"Breakaway" (spelled "Break-a-Way" on the original 45 RPM label, but usually spelled "Breakaway" on most subsequent releases and compilations) is a song written by

Jackie DeShannon Jackie DeShannon (born Sharon Lee Myers, August 21, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter and radio broadcaster with a string of hit song credits from the 1960s onwards, as both singer and composer. She was one of the first female singer-songw ...

and

Sharon Sheeley Sharon Kathleen Sheeley (April 4, 1940 – May 17, 2002) was an American songwriter who wrote songs for Glen Campbell, Ricky Nelson, Brenda Lee, and Eddie Cochran. Biography Sheeley attended Newport Harbor High School in Newport Beach, and ...

. It was originally recorded by

Irma Thomas Irma Thomas ( Lee; born February 18, 1941) is an American singer from New Orleans. She is known as the "Soul Queen of New Orleans". Thomas is a contemporary of Aretha Franklin and Etta James, but never experienced their level of commercial succ ...

in 1964 and released as the B-side of her biggest hit, the US No. 17 single "Wish Someone Would Care". A demo version performed by DeShannon was also recorded but remained unreleased until a 1994 compilation. The original version of "Breakaway" was never a hit, not making the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. Nevertheless, "Breakaway" is today generally a better-remembered song than the

A-side The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph records and cassettes; these terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side usually features a recording that its artist, producer, or record company ...

of Thomas' record, which might be partly due to

Tracey Ullman Tracey Ullman (born Trace Ullman, 30 December 1959) is a British-American actress, comedian, singer, writer, producer, and director. Her earliest mainstream appearances were on British television sketch comedy shows '' A Kick Up the Eighties'' ( ...

's 1980s hit

cover Cover or covers may refer to: Packaging * Another name for a lid * Cover (philately), generic term for envelope or package * Album cover, the front of the packaging * Book cover or magazine cover ** Book design ** Back cover copy, part of co ...

. It has become a staple in Thomas' live performances and appears on several recent Irma Thomas and "New Orleans music" compilations. "Breakaway" was Tracey Ullman's 1983 debut single in the UK, and reached No. 4 on the

UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...

. The track then appeared on Ullman's album ''

You Broke My Heart in 17 Places ''You Broke My Heart in 17 Places'' is the debut studio album by Tracey Ullman, released in 1983. It peaked at No. 14 on the UK Albums chart and No. 34 in the spring of 1984 on the ''Billboard'' 200 in the United States.'' Joel Whitburn Present ...

'', which was released in 1984. In North America, "Breakaway" was actually Ullman's second single, being released after her hit " They Don't Know". It charted at No. 70 in the US in 1984, although the video for Ullman's version received significant play on the then-fledgling MTV and Canada's MuchMusic. The song's lyrics speak of the singer's inability to find the strength to leave a relationship, and describe a situation where the song's first person protagonist is repeatedly on the verge of running away from the bad situation, only to find at the last moment she does not have the strength of will to follow through.

Other versions

British singer

Beryl Marsden Beryl Marsden (born 10 June 1947) is a British R&B and pop singer, who first came to notice on the Liverpool club scene of the early 1960s. She recorded a number of "powerful and soulful", Biography by Bruce Eder at Allmusic/ref> but unsucce ...

recorded a cover version of this song in 1965, for Columbia Records. In 2010, a version of the song by the Detroit Cobras was used in commercials for the NFL RedZone channel.

References

External links

Article from OffBeat Magazine
{{authority control Tracey Ullman songs 1964 singles 1983 debut singles Irma Thomas songs Songs written by Jackie DeShannon Jackie DeShannon songs Songs written by Sharon Sheeley 1964 songs Stiff Records singles Imperial Records singles