Worn Me Down
Encyclopedia
"Worn Me Down" is a song by American singer Rachael Yamagata
. It was released as a single off of her debut CD, Rachael Yamagata EP
and was the first single of off her first full length album, Happenstance
, which was released on June 8, 2004 in the U.S, and it is considered to be her most famous song to date.
where it was listed as a featured song, and was released on October 7, 2003. In 2004, the song was released as a single from the EP in Germany. It was one of two songs on the EP that were re-recorded for her full length album Happenstance
and by comparison, the re-arranged version of the song had a more produced sound, featured edgier electric guitars and drums, and a dominant orchestration. The melody has been called "straight-forward", and Yamagata's voice as being mature, highly emotional, and raspy. Her vocal style on "Worn Me Down" has been compared to that of Tori Amos
, P.J. Harvey and KT Tunstall
. Prior to the albums release, several critics believed that "Worn Me Down" would be the first single Yamagata would put out off of the full length album, but with differing reasons.
The lyrics convey feelings of helplessness and obsessiveness; they are from the viewpoint of a woman in a twisted romance, and she has virtually given up on the man she is with, who is in fact infatuated with another woman.
Additionally, critics were split between the version that appeared on the EP and the one that appeared on Happenstance. Katie Zerwas of PopMatters felt that the album version was overproduced and favored the version on the EP, whereas Gentry Boeckel of Stylus found that the EP version of "Worn Me Down" was "in an inferior form", stating that the one on the album was "100% better than the original.
and peaked at #36 a few weeks later. It remained on the VH1 charts just under two months, before falling off after the week of February 12, 2005.
"Worn Me Down" has been called a hit song, and has appeared on several television shows. It remains a favorite among fans. It is a very personal song to Yamagata, so much so that it has caused her to weep while performing it, and has even prompted some concert goers to shout out "On t’aime
!" during a particularly intimate performance. It has also been recorded by several acapella groups.
Rachael Yamagata
Rachael Yamagata is an American singer-songwriter and pianist from Arlington, Virginia. She began her musical career with the band Bumpus before becoming a solo artist and releasing four EP's and three studio albums...
. It was released as a single off of her debut CD, Rachael Yamagata EP
Rachael Yamagata Ep
EP is a 2003 album by Rachael Yamagata, released by BMG. All songs and lyrics were written by Yamagata except "These Girls", which was co-written by Chris Holmes...
and was the first single of off her first full length album, Happenstance
Happenstance (Rachael Yamagata album)
Happenstance was the first full-length album by Rachael Yamagata. It was released on RCA Victor on June 8, 2004 in the U.S., and May 16, 2005 in the UK...
, which was released on June 8, 2004 in the U.S, and it is considered to be her most famous song to date.
Background
"Worn Me Down" first appeared on Rachael Yamagata's 5 song debut EPRachael Yamagata Ep
EP is a 2003 album by Rachael Yamagata, released by BMG. All songs and lyrics were written by Yamagata except "These Girls", which was co-written by Chris Holmes...
where it was listed as a featured song, and was released on October 7, 2003. In 2004, the song was released as a single from the EP in Germany. It was one of two songs on the EP that were re-recorded for her full length album Happenstance
Happenstance (Rachael Yamagata album)
Happenstance was the first full-length album by Rachael Yamagata. It was released on RCA Victor on June 8, 2004 in the U.S., and May 16, 2005 in the UK...
and by comparison, the re-arranged version of the song had a more produced sound, featured edgier electric guitars and drums, and a dominant orchestration. The melody has been called "straight-forward", and Yamagata's voice as being mature, highly emotional, and raspy. Her vocal style on "Worn Me Down" has been compared to that of Tori Amos
Tori Amos
Tori Amos is an American pianist, singer-songwriter and composer. She was at the forefront of a number of female singer-songwriters in the early 1990s and was noteworthy early in her career as one of the few alternative rock performers to use a piano as her primary instrument...
, P.J. Harvey and KT Tunstall
KT Tunstall
Kate Victoria "KT" Tunstall is a Scottish singer-songwriter and guitarist from St Andrews, Scotland. She broke into the public eye with a 2004 live solo performance of her song "Black Horse and the Cherry Tree" on Later... with Jools Holland...
. Prior to the albums release, several critics believed that "Worn Me Down" would be the first single Yamagata would put out off of the full length album, but with differing reasons.
The lyrics convey feelings of helplessness and obsessiveness; they are from the viewpoint of a woman in a twisted romance, and she has virtually given up on the man she is with, who is in fact infatuated with another woman.
Reception
In general, critics gave positive to review to the song, claiming that "Worn Me Down" is an excellent platform for showcasing Yamagata's talent and maturity, and it has been called an "everlasting" song. However, some were dissatisfied with "Worn Me Down". PopMatters writer Marc Hogan called it "the disc's crassest moment", accusing Yamagata of placating to the Adult contemporary audience with a generic song composition.Additionally, critics were split between the version that appeared on the EP and the one that appeared on Happenstance. Katie Zerwas of PopMatters felt that the album version was overproduced and favored the version on the EP, whereas Gentry Boeckel of Stylus found that the EP version of "Worn Me Down" was "in an inferior form", stating that the one on the album was "100% better than the original.
Success
In 2005, "Worn Me Down" premiered on the Billboard Charts under Adult Pop Songs, reaching #33, and stayed in the Top 40 for 5 weeks. Additionally, it was a Top 5 Hit at AAA radio, and was a favorite single in Billboard Music columnists' Michael Paoletta's "2004 in Review". The video for "Worn Me Down" also made the VH1 Top 40 list in December, 2004 at #37,and peaked at #36 a few weeks later. It remained on the VH1 charts just under two months, before falling off after the week of February 12, 2005.
"Worn Me Down" has been called a hit song, and has appeared on several television shows. It remains a favorite among fans. It is a very personal song to Yamagata, so much so that it has caused her to weep while performing it, and has even prompted some concert goers to shout out "On t’aime
Je t'aime
Je t’aime is a French phrase meaning "I love you". It may refer to:*Sound recordings:*Je T'Aime, 1985 & 1989 singles attributed to pseudonyms for band Psychic TV.*Je T'Aime, single by Armand Van Helden released in 2008.See also:...
!" during a particularly intimate performance. It has also been recorded by several acapella groups.
Chart performance
| Chart (2005) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Adult Pop Songs | 33 |
Song appearances
| Other albums | Television Shows |
|
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Promotional CD
Personnel
- Bass - Stewart Myers
- Cello - Oliver Kraus
- Drums - Brian Jones
- Assistant Engineer - Alex Dixon, Oswald Bowe, Ted Young
- Engineer, Technician (Basic Tracking) - Jeff Juliano
- Lead Guitar - Kevin Salem
- Rhythm Guitar, Electric Piano (Rhodes), Synthesizer (Ms 2000), Shaker - John Alagia
- Mixed By - Jeff Juliano, John Alagia
- Music By, Lyrics By - Rachael Yamagata
- Producer - John Alagia
- Recorded By (Bass & Drums) - Stewart Myers
- Saxophone (Baritone) - Jason Singer
- Vocals, Tambourine - Rachael Yamagata
- Credits from Discogs.