Tag: I Love The Sound of Breaking Glass

I love how Lowe mixed the different sounds in this song.

This was the first ever single to be released by Radar Records, a UK label formed by the entrepreneurs, Martin Davis and Andrew Lauder. The single was on Lowe’s debut solo album, Jesus of Cool, which was also the first album to be released by Radar Records.

So to not offend Christians, Jesus of Cool was renamed Pure Pop for Now People in the US.

The song peaked at #7 in the UK in 1978. The album peaked at #127 in the Billboard Album Charts, #22 in the UK.

The song was more of a studio song according to Nick Lowe: “There’s one song of mine called ‘I Love the Sound of Breaking Glass,’ which was a fairly big hit in Europe, and people ask me for that sometimes, and I just don’t do it. It’s a really good record, but there’s not actually any song there. It was a half-baked idea I had when I went to the studio, and the bass player and drummer sort of put a little sauce in it. But if I played it with just an acoustic guitar, the audience would probably give me a little clap in recognition, but by verse two, they’d be looking at their fingernails, waiting for the next one. There really isn’t anything to it.”

His former wife Carlene Carter:  “I went to see him at Top of the Pops. He was doing ‘I Love the Sound of Breaking Glass’ in his Riddler suit, covered with question marks. We had chemistry.

From Songfacts

This is a parody of David Bowie’s song, “Breaking Glass.” Lowe had previously poked fun at Bowie in 1977, when he released an EP titled Bowi, in humorous response to Bowie releasing an album titled Low, which lacked the final ‘e’ of Lowe’s surname.

Steve Goulding, Andy Bodnar and Bob Andrews – Lowe’s session musicians – helped to compose this song. Lowe told The A.V. Club: “That was a song which was sort of made up in the studio. I had the vague idea of the tune, and that’s why in the writing credits, I cut the bass player and the drummer in on the song, because they made it, really. The drums and bass are really great on that song. Steve Goulding and Andy Bodnar used to play with Graham Parker And The Rumour, whose records I produced, and they played bass and drums on ‘(I Love the Sound of) Breaking Glass.’ Their contribution was so great, I gave them a third each. In fact, I should have actually given Bob Andrews, who played piano on it, a taste of the record. The piano is so great.”

Lowe told KLRU that he no longer feels comfortable performing this song live: “If I played it with just an acoustic guitar, I think the audience would give it a clap, but after about a minute, they would start looking around and waiting for the next tune.”

This was Lowe’s highest charting hit in the UK, where it peaked at #7.

I Love The Sound Of Breaking Glass

I love the sound of breaking glass
Especially when I’m lonely
I need the noises of destruction
When there’s nothing new

Oh nothing new, sound of breaking glass

I love the sound of breaking glass
Deep into the night
I love the sound of its condition
Flying all around

Oh all around, sound of breaking glass
Nothing new, sound of breaking glass

Oh all around, sound of breaking glass
Nothin’ new, sound of breakin’ glass

Safe at last sound of breaking glass

I love the sound of breaking glass
Deep into the night
I love the work on it can do

Oh change of mind
Oh a change of mind
Sound of breaking glass

All around, sound of breaking glass
Nothing new, sound of breaking glass
Breaking glass, sound of breaking glass

Sound of breaking glass
Sound of breaking glass
Sound of breaking glass
Sound of breaking glass
Sound of breaking glass
Sound of breaking glass