SONG OF THE DAY
“Jar of Hearts” by Christina Perri (single, iTunes release, 2010).Written by Christina Perri, Barrett Yeretsian, & Drew Lawrence.
WHERE I HEARD IT
This season of So You Think You Can Dance, which I’ve now totally quit watching because Alex “Freaking” Wong was permanently injured and, honestly, there’s no point to watching that competition without him. He was the highlight of every week, and would most certainly have won the show. You’re not a fan, so this paragraph just really bored you, I get it. But if you even remotely appreciate dance as an art form at all, youtube Alex Wong. He’s a master. Anyhow, I found this song because of SYTYCD…you can watch the song being danced to here if Dick Clark productions hasn’t already taken the video down. Good work, show and its choreographers, for continually introducing new music to our ears and spreading the knowledge about great artists. You do a lot for dance, sure, but you do a greater service to music I think because every week you bring artists into the light from their myspace.com or cdbaby or small indie label obscurity. Every week! Which reminds me, I should keep watching this show, despite Alex Wong’s untimely departure, so that I can keep learning about great new music. Dang, I almost thought I got two hours back in my week there for a sec!
THE BIO (a la iTunes)
During the summer of 2010, Christina Perri — a 23-year-old café waitress who moonlit as an unsigned songwriter — went from total obscurity to the upper reaches of the Billboard charts in two short weeks. The Philadelphia native had moved to Los Angeles several years prior, hoping to spin her musical abilities into a record deal. Her brother, Nick Perri, had found platinum-certified success as the guitarist of Shinedown, but Christina’s own efforts weren’t met with such luck. She married, divorced, and took up a job at the Melrose Café in Beverly Hills, with music taking a back seat role as she struggled to pay the bills. While recording an EP, though, she managed to contact a choreographer from the TV show So You Think You Can Dance. Weeks later, one of Perri’s piano ballads, “Jar of Hearts,†was used in an episode of the show, and public demand for the single pushed her to release “Jar of Hearts†independently. Over 100,000 people downloaded the song during its first two weeks, helping it crack the Billboard Top 40. ~ Andrew Leahey, Rovi Corporation
WHAT I HAVE TO SAY
This song is incredibly simple, just basically going up a scale with the same piano repeated in the background. The melody is nothing. The vocals are okay but not outstanding. What gets me are the lyrics, so that’s why I pass it onto you. I’ve included the lyrics below, and hope you appreciate their poetry today.
LYRICS
i know i can’t take one more step towards you cause all thats waiting is regret don’t you know i’m not your ghost anymore you lost the love i loved the most
i learned to live, half alive and now you want me one more time who do you think you are? runnin’ ’round leaving scars
collecting a jar of hearts tearing love apart you’re gonna catch a cold from the ice inside your soul don’t come back for me who do you think you are?
i hear you’re asking all around if i am anywhere to be found but i have grown too strong to ever fall back in your arms
ive learned to live, half alive and now you want me one more time
who do you think you are? runnin’ ’round leaving scars collecting a jar of hearts and tearing love apart you’re gonna catch a cold from the ice inside your soul don’t come back for me who do you think you are?
it took so long just to feel alright remember how to put back the light in my eyes i wish i had missed the first time that we kissed cause you broke all your promises and now you’re back you don’t get to get me back
who do you think you are? running around leaving scars collecting a jar of hearts and tearing love apart you’re gonna catch a cold from the ice inside your soul so don’t come back for me dont come back at all x2
who do you think you are? who do you think you are? who do you think you are?
VIDEO OF THE DAY
Here’s the song: