Break It Down Again

"Break It Down Again"
Single by Tears for Fears
from the album Elemental
B-side	"Bloodletting Go" "Schrödinger's Cat"
Released	17 May 1993 (1993-05-17) [1]
Length	4:32
Label	Mercury
Songwriter(s)	Roland Orzabal Alan Griffiths
Producer(s)	Roland Orzabal Tim Palmer Alan Griffiths
Tears for Fears singles chronology
"Woman in Chains [re-release]" (1992) "Break It Down Again" (1993) "Cold" (1993)
Music video
"Break It Down Again" on YouTube

"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 the band's fourth studio album, Elemental (1993). 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.

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'. ^[2]

— 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". ^[3] The sample of a train announcer saying "Last train to Norwich" that runs through "Schrodinger's Cat" appeared again on the song "Master Plan". ^[4]

The song "Bloodletting Go" is one of the first songs written by Orzabal and Griffiths. ^[5] 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.

Track listings

• 7-inch single ^[6]

1. "Break It Down Again"
2. "Bloodletting Go" (Roland Orzabal, Alan Griffiths)

• UK CD single ^[7]

1. "Break It Down Again"
2. "Bloodletting Go" (Orzabal, Griffiths)
3. "Schrodinger's Cat" (Orzabal, Griffiths)
4. "Break It Down Again" (karaoke version)

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (1993) Peak position Australia (ARIA) [8] 82 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders) [9] 49 Canada Retail Singles ( The Record ) [10] 6 Canada Top Singles ( RPM ) [11] 4 Canada Adult Contemporary ( RPM ) [12] 14 Europe (Eurochart Hot 100) [13] 47 Europe (European Hit Radio) [14] 4 France (SNEP) [15] 19 Germany (GfK) [16] 66 Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40) [17] 2 Italy ( Musica e dischi ) [18] 10 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40) [19] 16 Netherlands (Single Top 100) [20] 27 UK Singles (OCC) [21] 20 UK Airplay ( Music Week ) [22] 5 US Billboard Hot 100 [23] 25 US Adult Contemporary ( Billboard ) [24] 25 US Alternative Airplay ( Billboard ) [25] 1 US Pop Airplay ( Billboard ) [26] 10 US Cash Box Top 100 [27] 26

Year-end charts Chart (1993) Position Canada Top Singles (RPM) [28] 39 Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40) [29] 31 US Billboard Hot 100 [30] 91 US Modern Rock Tracks (Billboard) [31] 3

See also

• List of Billboard number-one alternative singles of the 1990s

References

1. "New Releases: Singles". Music Week . 15 May 1993. p. 23.
2. "memories fade dot com - Schrodinger's Cat Lyrics". 4 August 2009. Archived from the original on 4 August 2009. Retrieved 29 May 2012.
3. "memories fade dot com - Tears For Fears FAQ: 7. Mystery Lyrics". memoriesfade.com. Retrieved 22 April 2022.
4. Curt Smith [@curtsmith] (2 March 2022). "No great meaning, one of those amusing lines that gets people talking - sounds like last train to knowledge 🙂" (Tweet). Retrieved 21 August 2023– via Twitter.
5. "memories fade dot com - Bloodletting Go Lyrics". 4 August 2009. Archived from the original on 4 August 2009. Retrieved 29 May 2021.
6. Break It Down Again (UK 7-inch single sleeve). Mercury Records. 1993. IDEA 18, 862 110-7.
7. Break It Down Again (UK CD single liner notes). Mercury Records. 1993. IDECD 18, 862 331-2.
8. Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (PDF ed.). Mt Martha, Victoria, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 276.
9. "Tears for Fears – Break It Down Again" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 21 February 2019.
10. "Hits of the World: Canada" (PDF). Billboard . 28 August 1993. p. 71. Retrieved 21 May 2025.
11. "Top RPM Singles: Issue 2207." RPM . Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 21 February 2019.
12. "Top RPM Adult Contemporary: Issue 2271." RPM . Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 21 February 2019.
13. "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media . Vol. 10, no. 26. 26 June 1993. p. 27. Retrieved 1 June 2020.
14. "EHR Top 40" (PDF). Music & Media . Vol. 10, no. 25. 19 June 1993. p. 22. Retrieved 9 April 2024.
15. "Tears for Fears – Break It Down Again" (in French). Le classement de singles. Retrieved 21 February 2019.
16. "Tears for Fears – Break It Down Again" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 21 February 2019.
17. "Íslenski Listinn Topp 40 (22.–28. Júlí)". Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). 22 July 1993. p. 20. Retrieved 30 September 2019.
18. "Top 10 Sales in Europe" (PDF). Music & Media . Vol. 10, no. 33. 14 August 1993. p. 16. Retrieved 24 November 2019.
19. "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 26, 1993" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 21 February 2019.
20. "Tears for Fears – Break It Down Again" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 21 February 2019.
21. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 21 February 2019.
22. "Top 50 Airplay Chart" (PDF). Music Week . 12 June 1993. p. 16. Retrieved 29 April 2024.
23. "Tears for Fears Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 24 September 2019.
24. "Tears for Fears Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved 24 September 2019.
25. "Tears for Fears Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved 24 September 2019.
26. "Tears for Fears Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 24 September 2019.
27. "Top 100 Pop Singles" (PDF). Cash Box . Vol. LVII, no. 2. 4 September 1993. p. 10. Retrieved 20 April 2024.
28. "The RPM Top 100 Hit Tracks of 1993". RPM . Library and Archives Canada . Retrieved 21 February 2019.
29. "Árslistinn 1993". Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). 4 January 1994. p. 16. Retrieved 1 June 2020.
30. "Billboard Top 100 – 1993". Archived from the original on 10 November 2006. Retrieved 27 August 2010.
31. "The Year in Music: Top Modern Rock Tracks". Billboard . Vol. 105, no. 52. 25 December 1993. p. YE-39.