Why Taylor Swift’s ‘I Can Do It with a Broken Heart’ Is a Relatable Song About Fame
Music about fame can be a tough sell because it can just make people feel jealous of their favorite artists. However, “I Can Do It with a Broken Heart” by Taylor Swift absolutely speaks to most people where they live. I’m just worried that another artist could come along and ruin the tune’s appeal.
Taylor Swift’s ‘I Can Do It with a Broken Heart’ is about a universal experience
Many stars have released hits about being famous. David Bowie gave us “Fame,” Lady Gaga gave us “Paparazzi,” and Miley Cyrus rocked out with the Hannah Montana theme song “The Best of Both Worlds.” Even if you love those songs, they don’t exactly hit home. They don’t speak to the lives of everyday people.
While “I Can Do It with a Broken Heart” is a song about Swift slaying during The Eras Tour, it still speaks to most people’s experience. Whether you are a pop star, a doctor, a lawyer, a plumber, or a middle schooler, we’ve all had to do our job with a smile while feeling down. Even while the “Love Story” singer is at the top of the world, she is still writing songs that could help the little people get through our struggles.
Taylor Swift was right to make the song sound a little mechanical
Of course, a song about this topic could very easily sound like a dirge. However, Swift decided to make it sound like an upbeat new wave song from the 1980s. This was a great move on her part. Firstly, the song’s soundscape is going to make anyone who’s having a bad day feel a little better. If the instrumental sounded like a “Breathe Me”-era Sia ballad, it might be too painful to offer anyone solace.
On top of that, there’s something a bit mechanical and calculated about the beat. When people have to put on a happy face and do their job in difficult circumstances, they often become automatons for a while. “I Can Do It with a Broken Heart” sounds like it could play over the scenes of downtrodden workers from Giorgio Moroder’s version of Metropolis — and that’s a good thing. It would give them a reason to dance.
How ‘I Can Do It with a Broken Heart’ could be ruined
“I Can Do It with a Broken Heart” was a pretty big hit, even by Swift’s standards. The track reached No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100, lasting on the chart for 31 weeks so far. “I Can Do It with a Broken Heart” appeared on the album The Tortured Poets Department. That record peaked at No. 1 for 17 weeks and lasted on the chart for 44 weeks.
A lot of pop songs that have dark themes inspire sad, downbeat covers. Perhaps the most famous of those covers is Calum Scott’s butchering of Robyn’s “Dancing on My Own.” It’s probably only a matter of time before a notable artist turns “I Can Do It with a Broken Heart” into a melancholy ballad. The last thing we need is a version of the track that removes all of the interesting contrast in the original song.
“I Can Do It with a Broken Heart” is a great song — and it’ll be interesting to see if it sticks around as one of Swift’s more popular songs.
