I'm Broken

"I'm Broken"
Single by Pantera
from the album Far Beyond Driven
B-side	"Slaughtered"
Released	March 15, 1994
Recorded	1993
Genre	Groove metal
Length	4:25
Label	Eastwest, Acto
Writer(s)	Pantera
Producer(s)	Terry Date
Pantera singles chronology
"Walk" (1993) "I'm Broken" (1994) "Planet Caravan" (1994) I'm Broken/Slaughtered Part 1 cover I'm Broken/Slaughtered Part 2 cover

"I'm Broken" is a song by the heavy metal band Pantera from the 1994 album Far Beyond Driven. It was the first single issued from the album. The song features one of guitarist Dimebag Darrell's most famous riffs. Kerry King said in a Japanese TV show Rock Fujiyama (featuring guitarist Marty Friedman) that it was his favorite guitar riff.

Origin

Dimebag Darrell commented about the riff:

"I'm Broken" was a sound check riff – one of them ones where I'd walk in with a hangover from ripping it up night after night with everyone in every town. That's where a lot of the best riffs I ever wrote came from. I just played the first riff I thought of, Vinnie started kickin' in on it, Rex joined in – we didn't write the entire song on the spot, but we kept toying with it and finally worked on it once we got into the studio.^[1]

Release and reception

"I'm Broken" was released as the band's first single for Far Beyond Driven. Two versions of the single were released. Both contained the b-side "Slaughtered", but each version included a differing pair of live tracks. All live tracks were recorded in Moscow, USSR at the Monsters of Rock concert in 1991. The single garnered the band its second top 40 U.K hit reaching #19 on the UK Singles Chart, making it the band's highest charting single worldwide. It also reached #49 on the Australian Charts and #32 on the Swedish Charts.^[2] The song was also nominated for Best Metal Performance at the 1995 Grammy Awards.^[3] Allmusic reviewer Eduardo Rivadavia called "I'm Broken" a "wisely chosen first single".^[4]

Live performance

A live version of the song can be found on the band's live album Official Live: 101 Proof. During live performances of the song, the band would have Dimebag Darrell performing backup vocals and would end the song with the outro of "By Demons Be Driven".

Cover art

The covers for parts 1 and 2 each show half of Pantera vocalist Phil Anselmo's face. When compared, it can be seen that they are a mirror image of one another, and on part 2 of the single, the colors are inverted.

Track listing

CD Single 1 (I'm Broken/Slaughtered Part 1)

• All tracks written by Pantera

1. "I'm Broken" - 4:25
2. "Slaughtered" - 3:57
3. "Domination (Live)" - 6:33
4. "Primal Concrete Sledge (Live)" - 3:56

CD Single 2 (I'm Broken/Slaughtered Part 2)

• All tracks written by Pantera

1. "I'm Broken" - 4:25
2. "Slaughtered" - 3:57
3. "Cowboys from Hell (Live)" - 5:10
4. "Psycho Holiday (Live)" - 5:49

Covers

• "I'm Broken" was covered by Malefice for Metal Hammer's Dimebag Darrell tribute album, Getcha' Pull: A tribute to Dimebag Darrell.
• "I'm Broken" was covered by Trepalium on their fourth album, H.N.P

Appearances in the media

• The song was released as downloadable content for Rock Revolution.
• It is a playable track in Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock and is a downloadable track for Rock Band 3.
• The song was featured on Beavis and Butt-head on the episode "The Pipe of Doom".

Charts

References