The band's first single from their 1985 Welcome to the Real World album, "Broken Wings" reached the number one position on the U.S. charts in December 1985, where it remained for two weeks. It was released as the band was just about to embark on a U.S. tour opening for Tina Turner. The song reached number four in the UK Singles Chart, the highest the group ever achieved in that country.
The song was co-written with lyricist John Lang, who was inspired by a book called "Broken Wings" written by Khalil Gibran. The lyrics "Take these broken wings and learn to fly again" may be a reference to The Beatles' song "Blackbird." The song is a mix of synth, digitally delayed guitar, bass and drums. The song's hissing intro was an effect created by the sound of crash cymbal played in reverse. There is a distinct guitar sound in this track thanks to Steve Farris' innovation of the electric guitar, managing to extract a delay effect at an odd timing to create a contrast to the steadiness of the bass and beat. The outro to the song features Page singing very high and lengthy falsetto notes.
The music video for "Broken Wings" was directed by Oley Sassone and filmed in black & white. It features lead vocalist Richard Page driving through the desert in a classic old convertible. There is a scene of striking imagery where Page is sitting in a church when an eagle flies in through the window and lands next to him on the pew and they exchange a gaze. The full band is also featured in performance scenes during the video. Also appearing in the video are an unknown man and woman dancing tango. They are only shown from the waist down and their faces are never seen.
* In 1992, Prince's ex-wife Mayte covered the song, with backing vocals by her older sister Janíce García.
* In 1995, it was covered by John Tesh on his CD "Sax on the Beach".
* In 1998, it was covered by C-Block on their CD "Keepin' It Real".
* In 2001, this song was sampled for a Tupac Shakur song on his posthumous album Until the End of Time, for the title song.
* In 2001, it was sampled and performed on the title song of Foxy Brown's Broken Silence album.
* In 2001, it was covered by New Zealand singer K'lee
* In 2002, the song was featured in the game Grand Theft Auto: Vice City on fictional station Emotion 98.3 and in the opening scene of the game.
* In 2004, Richard Cheese performed this live in Las Vegas on his album I'd Like a Virgin.
* In 2003, the song was covered by American a cappella group Naturally 7 on their album "What is it?"
* In 2003, it was covered for the video game Karaoke Revolution.
* In 2005, Rick Springfield sang this song on his "tribute" album The Day After Yesterday as a duet with original vocalist Richard Page.
* In 2006, it was covered by Clay Aiken on his CD A Thousand Different Ways.
* In October 2006, Joe Budden released a freestyle using the beat and chorus from "Broken Wings".
* In 2007, it was covered by The Panic Division on their CD "Songs From The Glasshouse".
* In 2007, it was covered by Northern Kings on their CD "Reborn".
Broken Wings
mr mister Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Why we can't just hold on
To each others hands
This time will be the last
I fear unless I make it all so clear
I need you so
Take these broken wings
And learn to live so free
And when we hear the voices sing
The book of love will open up
And let us in
Baby I think tonight
We can take what was wrong
And make it right
I need you so
Baby it's all I know
That you're half of the flesh
And blood makes me whole
I need you so
The song "Broken Wings" by the American rock band Mr. Mister is a ballad about the difficulties of holding onto a failing relationship. The lyrics express a sense of desperation and hopelessness, as the singer is struggling to understand why they can't hold onto each other and in the process, attempting to convince their partner to stay. The lines "Baby I don't understand, why we can't just hold on to each other's hands" convey the desperation the singer feels; that they are willing to hold on to anything just to keep the relationship from ending.
The chorus of the song, "Take these broken wings, and learn to fly again, and learn to live so free, and when we hear the voices sing, the book of love will open up and let us in," is a metaphor for healing and starting over. The singer encourages their partner to let go of the past and learn to live free, to let their voices sing and join in the Book of Love, which is a symbol for opening themselves to new love and a new life, free from the pain of broken relationships.
Overall, "Broken Wings" is a heartfelt song that speaks to the human desire for love and connection, and the pain of losing that connection when relationships end.
Line by Line Meaning
Baby I don't understand
I am confused, and I am struggling to figure out why things are the way they are.
Why we can't just hold on
I am wondering why we can't hold onto each other and stay together.
To each others hands
I want us to hold each other's hands and support each other through our difficulties.
This time will be the last
I fear that if we don't solve our problems this time, this will be the end of our relationship.
I fear unless I make it all so clear
I am afraid that if I don't communicate my feelings and thoughts clearly, we will not be able to make it work.
I need you so
I am heavily reliant on you, and I cannot imagine being without you.
Take these broken wings
I am asking you to take the damaged part of me, to help me heal and move forward.
And learn to fly again
I want to be able to live my life freely and without restrictions, just like when you learn how to fly.
And learn to live so free
I want to enjoy life, and not be weighed down by troubles and problems.
And when we hear the voices sing
When we listen to the music and connect with the lyrics, we will feel better and know that love is possible.
The book of love will open up
The emotional power of love will awaken in us, and we will understand deeper what love is all about.
And let us in
We will be allowed to experience love on a new level, and we can rebuild and strengthen our connection.
Baby I think tonight
I believe that, finally, tonight we have the chance to work everything out.
We can take what was wrong
We can see what went awry and correct it this time.
And make it right
We can repair and reinvent our love, to make it better and stronger than before.
That you're half of the flesh
I see you as a part of me, and I cannot function without you.
And blood makes me whole
Our connection makes me feel complete, and I need you in my life to feel whole.
I need you so
I want to emphasize that I need you, in every part of my life and being.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JOHN ROSS LANG, RICHARD JAMES PAGE, STEVE GEORGE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@gnnascarfan2410
Cannot believe this song is almost 40 years old, yet it sounds like it could have come out yesterday. Truly a timeless classic.
@pinty56
an absolute classic! brings back fond memories too... 😉
@rodolforodriguez6230
Absolutely
@schumifan78
This song is way too good to have come out yesterday..
@nicholashylton6857
Hopefully, but I doubt it. This kind of tune isn't commercial anymore.
@lianalonge1984
It feels like such a privilege to have grown up in the 80s. We may not have had the technology then as we do today, but the music, fashion, and creativity were the best. 🥰
@jamela6357
Yes!! I agree it was a great time. I'm a #78baby and #80sraised #bestdecadeever
@davidbarr56
Well said I agree 100%
@lianalonge1984
@@jamela6357 👊🏽 I’m a #70baby and #80teen. Movies like The Breakfast Club, Sixteen Candles, Weird Science, Heathers, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, and others bring back so many good memories of being a teen. And recent movies/mini series like WW1984, Stranger Things, and The Wedding Singer are near and dear to my heart. 😁❤️
@seattlebeast6165
I've always wanted to go back in time to live in the 80s