Mama's Broken Heart

"Mama's Broken Heart"
Single by Miranda Lambert
from the album Four the Record
Released January 14, 2013
Format Music download
Recorded 2011
Genre Country, country rock
Length 2:57
Label RCA Nashville
Writer(s) Brandy Clark
Shane McAnally
Kacey Musgraves
Producer(s) Frank Liddell
Glenn Worf
Chuck Ainlay
Miranda Lambert singles chronology
"Fastest Girl in Town"
(2012)
"Mama's Broken Heart"
(2013)
"All Kinds of Kinds"
(2013)

"Mama's Broken Heart" is a song recorded by American country music artist Miranda Lambert. It was released in January 2013 as the fourth single from Lambert's album Four the Record.

Content

"Mama's Broken Heart" is a moderate uptempo song in the key of E minor[1] written by Brandy Clark, Shane McAnally, and Kacey Musgraves. The song's female narrator acts out as she struggles with a break-up, which leads people to begin taking notice of her behavior ("Word got around to the barflies and the Baptists"). When her mother finds out, she responds by scolding her daughter and telling her to regain her composure ("Run and hide your crazy and start actin’ like a lady"). The second verse states that the narrator sacrifies her "spotless reputation" in favor of "revenge," which is in contrast with the way her mother's generation handled such situations ("Where you get a grip and bite your lip just to save a little face"), but ultimately she takes matters into her own hands because "[it isn't her] mama's broken heart."

Miranda Lambert, in an interview with Taste of Country, said that "Mama's Broken Heart" was the one song on Four the Record she couldn't live without, and that she can relate to the character in the song: "I think we all have at some point or another. Mostly when we’re young. Especially crazy teenage love — you think the world is ending if you break up." She expressed that when she first heard it, "she knew it was special" and wishes she would've been the one to write it.[2] In another interview[3] Lambert explained how she had to ask Musgraves for the song, and was given it on the condition that Musgraves sang the harmony.[4]

Critical reception

The song received favorable reviews from critics. Ben Foster of Country Universe praised the track, referring favorably to its "deceptively deep" lyrics, Lambert's delivery, and an "engaging [and] off-beat arrangement." Foster rated the song an A, and dubbed it Lambert's best single since 2010's "The House That Built Me."[5] Taste of Country's Billy Dukes awarded the song 4 and 1/2 stars out of 5, comparing it favorably to Lambert's previous hits "Kerosene" and "Gunpowder & Lead" and favorably commenting on the sparse yet suspenseful nature of the production.[6]

Chart and sales performance

"Mama's Broken Heart" debuted at number 54 on the U.S. Billboard Country Airplay chart for the week ending January 5, 2013, and debuted at number 46 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs chart for the week ending January 12, 2013. It also debuted at number 89 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart for the week of February 9, 2013, and at number 76 on the Canadian Hot 100 chart for the week of February 9, 2013. The song became Lambert's highest-peaking single on the Billboard Hot 100, reaching number 20.

The song has sold 1,960,000 copies in the US as of September 2015.[7]

Music video

The music video was directed by Trey Fanjoy and premiered in March 2013.[8]

Charts and certifications

Weekly charts

Chart (2013) Peak
position
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[9] 30
Canada Country (Billboard)[10] 1
US Billboard Hot 100[11] 20
US Country Airplay (Billboard)[12] 2
US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[13] 2

Year-end charts

Chart (2013) Position
US Billboard Hot 100[14] 89
US Country Airplay (Billboard)[15] 31
US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[16] 8

Certifications

Region Certification Sales/shipments
United States (RIAA)[17] Platinum 1,960,000[7]

*sales figures based on certification alone
^shipments figures based on certification alone
xunspecified figures based on certification alone

Preceded by
"Downtown"
by Lady Antebellum
Billboard Canada Country
number-one single

April 27, 2013
Succeeded by
"Downtown"
by Lady Antebellum

References

  1. "'Mama's Broken Heart' sheet music". MusicNotes.com. Retrieved 19 June 2013.
  2. Billy Dukes (November 2, 2011). "Miranda Lambert Opens Up About ‘Four the Record,’ Marriage Critics and What Makes Her Cry". Taste of Country. Retrieved January 8, 2013.
  3. http://wqyk.cbslocal.com/2013/01/28/miranda-lambert-had-to-ask-for-mamas-broken-heart/
  4. http://wqyk.cbslocal.com/2013/01/28/miranda-lambert-had-to-ask-for-mamas-broken-heart/
  5. Ben Foster (December 19, 2012). "Single Review: Miranda Lambert, "Mama’s Broken Heart"". Country Universe. Retrieved January 8, 2013.
  6. Billy Dukes (December 18, 2012). "Miranda Lambert, ‘Mama’s Broken Heart’ – Song Review". Taste of Country. Retrieved January 8, 2013.
  7. 1 2 Bjorke, Matt (September 8, 2015). "Top 30 Digital Country Singles: September 8, 2015". RoughStock.
  8. Carter, Liv (March 4, 2013). "New Video: ‘Mama’s Broken Heart’ – Miranda Lambert". Urban Country News. Retrieved March 4, 2013.
  9. "Miranda Lambert – Chart history" Canadian Hot 100 for Miranda Lambert. Retrieved January 30, 2013.
  10. "Miranda Lambert – Chart history" Billboard Canada Country for Miranda Lambert. Retrieved November 20, 2013.
  11. "Miranda Lambert – Chart history" Billboard Hot 100 for Miranda Lambert. Retrieved January 30, 2013.
  12. "Miranda Lambert – Chart history" Billboard Country Airplay for Miranda Lambert. Retrieved January 8, 2013.
  13. "Miranda Lambert – Chart history" Billboard Hot Country Songs for Miranda Lambert. Retrieved January 8, 2013.
  14. "Best of 2013: Hot 100 Songs". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. 2013. Retrieved December 13, 2013.
  15. "Best of 2013: Country Airplay". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. 2013. Retrieved December 13, 2013.
  16. "Best of 2013: Hot Country Songs". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. 2013. Retrieved December 13, 2013.
  17. "American single certifications – Miranda Lambert – Mama%27s Broken Heart". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved April 13, 2013. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Single, then click SEARCH

External links

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