de_torn

Lore & Background

The song was written in 1991 by Scott Cutler and Anne Preven with producer Phil Thornalley. Cutler and Preven formed the band Ednaswap in 1993, which gave "Torn" its first formal English-language release in 1995. The first English-language cover was by American-Norwegian singer Trine Rein in 1996. Natalie Imbruglia's 1997 cover, produced by Thornalley, became a worldwide hit, selling over four million copies.

In Their Own Story

The sun was already high enough to turn the sand to white noise by the time the first round started. Kovač crouched in the tunnel mouth, his rifle barrel kissing the concrete lip, and counted the seconds between the CTs' footsteps above. He could hear the spray of molotovs on the B-site crates, the wet crack of a flashbang popping in the alley behind A. Three seconds. Two. One.

He moved.

The tunnel swallowed him in a rush of hot air and the smell of cordite that never quite faded from the walls. He came out on the far side into the open, into the wide B-site where two CTs were already turning, already reaching for their AWP. He didn't have time to think. He had time to pull the trigger.

The round was over before the dust settled. The next one was already starting.

Reader's Guide

Natalie Imbruglia's version of "Torn" peaked at number one on the singles charts of Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Iceland, Spain, and Sweden, as well as on three US Billboard charts. The song was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. The sheet music is published in the key of F major.

Did You Know?

• The first recording of "Torn" was in 1993 by Danish singer Lis Sørensen as "Brændt", meaning 'burnt'.
• Natalie Imbruglia's version sold over four million copies worldwide.
• The music video for Imbruglia's version features British actor Jeremy Sheffield.
• The song was pantomimed by David Armand in a 2005 HBO broadcast, leading to a live performance with Imbruglia in 2006.