Loveday Writing

This new analysis series will explore the evolution of Australian singer-songwriter, Delta Goodrem, over the course of six of her studio albums: Innocent Eyes, Mistaken Identity, Delta, Child of the Universe, Wings of the Wild, and Bridge Over Troubled Dreams.

Although she released the album, Only Santa Knows, in 2020, between Wings of the Wild and Bridge Over Troubled Dreams, as this album is mostly covers, I’m not including it in my analysis, at least not right now, I may include it later. This also goes for her standalone releases.

This part of the series, part one, will start from the beginning with her debut studio album, Innocent Eyes.

Innocent Eyes summary:

Innocent Eyes is a 14-track album that was recorded between 2001 to 2003, with the completed studio album being released in Australia on 24 March 2003. Out of the 14-tracks, five of them were released as singles: Born to Try, Innocent Eyes, Not Me (,) Not I, Lost Without You, and Predictable.

Goodrem co-wrote the majority of the tracks, with only three tracks written by others: Throw It Away, Lost Without You, and Butterfly.

The album went on to become the highest-selling album in Australia of the decade, and the second best-selling Australian album of all time, and received positive reviews from critics. Whilst Goodrem was celebrating and relishing in the success of her debut album, she was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma four months after its release.

Track Listing:

1. Born to Try
2. Innocent Eyes
3. Not Me, Not I
4. Throw It Away
5. Lost Without You
6. Predictable
7. Butterfly
8. In My Own Time
9. My Big Mistake
10. This Is Not Me
11. Running Away
12. A Year Ago Today
13. Longer
14. Will You Fall for Me?

(Quick) Track Analysis:

Born to Try

The first track and single of the album, known for being launched on Australian TV soap opera, Neighbours, which Goodrem was starring on at the time. Born to Try, lyrically, is a song about taking chances and becoming independent. Musically speaking, it is classified as a low-tempo pop song. The single was positively received by critics and went on to become Goodrem’s signature song.

Innocent Eyes

The second track and the third single of the album, and the album’s namesake, Innocent Eyes is one of Goodrem’s favourites and is lyrically autobiographical, detailing her transition from childhood to adulthood, and is dedicated to her family. This track was also performed on Neighbours and was positively received by critics.

Not Me, Not I

The third track of the album; Not Me, Not I possesses a more melancholic yet empowering tone. Lyrically, it speaks about the pain of losing a first love and in Goodrem’s case, there was speculation it was written about her ex-boyfriend and Neighbours star, Blair McDonough. Although this is the third listed track on the album, it was the fourth single to be released and go to number one on the Australian Singles Chart, breaking Kylie Minogue’s record of having the most songs released from an album to reach number one.

Throw It Away

The fourth track of the album and the first out of the three tracks not to be penned by Goodrem, Throw It Away possesses a more upbeat tone and speaks about being taken for granted in a relationship. It also differs from the previous three tracks by being more guitar-based, as opposed to piano-based.

Lost Without You

The fifth track and second single of the album, as well as the second out of the three tracks not to be penned by Goodrem, Lost Without You goes back to being piano-based but is more universal lyrically, as opposed to the autobiographical nature of the previous tracks. This track talks about emotional vulnerability and compromise in relationships, as well as fears over losing a romantic partner.

Predictable

The sixth track and last single of the album, this track was known for having a ‘rock edge’ to it, as this was Goodrem’s preference for the song’s tone. Lyrically, the song speaks about a young woman rejecting the advances of a man, as she can his through his façade.

Butterfly

The seventh track and halfway point of the album, Butterfly is also the last of the three tracks not to be penned by Goodrem. This track is another universally themed one, using the metaphor of a butterfly to speak about personal transformation, letting go, and the desire for freedom. According to an article by The Music, Goodrem dreamt about singing Butterfly on stage one day, as she was being treated for Hodgkin’s Lymphoma.

In My Own Time

The eighth track of the album, In My Own Time is self-penned by Goodrem and lyrically speaks about the overwhelming speed of life and fame, as well as believing in the timing of your own life. According to The Music, Goodrem explained that she recently rediscovered a new meaning within the track, with it unintentionally reflecting on her love of Back to the Future.

My Big Mistake

The ninth track of the album, and according to The Music, Goodrem’s least favourite, My Big Mistake lyrically speaks about self-inflicted heartbreak and the realisation that one’s own immaturity and/or actions caused a relationship to fail. Whilst clearly not intentional on Goodrem’s part, it could be argued that this song is the opposite of Not Me, Not I, as that track focuses on a romantic partner’s failings.

This Is Not Me

The tenth track of the album, This Is Not Me, lyrically speaks about a disconnection from one’s true self and explores themes of self-identity during young adulthood. It also could be argued that this track lyrically speaks about the dark side of fame and ambition.

Running Away

The eleventh track of the album, Running Away goes in a more quirky and experimental direction with it leaning into a faster tempo and electronic elements, especially with its intro. Lyrically, the song explores a desire for personal reinvention and escaping from confining expectations.

A Year Ago Today

The twelfth track of the album and one of its most autobiographical and personal, A Year Ago Today is a tribute to Goodrem’s aunt, Sandra, who passed away from cancer, and also explores themes around the anniversary of the loss of a loved one, and the subsequent emotions that go with it. The song also took on a new meaning with Goodrem’s own cancer diagnosis.

Longer

The penultimate track of the album, Longer is a more relatable and upbeat track, lyrically speaking about the experience of a missed romantic connection and has a more youthful, first love vibe to it.

Will You Fall For Me?

The final track of the album, and another one self-penned by Goodrem, Will You Fall For Me? is a stripped back and more vulnerable track lyrically speaking about the anxieties and excitement of a new romance. Goodrem has also stated that the track has also served a “thank you” to her fans, and a question she was asking her audience at the beginning of her career, to embrace her for who she is as an artist.

Alternative version of Innocent Eyes

An alternative version of Innocent Eyes was released in Japan only in 2006, comprising of tracks from both this version of Innocent Eyes and tracks from her next album, Mistaken Identity.

Throw It Away, Butterfly, In My Own Time, This Is Not Me, Running Away, A Year Ago Today, Longer, and, Will You Fall For Me? was omitted from the Japanese version of the album.

My ranking of Innocent Eyes’ tracks:

My ranking of Innocent Eyes’ tracks can be found below, in order from my least to most favourite, based on my personal preference.

14. Throw It Away – This track ranks in last place for me as it feels a little out of place in comparison to the other tracks, which I believe is mainly due to the fact that it wasn’t penned by Goodrem herself. However, I do appreciate its more upbeat and guitar-based nature.

13. This Is Not Me – This track also feels a little out of place, but the musicality of it pushes its ranking higher for me. It’s also hard to describe its overall vibe – it’s not sad and miserable, but not upbeat or necessarily optimistic either. It’s not an unenjoyable track, but it’s not Goodrem’s best either.

12. Butterfly – This another track that feels out of place for me and again due to the fact that it’s not penned by Goodrem. However it ranks higher due to its more positive nature and consistency when it comes to the musicality, especially when you compare it to Throw It Away.

11. My Big Mistake – Whilst I enjoy how upbeat this is, and it is a good contrast to Not Me, Not I (lyrically speaking), it’s not the best or most standout track on the album. It’s not bad quality by any means, but I wouldn’t exactly call it special either.

10. A Year Ago Today – A raw, emotional, simplistic and realistic track, this is easily and obviously the most emotional entry on the album. It’s not a bad quality track by any means, and not to belittle or dismiss the track and who it is in tribute to, this track ranks in tenth place for me due to its placement in the album. Due to its slower tempo, and emotional and simplistic nature, I believe this track would have been better placed earlier in the album, perhaps after Not Me, Not I or Lost Without You.

9. Running Away – I’ve always appreciated the more upbeat and experimental nature of this track, especially its intro, however it’s also this quality that makes it feel a little out of place and inconsistent with the rest of the album. Lyrically, it flows on well after This Is Not Me.

8. Longer – I appreciate the simpler, more upbeat, innocent and relaxed vibe of this track, especially after the heaviness of A Year Ago Today. This track ranks in eighth place for me due to its placement in the album. Much like A Year Ago Today, I believe this track may have fared better if it was placed earlier in the album.

7. Will You Fall for Me? – A stripped back, simplistic and direct love track, and a good note for the album to end on, especially as it displays Goodrem’s vocal prowess towards the end of the track. Whilst it is an enjoyable track, it ranks in seventh place for me as it’s a good quality track, but not necessarily a standout one.

6. In My Own Time – The first track that is self-penned by Goodrem, as well as the first track of the second-half of the album, I enjoyed the melody and structure, and personally found it relatable. It feels more personal but not necessarily autobiographical. I also enjoyed the variety of musical instruments used with this track, and seamless transition between them.

5. Not Me, Not I – This is the break-up track of the album and it is a high quality one, however it does rank a little lower due to the simple fact that whilst I enjoyed the quality of the track, it’s just not my favourite one.

4. Predictable – I appreciate the more rock, perky and feisty tone of this track. It’s definitely needed after the sadness and heaviness that come with Not Me, Not I and Lost Without You. It’s also a bit more universal and relatable than Innocent Eyes.

3. Innocent Eyes – I admittedly find this track more enjoyable than Born to Try due to its higher and more upbeat tempo, and it is a high quality track, however it comes in third place for me as it is heavily autobiographical and not all that relatable.

2. Born to Try – This may be a controversial choice. It’s a high quality debut track, with the perfect theme for a debut of self-belief and empowerment that nearly everyone can relate to. I also appreciate the build up towards the end of the track, towards that signature high note. However, it ranks in second place for me due to its mostly slower tempo, but that’s due to my personal preference.

1. Lost Without You – This track comes in first place for me as it was the perfect follow up to the slower tempo of Born to Try. This track proves that a sad song can be perfectly executed with a contradictory upbeat-like tempo. Unlike Throw It Away, it’s not as easy to tell that Goodrem didn’t write it herself, if you weren’t told. I also appreciate its more varied musicality in comparison to Born to Try, it seemed like the musicians got to spread their wings a bit more with this track.

My final thoughts:

This was the perfect debut album for Goodrem and this was proven with the massive success it became, as well as the fact that it is still enjoyed by her fans, old and new, over 20 years on. I personally still enjoy the album now as much as I did when I first purchased it as a teenager.

Whilst I can see that Goodrem is crafting a narrative with her tracks and even the track list order, as I mentioned above in my rankings, some tracks would have fared better if they were placed earlier in the album. I also felt that the album’s tone and overall vibe was inconsistent in the second half, specifically from In My Own Time onwards.

I’m looking forward to reviewing Goodrem’s other albums, and seeing from a writer and reviewer’s lens, how far she has come in the two decades since this album’s release.

What are your thoughts on Innocent Eyes? What are your favourite tracks? Feel free to let me know your answers to these questions and any other thoughts you have on the album, by leaving a comment below.