Broken

"Broken"
General information
Artist	Coldplay
Released	22 November 2019
Genre	Gospel Southern soul
Length	2:30
Labels
Songwriter(s)	Guy Berryman Jonny Buckland Will Champion Chris Martin
Producer(s)	Rik Simpson Daniel Green Bill Rahko
Album	Everyday Life
Everyday Life track listing
"Trouble in Town"
"Broken"
"Daddy"

"Broken" (stylised as "BrokEn") is a song by Coldplay from their eighth studio album, Everyday Life (2019). It is the fourth track on the first side of the album, Sunrise.

Background and composition

Chris Martin said "Broken" was inspired by producer Brian Eno's taste in gospel music, which the band aimed to replicate in one of the tracks for Everyday Life. As an homage, the song title was stylised with the initials of Eno's name, as well as a liner note on the album booklet, saying, "For Brian Eno with love and thanks."

The song enlists a gospel choir called The Love Choir for a "stripped-back, finger-clicking piano number", flanking Chris with the choir that "echoes his prayer for guidance through turbulence." The Love Choir is composed of various musicians, consisting of Mabvuto Carpenter, Denise Green, Stevie Mackey, Neka Hamilton, Surrenity XYZ, LaMarcus Eldrigde, and Dorian Holley.

Reimagined version

On 21 February 2020, an alternative acoustic version of the song called "Broken (Reimagined)" was released on the EP Coldplay: Reimagined, along with two other Reimagined versions, "Cry Cry Cry" and "Champion of the World".

Lyrics

[Intro]
Hmm-hmm, hmm-hmm
Hmm-hmm, hmm-oh
Hmm-hmm, hmm-hmm
Hmm-hmm

[Verse 1: Chris Martin, The Love Choir]
Lord, when I'm broken (When I'm broken)
And I'm in need (I'm in need)
Feel that ocean (Feel that ocean)
Swallowing me (Swallowing me)
Head is hanging (Head is hanging)
So sorrowfully (So sorrowfully)
Oh Lord (Ooh-ooh)
Come shine your light on me (Shine your light on me)

[Verse 2: Chris Martin, The Love Choir]
On that morning (On that morning)
Scared and blue (Scared and blue)
When I'm hungry (When I'm hungry)
And thirsty too (Thirsty too)
Send this raindrop (Send this raindrop)
Down to the sea (Down to the sea)
Oh Lord (Ooh-ooh)
Come shine your light on me (Shine your light on me)

[Verse 3: Chris Martin, The Love Choir]
Oh, shine your light (Oh, shine your light)
Oh, shine a light (Oh, shine a light)
And I know (Ooh-ooh)
That in the darkness I'm alright (I'm alright)
See there's no sun rising (Ooh-ooh)
But inside I'm free (Ooh-ooh)
'Cause the Lord will shine a light for me
(Shine a light on me)
Oh, the Lord will shine a light on me
(Shine your light on me)
Sing it now

[Outro]
Hmm-hmm, hmm-hmm
Hmm-hmm, hmm-oh
Hmm-hmm, hmm-hmm
Hmm-hmm, hmm-oh
Hmm-hmm, hmm-hmm
Hmm-hmm, hmm-oh
Hmm-hmm, hmm-hmm
Hmm-hmm
Hmm-hmm-hmm-hmm

Lyric video

Coldplay - BrokEn (Lyric Video)

Official audio

BrokEn

Critical reception

Weekly arts and entertainment magazine, 34th Street Magazine, called it a "surprising track", saying, "Chris Martin's vocals are warm and comforting, as he sings the line “Come shine your light on me.” The lead singer doesn't quite master the soul and power of gospel music, but the song is nonetheless an expression of unity and hope."

Trivia

• The song purposefully interrupts the heartbeat flow established between the end and the beginning of "Trouble in Town" and "Daddy", respectively;

• While the song is stylised as "BrokEn" on digital media, on physical copies of the album is stylised as "BrokШn";

• Chris stated that there's another song called "Broken", which was originally meant to be on Everyday Life, but it was ruled out by the current one.