| "I'm Broken" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Single byPantera | ||||
| from the albumFar Beyond Driven | ||||
| B-side | "Slaughtered" | |||
| Released | March 7, 1994 | |||
| Recorded | 1993 | |||
| Genre | Groove metal | |||
| Length | 4:25 | |||
| Label | ||||
| Songwriters | ||||
| Producers | ||||
| Pantera singles chronology | ||||
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"I'm Broken" is a song by Americanheavy metal bandPantera, released on their 1994 studio album,Far Beyond Driven. It was the firstsingle released from the album.
The song is about the back pain that Pantera's vocalistPhil Anselmo felt. Phil Anselmo said "This is right when I started feeling the pain in my lower back, and it felt scary," says Anselmo. "I think this is one of the first times in my life, man, that I had this thing called 'vulnerability' kick in, and that was a very uncomfortable feeling." Anselmo adds, "I think that was really my first glimpse into kind of screaming to the world, 'Fucking... I am broken! Somebody fucking help me here!'"[1]
Pantera's guitaristDimebag Darrell spoke about the song saying:
""I'm Broken" was a sound check riff – one of them ones where I'd walk in with a hangover from ripping it up night after night with everyone in every town. That's where a lot of the best riffs I ever wrote came from. I just played the first riff I thought of, Vinnie started kickin' in on it, Rex joined in – we didn't write the entire song on the spot, but we kept toying with it and finally worked on it once we got into the studio."[citation needed]
"I'm Broken" was released as the band's first single forFar Beyond Driven. Two versions of the single were released. Both contained theB-side "Slaughtered", but each version included a differing pair of live tracks. All live tracks were recorded in Moscow, USSR at theMonsters of Rock concert in 1991. The single garnered the band its second top 40 UK hit, reaching number 19 on theUK Singles Chart, making it the band's highest charting single worldwide. It also reached number 49 on theAustralian Singles Chart and number 32 on theSwedish Singles Chart.[2] The song was also nominated forBest Metal Performance at the1995 Grammy Awards.[3]AllMusic reviewer Eduardo Rivadavia called "I'm Broken" a "wisely chosen first single".[4]
A live version of the song can be found on the band's live albumOfficial Live: 101 Proof. During live performances of the song, the band would haveDimebag Darrell performing backup vocals and would end the song with the outro of "By Demons Be Driven".
The covers for parts one and two each show half of Pantera vocalist Phil Anselmo's face. When compared, it can be seen that they are a mirror image of one another, and on part two of the single, the colors are inverted.
| Chart (1994) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA)[5] | 49 |
| Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[6] | 12 |
| Scotland Singles (OCC)[7] | 20 |
| Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[8] | 32 |
| UK Singles (OCC)[9] | 19 |
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