Broken Window Serenade

"Broken Window Serenade"
Song by Whiskey Myers
from the album Firewater
ReleasedApril 26, 2011
Genre
Length5:46
LabelWiggy Thump Records
SongwriterCody Cannon
ProducerLeroy Powell
Music video
"Broken Window Serenade" on YouTube

"Broken Window Serenade" is a song by American rock band Whiskey Myers. It was originally released as a part of their sophomore studio album Firewater (2011). Without having been released as a single, the song became their most popular to date after its resurgence on TikTok.[1][2] It also appeared in the first season of American neo-Western drama television series Yellowstone in 2018.[3][4] Despite having enough points at its streaming peak, the song never debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 due to the chart's age recurrency rules.[5][6]

Background and composition

"Broken Window Serenade" was written by lead vocalist Cody Cannon and produced by Leroy Powell. The song is characterized by its stripped-down arrangement, featuring acoustic guitar and Cannon's gritty, emotive vocals. Lyrically, the track is a narrative of unrequited love, addiction, and tragic loss. It follows a narrator who watches a woman he loves spiral into depression and drug addiction. The "broken window" serves as a central metaphor for the narrator’s perspective; he initially sees her through a flawed lens, failing to realize she is "broken" until it is too late. The story concludes with the narrator attending her funeral, bringing "a couple of pretty flowers" as a final gesture of remembrance.[7][8][9]

In 2018, the song was featured in the Taylor Sheridan Paramount Network series Yellowstone. It was featured in the first season (Episode 8, "The Unravelling: Pt. 1"), during a scene in the ranch's bunkhouse.[10][11] In 2025, the song became a viral phenomenon on social media platforms like TikTok, where it has been used in over 700,000 videos. This resurgence in popularity led to the song's first appearance on major music charts more than a decade after its original release.[2][12][13]

Charts

Chart (2026) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[14] 35
Global 200 (Billboard)[15] 193
Ireland (IRMA)[16]84
US Streaming Songs (Billboard)[17] 29

Certifications

Region CertificationCertified units/sales
New Zealand (RMNZ)[18] Platinum 30,000‡
United States (RIAA)[19] 3× Platinum 3,000,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. ↑ "Whiskey Myers coming to Brandon Amphitheater". wlbt. 2025-04-28. Retrieved 2026-05-10.
  2. 1 2 Kelly, Brennen (2026-04-14). "Whiskey Myers' "Broken Window Serenade" Debuts On Billboard's Streaming Songs Chart 15 Years After Its Release | Whiskey Riff". www.whiskeyriff.com. Retrieved 2026-05-10.
  3. ↑ "RTX Sunday Video: Whiskey Myers 'Broken Window Serenade'". Radio Texas, LIVE!. 2021-04-02. Retrieved 2026-05-10.
  4. ↑ "'Yellowstone''s OG Band Whiskey Myers Explain How Kevin Costner Series Provided a Lift". Taste of Country. 2022-07-28. Retrieved 2026-05-10.
  5. ↑ Bowenbank, Starr (2022-04-19). "Billboard Explains: When Older Songs Become New Hits". Billboard. Retrieved 2026-05-19.
  6. ↑ Thompson, Stephen (2025-10-22). "After months of the same songs on the Hot 100, 'Billboard' tweaks its rules". NPR. Retrieved 2026-05-19.
  7. ↑ Young, Casey (2022-07-20). "Comparing Dolly Parton's 1969 Single, "My Blue Ridge Mountain Boy," & The Whiskey Myers Hit, "Broken Window Serenade" | Whiskey Riff". www.whiskeyriff.com. Retrieved 2026-05-10.
  8. ↑ Delahoussaye, Adam (2025-02-14). "The Ten Darkest Country Love Songs". Country Central. Retrieved 2026-05-10.
  9. ↑ "Whiskey Myers Earns RIAA 2x Platinum for "Broken Window Serenade" | News | PopFiltr". www.popfiltr.com. Retrieved 2026-05-10.
  10. ↑ "Whiskey Myers - List of Songs heard in Movies & TV Shows". WhatSong. Retrieved 2026-05-10.
  11. ↑ "The Unravelling: Part 1". www.imdb.com. Retrieved 2026-05-10.
  12. ↑ "Country Places Three Albums In Billboard Top 10". Country Insider. 2026-04-13. Retrieved 2026-05-10.
  13. ↑ Crabtree, Mary Claire (2026-03-29). ""Grown Up Stuff" – The Internet Is Shocked To Learn Nick Jonas Is A Whiskey Myers Fan | Whiskey Riff". www.whiskeyriff.com. Retrieved 2026-05-10.
  14. ↑ "ARIA Top 50 Singles Chart". Australian Recording Industry Association. August 24, 2026. Retrieved August 21, 2026.
  15. ↑ "Billboard Global 200: Week of August 29, 2026". Billboard. Retrieved August 26, 2026.
  16. ↑ "History of Top 100 Singles Charts (2026-08-21) – IRMA". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved August 22, 2026.
  17. ↑ "Whiskey Myers Chart History (Streaming Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 2026-08-22.
  18. ↑ "New Zealand single certifications – Whiskey Myers – Broken Window Serenade". Radioscope. Retrieved August 14, 2026. Type Broken Window Serenade in the "Search:" field and press Enter.
  19. ↑ "American single certifications – Whiskey Myers – Broken Window Serenade". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved July 31, 2026.
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