Broken Wings (Mr. Mister song)

"Broken Wings" is a 1985 song recorded by American pop rock band Mr. Mister. It was released in June 1985 as the lead single from their second album Welcome to the Real World. The song peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in December 1985, where it remained for two weeks. "Broken Wings" became the first of two consecutive number ones of the band on the American charts, the other chart-topper being "Kyrie".

"Broken Wings"
Picture sleeves used in some European territories
Single by Mr. Mister
from the album Welcome to the Real World
B-side	"Uniform of Youth"
Released	June 6, 1985[1]
Recorded	November 1984
Genre	Pop rock new wave
Length	5:42 (album version) 4:43 (radio/video edit) 4:30 (7" edit)
Label	RCA
Songwriter(s)	Richard Page Steve George John Lang
Producer(s)	Mr. Mister Paul De Villiers
Mr. Mister singles chronology
"Hunters of the Night" (1984) "Broken Wings" (1985) "Kyrie" (1985)
Music video
"Broken Wings" on YouTube
Alternative release
Side A of Australian single

Outside of the United States, "Broken Wings" topped the charts in Canada, peaked within the top ten of the charts in Australia, Belgium (Flanders), the Netherlands, Norway, the Republic of Ireland, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and West Germany, and the top twenty of the charts in Austria, New Zealand, Spain and Sweden.

Background and music

The ballad^[2] was co-written with lyricist John Lang, who was inspired by Kahlil Gibran's novel Broken Wings.^[3] The song is a mix of synth, digitally delayed guitar, bass which is provided by synthsesizer and drums. The song's hissing intro was an effect created by the sound of a crash cymbal played in reverse.^{[3][better source needed]}

Although the 1968 Beatles song "Blackbird" contains an identical lyric, "Take these broken wings and learn to fly", Richard Page has described this as "a mindless unintentional reference" attributable to both compositions being influenced by the Gibran novel.^[4]

Music video

The music video for "Broken Wings" was directed by Oley Sassone and filmed in black and white.^[5] It features lead vocalist/bassist Richard Page driving through the desert in a classic Ford Thunderbird, the first allusion to birds. There is a scene where Page is sitting in a church when a Harris's Hawk flies in through the window and lands next to him on the pew and they exchange a gaze. The full band is also featured in performance scenes. Also appearing in the video are an unknown man and woman dancing tango. They are only shown from the waist down. At the end of the video Page is seen next to the Thunderbird with the vehicle's hood open.

Reception

Stereogum wrote about the song:^[6]

Lyrically, "Broken Wings" is an attempt to keep a relationship together through the magic of flowery language: "Take these broken wings/ And learn to fly again, learn to live so free/ When we hear the voices sing/ The book of love will open up and let us in." Those words are grandiloquent enough to be self-parody, but Page delivers them all perfectly straight-faced. He means every bit of it. In Page's mouth, the word "take" becomes a desperate animal yelp. I love it. I also love how overproduced "Broken Wings" is. The song is all ominous churn, and it never really kicks in. Instead, it captures a state of sustained anticipation.

Track listing

7" single^[7]

1. "Broken Wings" (single edit) – 4:29
2. "Uniform of Youth" – 4:25

12" maxi single^[7]

1. "Broken Wings" (album version) – 5:45
2. "Uniform of Youth" – 4:25
3. "Welcome to the Real World" – 4:18

Charts

Weekly charts Weekly chart performance for "Broken Wings" Chart (1985–1986) Peak position Australia (Kent Music Report)[8] 4 Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[9] 17 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[10] 2 Canada Top Singles (RPM)[11] 1 Canada Adult Contemporary (RPM)[12] 2 Europe (European Hot 100 Singles)[13] 3 Ireland (IRMA)[14] 3 Italy (Musica e dischi)[15] 6 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[16] 3 Netherlands (Single Top 100)[17] 2 New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[18] 13 Norway (VG-lista)[19] 4 South Africa (Springbok Radio)[20] 20 Spain (AFYVE)[21] 13 Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[22] 14 Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[23] 4 UK Singles (OCC)[24] 4 US Billboard Hot 100[25] 1 US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[26] 3 US Mainstream Rock (Billboard)[27] 4 US Cash Box Top 100 Singles[28] 1 West Germany (GfK)[29] 8

Year-end charts 1985 year-end chart performance for "Broken Wings" Chart (1985) Position Canada Top Singles (RPM)[30] 37 US Cash Box Top 100 Singles[31] 52 1986 year-end chart performance for "Broken Wings" Chart (1986) Position Australia (Kent Music Report)[32] 44 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[33] 50 Canada Top Singles (RPM)[34] 76 Europe (European Hot 100 Singles)[35] 43 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[36] 40 Netherlands (Single Top 100)[37] 62 UK Singles (Gallup)[38] 99 US Billboard Hot 100[39] 5 US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[40] 25 US Cash Box Top 100 Singles[41] 72 West Germany (Media Control)[42] 57

Certifications

Certifications for "Broken Wings"

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[43]	Gold	50,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[44]	Gold	400,000‡
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. ‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

K'Lee version

New Zealand pop singer K'Lee covered "Broken Wings" and released it as a single on June 11, 2001.^[45] Her version peaked at number two on the New Zealand Singles Chart, becoming her highest-charting single there along with 2002's "Can You Feel Me?"^[46]

Charts

Chart performance for "Broken Wings"

Chart (2001)	Peak position
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[46]	2

Samples

"Broken Wings" was sampled in the posthumous Tupac song "Until the End of Time".^[47] The song reached No. 4 in the UK.^[48]