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Broken English (song)

{{Other uses|Broken English (disambiguation)}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2016}}

{{Infobox song

| name = Broken English

| cover = Marianne Faithfull - Broken English single.jpg

| alt =

| border = yes

| type = single

| artist = Marianne Faithfull

| album = Broken English

| B-side = Why'd Ya Do It

| released = {{Start date|1980|01|25|df=yes}}

| recorded = {{Unbulleted list|May–July 1979|Matrix Studios, London}}

| studio =

| venue =

| genre = {{Flat list|

  • Rock
  • new wave
  • dance-punk{{cite web|last= Pitchfork Staff |title= The 200 Best Songs of the 1970s |website= Pitchfork |date= August 22, 2016 |url= https://pitchfork.com/features/lists-and-guides/9935-the-200-best-songs-of-the-1970s/|quote= The chilling title track is a prophetic merging of punk and dance...|accessdate= October 13, 2022}}
  • electronic{{cite book|first= Bruno|last= MacDonald|editor-first= Robert |editor-last= Dimery |year= 2016 |title= 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die |chapter= Marianne Faithfull - Broken English|publisher= Cassell Illustrated |location= London |page= 437}}

}}

| length = {{Duration|m=4|s=35}}

| label = Island

| writer = {{Flat list|

}}

| producer = Mark Miller Mundy

| prev_title = The Ballad of Lucy Jordan

| prev_year = 1979

| next_title = Sweetheart

| next_year = 1981

}}

"Broken English" is a song recorded by English singer Marianne Faithfull for her seventh studio album Broken English (1979). It was released as the second single from the album on 25 January 1980 by Island Records. Written by Faithfull, Barry Reynolds, Joe Mavety, Steve York and Terry Stannard, the song's lyrical theme revolves around terrorism.{{explain|date=August 2023}} The inspiration behind the song was Ulrike Meinhof, a co-founder of the terrorist group Baader-Meinhof Gang. Faithfull allegedly got the idea for the song after watching a documentary about the group and was intrigued by its subtitle "broken English... spoken English".

"Broken English" received positive reviews from music critics, who praised Faithfull's new musical direction and the political theme of the song. Despite the positive reception, it failed to chart in either the United Kingdom or the United States. It managed to peak in the top forty in other countries, such as Germany, New Zealand and Sweden.

Music

{{Listen

| filename = Marianne Faithfull - Broken English.ogg

| title = "Broken English"

| description =

}}

"Broken English" is a mid-tempo rock song with a strong influence from new wave. The song is set in the simple time signature of 4/4, with a tempo of 122 beats per minute. It is built around a simple rhythm guitar motif and synthesizer effects. Faithfull's vocals sound lower and cracked compared to her earlier work due to severe laryngitis coupled with heavy smoking and drug abuse during the 1970s.

No accompanying music video was made for "Broken English". The song was used along with "Witches' Song" and "The Ballad of Lucy Jordan" in a short promotional film for the album directed by Derek Jarman.

Critical reception

"Broken English" received positive reviews from music critics. Dave Thompson from AllMusic praised Faithfull's vocals but criticized the electronic production of the song.{{cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/song/broken-english-mt0034986231|title=Broken English - Marianne Faithfull|last=Thompson|first=Dave|author-link=Dave Thompson (author)|website=AllMusic|publisher=All Media Network|access-date=14 April 2016}} Pitchfork included the song on their "The 200 Best Songs of the 1970s" list at #200, calling it a "prophetic merging of punk and dance, with lyrics that plumb the depths of her losses" with "a bloodless snarl that would make Johnny Rotten flinch.".{{Cite web|url=https://pitchfork.com/features/lists-and-guides/9935-the-200-best-songs-of-the-1970s/|title=The 200 Best Songs of the 1970s|website=Pitchfork|date=22 August 2016 }}

Live performances

Faithfull performed the song on Saturday Night Live in February 1980.{{harvnb|O'Dell|2013|p=16}} During the performance her voice cracked and she seemed to strain to even vocalize at times.

Track listings and formats

{{col-begin}}

{{col-2}}

;UK 12" vinyl{{cite AV media notes|title=Broken English|others=Marianne Faithfull|year=1980|type=UK 12" vinyl liner notes|publisher=Island Records|id=12WIP 6542}}

  • A. "Broken English" (Long Version) – 5:54
  • B. "Why'd Ya Do It" – 6:35

;UK 7" vinyl{{cite AV media notes|title=Broken English|others=Marianne Faithfull|year=1980|type=UK 7" vinyl liner notes|publisher=Island Records|id=WIP 6542}}

  • A. "Broken English"
  • B. "What's the Hurry"

{{col-2}}

;US 7" vinyl{{cite AV media notes|title=Broken English|others=Marianne Faithfull|year=1980|type=US 7" vinyl liner notes|publisher=Island Records|id=IS 49121}}

  • A. "Broken English" (Edit) – 3:00
  • B. "Brain Drain" – 4:12

;European 12" vinyl (1982 re-release){{cite AV media notes|title=Broken English|others=Marianne Faithfull|year=1982|type=European 12" vinyl liner notes|publisher=Island Records|id=12MF 100}}

{{col-end}}

Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from the album liner notes.{{cite AV media notes |title=Broken English |others=Marianne Faithfull |year=1979 |type=LP |publisher=Island Records|id=M1}}

Charts

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"

!scope="col"|Chart (1980)

!scope="col"|Peak
position

{{singlechart|New Zealand|25|artist=Marianne Faithfull|song=Broken English|rowheader=true|accessdate=14 April 2016|refname="nz"}}
{{singlechart|Sweden|17|artist=Marianne Faithfull|song=Broken English|rowheader=true|accessdate=14 April 2016|refname="swe"}}
{{singlechart|West Germany|36|artist=Marianne Faithfull|song=Broken English|songid=13551|rowheader=true|accessdate=1 March 2019}}
{{singlechart|Billboarddanceclubplay|59|artist=Marianne Faithfullrowheader=true|accessdate=February 1, 2025}}
scope="row"| Australia (Kent Music Report){{cite book|last=Kent |first=David |author-link=David Kent (historian)|title=Australian Chart Book 1970–1992|publisher=Australian Chart Book|location = Sydney|year=1993|edition=Illustrated|isbn=0-646-11917-6}}

| 75

Cover versions

Co-writer Barry Reynolds released his own version of the song on his 1982 solo album I Scare Myself. A version by English dance music group Sunscreem was released in late 1992 and reached No. 13 on the UK Singles Chart in January 1993, from their debut album O3.{{Cite web|url=https://www.officialcharts.com/search/singles/broken-english/|title=Broken English | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company|website=Officialcharts.com}} The song was also covered by the industrial band Schaft on the album Switchblade. This version would be used as an insert song for Hellsing Ultimate{{'}}s trailer at Anime Expo 2005 and then used in the actual series for the 5th episode. The song was featured in the film The Outsider (1980).

It has also been covered by Winston Tong and The Mars Volta.

Notes

{{Reflist|colwidth=30em}}

References

{{Refbegin}}

  • {{Cite book

| last1 = Faithfull

| first1 = Marianne

| author-link1 = Marianne Faithfull

| last2 = Dalton

| first2 = David

| author-link2 = David Dalton (writer)

| title = Faithfull: An Autobiography

| publisher = Cooper Square Press

| year = 2000

| isbn = 978-0815410461

}}

  • {{Cite book

| last1 = O'Dell

| first1 = Cary

| title = June Cleaver Was a Feminist!: Reconsidering the Female Characters of Early Television

| publisher = McFarland

| year = 2013

| isbn = 978-0786493296

}}

  • {{Cite book

| last1 = Hodkinson

| first1 = Mark

| title = Marianne Faithfull: As Years Go By

| publisher = Music Sales Group

| year = 2013

| isbn = 978-0857129932

}}

{{Refend}}

{{Marianne Faithfull}}

{{authority control}}

Category:1979 songs

Category:1980 singles

Category:Marianne Faithfull songs

Category:British new wave songs

Category:1992 singles

Category:Sunscreem songs

Category:Island Records singles

Category:S2 Records singles