About The Song
“Bringin’ On the Heartbreak” is a song by English rock band Def Leppard. A power ballad, it was the second single from their 1981 album High ‘n’ Dry. The song was written by three of the band’s members, Steve Clark, Pete Willis and Joe Elliott.
“Bringin’ On the Heartbreak” has been described as glam metal, hard rock, and soft rock. Record World said that “Joe Elliot’s dramatic vocals and the estranged guitar cries plod over a sledge-hammer beat.”
High ‘n’ Dry was released in the US in summer 1981. “Bringin’ On the Heartbreak” was commercially released in the US on 13 November, with “Me and My Wine” (a non-album track) and “You Got Me Runnin'” included as B-sides. It did not appear on the US charts, but its music video was picked up by the recently launched television channel MTV and received heavy rotation. The popularity of the video and the exposure the band received caused a resurgence in sales of High ‘n’ Dry, which subsequently sold over two million copies. It was released in Mexico as “Llevarlo en la Desilusión” with “Yo y mi Vino” (“Me and My Wine”), featuring the cover art from the single “Too Late for Love”.
High ‘n’ Dry was re-issued in May 1984 with two new tracks, one of which was a synthesizer-heavy remix of “Bringin’ On the Heartbreak”. With a newly-filmed video featuring Phil Collen on guitar, the remix was released as a single and peaked at 61 on the US Billboard Hot 100. The original version of the song was later included on three of their compilation albums: Vault: Def Leppard Greatest Hits (1980–1995) (1995) Best of Def Leppard (2004) and Rock of Ages: The Definitive Collection (2005). The latter compilation ends with the instrumental “Switch 625”, as it does in High ‘n’ Dry. Steve Huey of AllMusic has characterised the song as an “unabashedly dramatic rock ballad.”
Video
Lyrics
Gypsy, sittin’ lookin’ pretty
The broken rose with laughin’ eyes
You’re a mystery, always runnin’ wild
Like a child without a home
You’re always searching, searching for a feeling
That it’s easy come and easy go
Oh, I’m sorry but it’s true
You’re bringin’ on the heartache
Takin’ all the best of me
Oh, can’t you see?
You got the best of me
Whoa, can’t you see?
You’re bringin’ on the heartbreak
Bringin’ on the heartache
You’re bringin’ on the heartbreak
Bringin’ on the heartache
Can’t you see?
Oh, oh
You’re such a secret, misty-eyed and shady
Lady how you hold the key
Oh, you’re like a candle, your flame is slowly fadin’
Burnin’ out and burnin’ me
Can’t you see?
Just try and say to you
You’re bringin’ on the heartache
Takin’ all the best of me
Oh, can’t you see?
You got the best of me
Whoa, can’t you see?
You’re bringin’ on the heartbreak
Bringin’ on the heartache
You’re bringin’ on the heartbreak
Bringin’ on the heartache
Can’t you see? Can’t you see?
No! No! No!
You got the best of me
Oh can’t you see?
You got the best of me
Whoa, can’t you see?
You’re bringin’ on the heartbreak
Bringin’ on the heartache
You’re bringin’ on the heartbreak
Bringin’ on the heartache
You’re bringin’ on the heartbreak
Bringin’ on the heartache
You’re bringin’ on the heartbreak