Lead singer Jason Wade was inspired to write the song after he visited a friend in Nashville who needed a kidney transplant.

Originally released on June 18, 2007, as the fifth track on Who We Are, the song was then edited for radio to give it more of a "rock" feel.

Lifehouse has played "Broken" live on several occasions, including on Soundstage and at the 2011 Pinkpop Festival in the Netherlands.

[8] The sheet music is written in the key of C major with the vocal range spanning from the low-note of G3 to the high-note of G5.

[17] The music video for "Broken" was filmed on August 24, 2008, in Los Angeles and was directed by Kiefer Sutherland and Frank Borin.

[19] In an interview with Ultimate Guitar, Wade described his experience with working with Sutherland by saying, "Whilst listening to the song a little while back, Kiefer came up with the video's concept.

Wade and the band members get out of the car, and begin walking in the opposite direction of the crowd to the other side of the tunnel.

Wade pushes through the people, who are in a rush to get to the entrance of the tunnel and is constantly focused on his destination to get to the end.

When he reaches the tunnel's end, he sees the wreckage of a car crash with firefighters and paramedics cleaning up the mess.

Suddenly Wade is inside the car again, and a police officer comes to the window, motioning him to continue driving, since he is stopped in the middle of the tunnel for no apparent reason.

[22] In January 2008, the band performed the song as part of a set list on the PBS show Soundstage.

Daniel Evans, a finalist on series 5 of The X Factor (UK) recorded a contemporary version on his 2013 iTunes extended play Reflections.

[34] "Broken" was notably recorded and released as a single by American country artist Trisha Yearwood.

Yearwood was cast to play Mother Mary in a modern-day depiction of Jesus Christ's final hours.

And it’s so vulnerable and so real and so in the moment..."[37] Yearwood's cover of "Broken" received a positive response from critics and writers.

Coyne commented that Yearwood's version of the song went beyond expectations in terms of production and vocal performance.

It’s clear she feels the lyrics strongly, and her conviction and commitment to the song brings a new life to the tune.