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My Gen X Playlist: Torn – Natalie Imbruglia

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Daily writing prompt
What principles define how you live?
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Something recently caught my ear while the TV was playing in the background.

Go with your gut, but also bring along your head for safekeeping.

Those weren’t the exact words, but you get the drift. I really liked this a lot and thought it was a good balanced approach to life. Initially, I said, “Yeah, that’s me.” My gut and head both get a vote and weigh in on decisions. But the more I thought about it, it wasn’t quite right. It needed a slight tweak to be more like me.

Go with your head, but also bring along your gut for safekeeping.

I tend to lead with my head, with a final gut check to keep me honest. Practicality and intuition can be strange bedfellows, especially when mirror opposites. But when faced with a tough decision, it’s best to lean on everything you’ve got and figure out which holds more weight on that particular day.

Relationship decision are placed in a whole separate category. They are never easy and by far a more emotional decision. Just listen to the lyrics in Natalie Imbruglia’s Torn. The song was originally written by Anne Preven, but Imbruglia’s cover version is more personal and raw.

I think Natalie Imbruglia really nailed the song. She just had a way of making it sound really emotional and personal, like she was living the lyrics. And the production was just perfect for the time. It was really stripped down and intimate, and it just had this vibe that was really cool and raw.

– Anne Preven

Natalie revealed in several interviews that she could relate to the song’s lyrics because she had just come out of a long-term relationship and was trying to find herself again. She said, “I was at a parallel point in my life where I didn’t know what was going on, and I wanted to feel pure and free. The song helped me express those emotions, and I think that’s why it resonated with so many people.”

– OldTimeMusic

Relationship decisions are not solely made with your head or your gut. The difficultly lies in balancing that third element: your heart. Finding equilibrium is a million times more difficult and I’m not quite sure how to add this third element into the equation. Maybe this?

Go with your head, bring along your gut for safekeeping. Be careful to protect your heart.

Well, maybe not particularly in that order. I’ll go with this version 3.0 for now. I’m sure it will morph a few more times over time.

–

For a complete playlist, please click here.

For the Spotify playlist, please click here.

I thought I saw a man brought to life
He was warm, he came around like he was dignified
He showed me what it was to cry

Well, you couldn't be that man I adored
You don't seem to know
Seem to care what your heart is for
But I don't know him anymore

There's nothing where he used to lie
My conversation has run dry
That's what's going on
Nothing's fine, I'm torn

I'm all out of faith
This is how I feel
I'm cold and I am shamed
Lying naked on the floor

Illusion never changed
Into something real
I'm wide awake and I can see
The perfect sky is torn
You're a little late, I'm already torn

So I guess the fortune teller's right
I should have seen just what was there
And not some holy light

But you crawled beneath my veins
And now I don't care, I have no luck
I don't miss it all that much
There's just so many things
That I can't touch, I'm torn

I'm all out of faith
This is how I feel
I'm cold and I am shamed
Lying naked on the floor

Illusion never changed
Into something real
I'm wide awake and I can see
The perfect sky is torn
You're a little late, I'm already torn, torn

There's nothing where he used to lie
My inspiration has run dry
That's what's going on
Nothing's right, I'm torn

I'm all out of faith
This is how I feel
I'm cold and I am shamed
Lying naked on the floor

Illusion never changed
Into something real
I'm wide awake and I can see
The perfect sky is torn

I'm all out of faith
This is how I feel
I'm cold and I'm ashamed
Bound and broken on the floor
You're a little late, I'm already torn, torn

25 thoughts on “My Gen X Playlist: Torn – Natalie Imbruglia”

  1. I’m all over the place with that. Sometimes I am overly logical with my decisions and leave all emotion out of it and other times I am the opposite and logic goes out the window. There is no rhyme or reason to it. I am always striving for a better balance. It’s good that you seem to have that going for you.

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      1. Haha…I don’t blame you! That song almost made me cry! Well! I didn’t cry, I just got mad at myself! Life is not fair sometimes!

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  5. i generally listen to my mind/conscience … my heart can be wishy-washy, and my gut flip-flops something fierce! really enjoyed your post today. and who doesn’t love natalie?

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  6. As usual, I love your song choice! I also agree with the three elements of your life principle. However, mine are in a different order. I always lead with my heart, then my gut, finally my head. I rely on my husband for the logical perspective on life decisions. I am way too emotional!

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      3. Yay! I hope you can do it. It’s easy enough to find the English. My husband and I have the original vinyl of that album. It’s a house favorite.

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