search but fail to find
But someone look, there's a growing need
However, someone observe, there is an increasing necessity
Oh, he is lost; there's no place for beginning
Alas, he is perplexed and starting afresh appears improbable
All that's left is an unhappy ending
All that remains is an unfortunate conclusion
Now what's become of the broken-hearted
Now what has occurred to those who are emotionally hurt
Who had love that's now departed?
Whose love is now gone?
I know I've got to find
I know I must discover
Some kind of peace of mind
Some form of tranquility
I'll be searching everywhere
I'll be searching in every corner
Just to find someone to care
In order to locate someone who cares
I'll be looking every day
I'll be searching every day
I know I'm gonna find a way
I'm confident that I'll succeed
Nothing's gonna stop me now
Nothing will prevent me now
I will find a way somehow
I will discover a solution one way or another
(What's become, what's become
(What has happened, what has happened
What's become of the brokenhearted?
What has happened to those who are emotionally wounded?
I know, oh yeah
I know, unquestionably
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: James Anthony Dean, Paul Riser, William Henry Witherspoonn
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Rodrigo Algorta
Love this song! All of her tunes are fantastic!
Ferdy Ferdinand
This song throw me back to year 1999 / 2000 , Viva ALLY!!
Fiera Lovita
love this song.... 🌷
Jenn Cronin, NREMT
Thank you so much for loving the show, music featured in the show, and more importantly putting it out for the rest of us! I have subscribed to your channel & I also took down your website and will be there momentarily.
Cosmic Nursery LL
still listening in 2022💓
fab24
Thanks for the upload!
Sego fla
nice job on the jimmy ruffin hit!
Kat Concepcion
New comment since last year lol