Break It Down Again

{{Short description|1993 single by Tears for Fears}}

{{Use British English|date=April 2012}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2023}}

{{Infobox song

| name = Break It Down Again

| cover = BreakItDownAgain.jpg

| alt =

| type = single

| artist = Tears for Fears

| album = Elemental

| B-side =

  • "Bloodletting Go"
  • "Schrödinger's Cat"

| released = {{start date|1993|5|17|df=y}}{{cite magazine|title=New Releases: Singles|magazine=Music Week|page=23|date=15 May 1993}}

| studio =

| venue =

| genre =

| length = 4:32

| label = Mercury

| writer =

| producer =

| prev_title = Woman in Chains [re-release]

| prev_year = 1992

| next_title = Cold

| next_year = 1993

| misc = {{External music video|{{YouTube|x1100QINlo4|"Break It Down Again"}}}}

}}

"Break It Down Again" is a song by English pop rock band Tears for Fears, released in May 1993, by Mercury Records, as the first single from their fourth studio album, Elemental (1993). It is one of the band's later songs with the typical late 1980s sound, using synthesizers. The song was the second single released after the departure of Curt Smith from the band (after "Laid So Low (Tears Roll Down)" in 1992).

The song reached number 20 in the United Kingdom, number 25 in the United States (their final top 40 hit), and the top 40 in several other countries. It topped the US Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart and was particularly successful in Canada and Iceland, reaching numbers four and two respectively. The song's accompanying music video was directed by Dani Jacobs.

Background

As with the Elemental album, the song featured Roland Orzabal with peripheral Tears for Fears band members Alan Griffiths and Tim Palmer, plus backing vocals by ex-Graduate bandmate John Baker. "Break It Down Again" is the only song that has regularly remained in live setlists following Smith's return.

B-sides

The CD single included two non-album B-sides, of which "Schrodinger's Cat", the first in a number of songs by Orzabal dealing with modern physics, has acquired a cult status.

{{Quote|text=Schrodinger's Cat is a famous thought experiment attempting to clarify some of the vagaries of quantum physics. This track didn't make it onto the Elemental album because Alan (Griffiths) and I had such a rambling arrangement which we couldn't rationalize until the time restrictions and relaxed mentality of the B-side enabled it to happen by itself. Musically, it's another attempt to rewrite 'I Am the Walrus' interspersed with a piano break reminiscent of 'Something in the Air'.{{cite web|date=4 August 2009|title=memories fade dot com - Schrodinger's Cat Lyrics|url=http://www.memoriesfade.com/songs/sc.php|access-date=29 May 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090804075017/http://www.memoriesfade.com/songs/sc.php|archive-date=4 August 2009}}|author=Roland Orzabal}}

In addition to the mentioned references, the song also quotes the guitar riff from "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band". The chorus line was already hinted at in the Tears for Fears cover of "Ashes to Ashes".{{Cite web |title=memories fade dot com - Tears For Fears FAQ: 7. Mystery Lyrics |url=http://memoriesfade.com/band/7lyrics.html#7.23 |access-date=22 April 2022 |website=memoriesfade.com}} The sample of a train announcer saying "Last train to Norwich" that runs through "Schrodinger's Cat" appeared again on the song "Master Plan".{{cite tweet|number=1499154456390160386|user=curtsmith|title=No great meaning, one of those amusing lines that gets people talking - sounds like last train to knowledge 🙂|author=Curt Smith|date=2 March 2022|access-date=21 August 2023}}

The song "Bloodletting Go" is one of the first songs written by Orzabal and Griffiths.{{Cite web|date=4 August 2009|title=memories fade dot com - Bloodletting Go Lyrics|url=http://www.memoriesfade.com/songs/bg.php|access-date=29 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090804074530/http://www.memoriesfade.com/songs/bg.php|archive-date=4 August 2009}} Both songs were later included on the B-sides compilation Saturnine Martial & Lunatic.

Music video

The music video for “Break It Down Again” was directed by British music video director and editor Dani Jacobs. It features Orzabal, Griffiths, and Gail Ann Dorsey (who joined Tears for Fears as a touring member) performing the song on the desert plains of El Mirage Lake, California, where the covers for the “Break It Down Again” single and the ‘‘Elemental’’ album were photographed. Notably, the video does not include [Curt Smith], marking this as part of the period when Roland Orzabal led the band as its sole official member.

Track listings

  • 7-inch single{{cite AV media notes|title=Break It Down Again|others=Tears for Fears|year=1993|type=UK 7-inch single sleeve|publisher=Mercury Records|id=IDEA 18, 862 110-7}}
  1. "Break It Down Again"
  2. "Bloodletting Go" (Roland Orzabal, Alan Griffiths)
  • UK CD single{{cite AV media notes|title=Break It Down Again|others=Tears for Fears|year=1993|type=UK CD single liner notes|publisher=Mercury Records|id=IDECD 18, 862 331-2}}
  1. "Break It Down Again"
  2. "Bloodletting Go" (Orzabal, Griffiths)
  3. "Schrodinger's Cat" (Orzabal, Griffiths)
  4. "Break It Down Again" (karaoke version)

Charts

{{col-begin}}

{{col-2}}

=Weekly charts=

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
scope="col"| Chart (1993)

! scope="col"| Peak
position

scope="row"| Australia (ARIA){{cite Ryan|page=276}}

| 82

{{single chart|Flanders|49|artist=Tears for Fears|song=Break It Down Again|rowheader=true|access-date=21 February 2019}}
scope="row"| Canada Retail Singles (The Record){{cite magazine|url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/90s/1993/BB-1993-08-28-N.pdf|title=Hits of the World: Canada|magazine=Billboard|date=28 August 1993|page=71|access-date=21 May 2025}}

| 6

{{single chart|Canadatopsingles|4|chartid=2207|rowheader=true|access-date=21 February 2019}}
{{single chart|Canadaadultcontemporary|14|chartid=2271|rowheader=true|access-date=21 February 2019}}
scope="row"| Europe (Eurochart Hot 100){{cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/90s/1993/MM-1993-06-26.pdf|title=Eurochart Hot 100 Singles|magazine=Music & Media|volume=10|issue=26|date=26 June 1993|page=27|access-date=1 June 2020}}

| 47

scope="row"| Europe (European Hit Radio){{cite magazine|url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/90s/1993/MM-1993-06-19.pdf|title=EHR Top 40|magazine=Music & Media|volume=10|issue=25|date=19 June 1993|page=22|access-date=9 April 2024}}

| 4

{{single chart|France|19|artist=Tears for Fears|song=Break It Down Again|rowheader=true|access-date=21 February 2019}}
{{single chart|Germany|66|songid=31696|artist=Tears for Fears|song=Break It Down Again|rowheader=true|access-date=21 February 2019}}
scope="row"| Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40){{cite news|url=https://timarit.is/page/2615077#page/n1/mode/2up|title=Íslenski Listinn Topp 40 (22.–28. Júlí)|newspaper=Dagblaðið Vísir|language=is|page=20|date=22 July 1993|accessdate=30 September 2019}}

| 2

scope="row"| Italy (Musica e dischi){{cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/90s/1993/MM-1993-08-14.pdf|title=Top 10 Sales in Europe|magazine=Music & Media|volume=10|issue=33|date=14 August 1993|page=16|access-date=24 November 2019}}

| 10

scope="row"|Italy Airplay (Music & Media){{cite magazine|url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/90s/1993/MM-1993-07-03.pdf|title=Regional EHR Top 20: South|magazine=Music & Media|volume=10|issue=27|page=39|date=3 July 1993}}

| 1

{{single chart|Dutch40|16|year=1993|week=26|rowheader=true|access-date=21 February 2019}}
{{single chart|Dutch100|27|artist=Tears for Fears|song=Break It Down Again|rowheader=true|access-date=21 February 2019}}
{{single chart|UK|20|date=19930605|rowheader=true|access-date=21 February 2019}}
scope="row"| UK Airplay (Music Week){{cite magazine|url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-Week/1993/Music-Week-1993-06-12.pdf|title=Top 50 Airplay Chart|magazine=Music Week|date=12 June 1993|page=16|access-date=29 April 2024}}

| 5

{{single chart|Billboardhot100|25|artist=Tears for Fears|rowheader=true|access-date=24 September 2019}}
{{single chart|Billboardadultcontemporary|25|artist=Tears for Fears|rowheader=true|access-date=24 September 2019}}
{{single chart|Billboardalternativesongs|1|artist=Tears for Fears|rowheader=true|access-date=24 September 2019}}
{{single chart|Billboardpopsongs|10|artist=Tears for Fears|rowheader=true|access-date=24 September 2019}}
scope="row"| US Cash Box Top 100{{cite magazine|url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/90s/1993/CB-1993-09-04.pdf|title=Top 100 Pop Singles|magazine=Cash Box|volume=LVII|issue=2|date=4 September 1993|page=10|access-date=20 April 2024}}

| 26

{{col-2}}

=Year-end charts=

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
scope="col"| Chart (1993)

! scope="col"| Position

scope="row"| Canada Top Singles (RPM){{cite magazine|url=https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/films-videos-sound-recordings/rpm/Pages/image.aspx?Image=nlc008388.2339&URLjpg=http%3a%2f%2fwww.collectionscanada.gc.ca%2fobj%2f028020%2ff4%2fnlc008388.2339.gif&Ecopy=nlc008388.2339|title=The RPM Top 100 Hit Tracks of 1993|magazine=RPM|publisher=Library and Archives Canada|accessdate=21 February 2019}}

| 39

scope="row"| Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40){{cite news|url=https://timarit.is/page/2621535?iabr=on#page/n15/mode/2up|title=Árslistinn 1993|newspaper=Dagblaðið Vísir|language=is|page=16|date=4 January 1994|access-date=1 June 2020}}

| 31

scope="row"| US Billboard Hot 100{{cite web|url=http://longboredsurfer.com/charts.php?year=1993|title=Billboard Top 100 – 1993|access-date=27 August 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061110095203/http://longboredsurfer.com/charts.php?year=1993|archive-date=10 November 2006}}

| 91

scope="row"| US Modern Rock Tracks (Billboard){{cite magazine|title=The Year in Music: Top Modern Rock Tracks|magazine=Billboard|volume=105|issue=52|page=YE-39|date=25 December 1993}}

| 3

{{col-end}}

See also

References