The Man Who Broke His Own Heart

Album: Black Is The New Black (2015)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • A rocker from the ninth Everclear album, this song is about a guy who has ended a difficult relationship and can see it from the other side of the fence:

    I know deep down you really want to punish me for the way I used to be
    I don't blame you for being angry, I treated you bad
    You wasted time trying too hard, fell for the man who broke his own heart


    Alexakis wrote the song in 2004 when he was dealing with a divorce from his second wife, Stephanie Greig. "I felt like making reparations, but reparations on my terms," he told us. "I was just exploring that a little bit from a personal point of view, but it's not autobiographical - there's a lot of things I've taken from other relationships I've seen."
  • Everclear tried to record this song for their 2006 album Welcome to the Drama Club, which used more acoustic instruments than the band's previous albums. They couldn't get a suitable recording, but it went over well when they played it live - fans dubbed it the "Almost Instant Karma" song.

    When it came time to record the Black Is The New Black album, Art Alexakis revived the song, putting it to a rock arrangement that suited the track. By this time, Everclear was a five-piece band, with Davey French on guitar, Freddy Herrera on bass, Josh Crawley on keyboards and Sean Winchester on drums.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Chrissie Hynde of The Pretenders

Chrissie Hynde of The PretendersSongwriter Interviews

The rock revolutionist on songwriting, quitting smoking, and what she thinks of Rush Limbaugh using her song.

Paul Stanley of Kiss, Soul Station

Paul Stanley of Kiss, Soul StationSongwriter Interviews

Paul Stanley on his soul music project, the Kiss songs with the biggest soul influence, and the non-make-up era of the band.

Julian Lennon

Julian LennonSongwriter Interviews

Julian tells the stories behind his hits "Valotte" and "Too Late for Goodbyes," and fills us in on his many non-musical pursuits. Also: what MTV meant to his career.

Holly Knight ("The Best," "Love Is A Battlefield")

Holly Knight ("The Best," "Love Is A Battlefield")Songwriter Interviews

Holly Knight talks about some of the hit songs she wrote, including "The Warrior," "Never" and "The Best," and explains some songwriting philosophy, including how to think of a bridge.

Dan Reed

Dan ReedSongwriter Interviews

Dan cracked the Top 40 with "Ritual," then went to India and spent 2 hours with the Dalai Lama.

Christmas Songs

Christmas SongsFact or Fiction

Rudolf, Bob Dylan and the Singing Dogs all show up in this Fact or Fiction for seasonal favorites.