Musical analysis Assignment #1: "Broken" by Seether


The song "Broken" by Seether is a song that I have loved since it first came out in 2002. At first thoughts, the instrumental aspect of the song is what draws me in. The distinct strums from the guitar along with the emotions that you can hear from the artist singing the lyrics are in a way, soothing to me. While I plan to link both versions, I prefer the acoustic simply because I feel like I can gather a better sense of the emotions throughout the song. I can get lost in just the instrumental aspect of the song. You can find the acoustic version here.

Song title: Broken
Artist: Seether
Release Date: 2002 and later released again in April 2004.
Released in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia but hit charts across the world according to Wikipedia.



Lyrics

From Song Facts, the lead singer of Seether, Shaun Morgan, the lyrics which, he wrote himself and how hard it is to leave someone behind. Shaun wrote ""I wrote it two-and-a-half years ago for my daughter, she was just born and I had to come to the States (from South Africa) and I wrote the lyrics for her, it's about leaving somebody behind, you know that is really painful to do, and ultimately you're looking to the future saying 'we'll see each other again and everything will be fine.'" 
Throughout the song there is mentions of feeling broken and like they are not strong enough to fight through their own emotions. Though I love the acoustic version, Amy Lee's voice in every word she sings sounds impeccably perfect.

Harmony

I feel that Seether and Amy Lee harmonize really well. Shaun Morgan's voice is very low while Amy Lee's voice is very high. In the acoustic version, I can really hear how well the band matches along with notes of the instruments. At the beginning of the sound I can really hear the raw emotions Shaun Morgan sings in perfect harmony to the instruments as he sings the beginning chorus
"I wanted you to know I love the way you laugh
I want to hold you high and steal your pain awayI keep your photograph, and I know it serves me wellI want to hold you high and steal your pain."
It's almost like you can feel his pain as he sings.

Melody

I felt that the melody of this song is very repetitive in the beginning. Once the vocals were added, I felt that it helped sort of break things up in a way. Even without the vocals though, I still find myself getting lost in thoughts in all of the different sounds I am able to hear. Overall, I feel that there is a wide range in the melody between Shaun's baritone (sounding) voice and Amy's high notes of a soprano which really seem to compliment each other when paired together.





References

“Broken (Seether Song).” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 15 Jan. 2023, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broken_(Seether_song).

Songfacts. “Broken by Seether - Songfacts.” Song Meanings at Songfacts, https://www.songfacts.com/facts/seether/broken.

 Maria_Pro. “The Story behind ‘Broken’ by Seether.” ULTIMATE GUITAR TABS - 1,100,000 Songs Catalog with Free Chords, Guitar Tabs, Bass Tabs, Ukulele Chords and Guitar Pro Tabs!, Ultimate Guitar, 26 Mar. 2019, https://www.ultimate-guitar.com/articles/features/the_story_behind_broken_by_seether-88164.

Comments

  1. samanthah77February 11, 2023 at 7:20 PM

    What a great post-grunge band! I remember Amy Lee from Evanescence. I never knew this band was originally from South Africa. I agree that the differences in range and pitch in the two vocalists make this a more dynamic song. I'm not sure if you've ever heard this version with Lzzy Hale of Halestorm on vocals. The grittier, rougher timbre of Hale's voice adds a new dimension and more of a bluesy rock and roll sound. Check it out. https://youtu.be/ZIQTAb8hlrU

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  2. Sophia MartinFebruary 12, 2023 at 2:17 AM

    Thank you for sharing, Lianna. I agree that the emotions in this song are well conveyed through a combination of sadness and passionate anger. The timbre of the song seems to be, I'm not sure what the word is, twangy? Shaun's voice matches the electric guitar impeccably, and Amy's vocals complete the song as well as add a whole other dimension to it.

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