Pavement Cracks – A fan favorite from Annie’s woefully under-appreciated Bare, “Pavement Cracks” did not, perhaps, break any new ground in songwriting technique, but it did highlight Annie’s knack for writing and arranging perfect pop songs. From its gentle opening to its full-on throbbing second verse, “Pavement Cracks” crackles with confidence on an album searching for real-world confidence and hope. Without a doubt, it’s Bare’s most pop-influenced, single-ready track.

Pavement Cracks
 
I was away at college during the summer of 2003, trying to catch up on my academic credits and living on an empty campus in Oswego, New York,—isolated, lonely, and 20 years old when Annie Lennox released “Pavement Cracks.” I first heard the song by downloading it on Audio Galaxy before the album was officially released and thought immediately, “This song was released for ME.”
 
Pavement Cracks intertwines a variety of Lennox tropes that are felt both physiologically and emotionally. The soothingly depressing minute-long intro; blues-pop musical crossovers; soul-driven backup singing; and modulation between stinging minor-major key signatures. My absolute favorite part of the song is when Annie pleads with her own emotions, “How come, every day, I’m still waiting for the change? How come, I still say, “Give me strength to live!”—her own rock anthem turned pocket narrative. “Pavement Cracks” is demonstrative of Annie’s ability to sell her soul to the inevitable feeling of regret. This song is thematic of Annie’s bleeding heart and searching for something she will never find, “Where is my comfort zone? A simple place to call my own…cause everything I want to be, comes crashing down on me.” Incredibly honest. Devastatingly authentic. Tauntingly sophisticated. “Pavement Cracks” is my number one because of all of these elements that culminate into a soul-felt piece where Annie conveys turmoil and fading personal hope.

– Christopher Perrello

COLLECTABLE RECORD

Pavement Cracks proved to be one of the hardest singles for collectors to obtain every promo version issued around the world. With so many remixes available the combination of promo’s was a free for all.  The one that has always proved the hardest and most expensive to obtain is this Greek promo CD. View them all here

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MEMORABILIA

A struggle to find much for Pavement Cracks, but this is a DJ Return sheet for the Pavement Cracks remixes and a promo T-Shirt.

CHART HISTORY

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Eurythmics and DAVE STEWART AND ANNIE LENNOX