Bridge Over Troubled Dreams

“While writing the album, I heard someone say that sometimes people write songs that they need to hear themselves,” Delta Goodrem tells Apple Music. “I realised maybe I do need to write these songs to hear them out loud.” Eighteen years have passed since the Australian pop singer-songwriter’s debut album, and here, on her sixth full-length, Goodrem shares stories from her childhood—including “Crash”, about the car crash that led to her premature birth—through to the current day, such as on “All of My Friends”, which reflects on the values she discovered during the pandemic. The music itself reflects these personal stories: It’s more stripped-back and intimate than anything she’s released before. “I used an entirely new approach for creating the album,” she says. “I approached it like a biography. I wrote the majority of the songs in my home in Los Angeles at my white piano, after thinking and talking through a life experience.” The resulting effort led to more than 60 songs, written alongside Matthew Copley and Marla Altschuler. “They created a safe space for me to tell these stories with freedom and transparency,” she says. The album was also recorded live, unlike her earlier releases, with “no sounds or effects”—leaving it to feel as raw and truthful as the stories within. Below, Goodrem talks through each song on Bridge Over Troubled Dreams.

“Keep Climbing”
“‘Keep Climbing’ sets the tone for the whole album. It’s about the resilience in never giving up and having the strength to keep reaching for your dreams. Oftentimes, we might feel stuck between where we are and where we want to be; sometimes fear is holding us back or limiting our beliefs. Change can be scary, but we must stay focused.”

“Everyone's Famous”
“I kept thinking about the difference in growing up now and when I was a kid. I wanted to reach for the stars—I was so inspired by the legends, obsessed with learning the craft. But kids are growing up with social media fuelling an impossible aspiration of fame and popularity. I wanted to write an ode to the greats, sharing gratitude and admiration for those I continue to be inspired by. It’s about striving for greatness, whatever industry you work in or life you are living.”

“Solid Gold”
“‘Solid Gold’ is about a relationship where someone has taken you for granted. I wanted it to have an empowering message. The lyrics speak to reminding that person of your value, worth and strength. From time to time, we all have people come into our lives who criticise us or don’t appreciate all that we have to offer. This is a reminder to never forget that you deserve to be treated with kindness and love.”

“Dear Elton”
“My hands wrote the piano part by themselves. Looking back, I don’t even know how it happened. The song is a letter to Elton John. I was brought back to a moment when I was young and he reached out to me. It was when I was at my weakest, physically, undergoing chemotherapy. His kindness and belief in my music has always stayed with me. His generosity of heart gave me tremendous light, but don’t think I fully understood the weight of that moment until much later. I’ve always had this deeply inspired connection to him and his music: the way he plays the keys, and the artistry in his music and lyrics will always be an inspiration. The song is a metaphor, too—in some ways it’s an empowered message to myself, saying, ‘Here I am.’”

“Billionaire”
“‘Billionaire’ is one of my favourite songs on the album. It’s gritty and unfiltered girl power, and there’s a toughness to its femininity—like a Nancy Sinatra track, but with the lyrical vibes of her father’s ‘I Did It My Way’. ‘Billionaire’ is for all of the girls who lead with their hearts and make it happen for themselves. Also, life isn’t about how much material wealth you accumulate, it’s about being rich in what counts: family, friends, love, understanding and kindness.”

“Paralyzed”
“As a songwriter, I write about my own experiences, and this one’s about a forced reset that I wasn’t expecting. I’ve learned to lean into change and uncertainty. Life is fluid and constantly changing—when we embrace resets and change and use them to our advantage, our perspective shifts and opens up new opportunities and experiences. This song carries a message of hope and love. Getting through the tough times is hard, but with hope and love we can get through anything.”

“All of My Friends”
“‘All of My Friends’ was inspired by and written through tears, when I was missing home, family and friends. It’s a raw, vulnerable moment when you wonder if your decisions and sacrifices in life are worth it, and contemplate striking the balance between all that is most important to you.”

“Kill Them With Kindness”
“‘Kill Them With Kindness’ was written on 4 August 2019, the same day I wrote ‘Paralyzed’ and ‘Everyone’s Famous’. A lot of music came flooding out that day. Growing up, my mum always taught me that you never know what someone else is going through, and if someone projects anger and negativity on you, the best response is to smile back and to be kind.”

“Crash”
“‘Crash’ tells the story of the start of my life. Lyrically, it plays out like a movie scene. It’s a moment that my parents have explained to me over the years in different ways, and here I’m singing the story as I’ve always imagined it: My mum was driving alone, while pregnant with me, when someone crashed into her. Even though she was alone, I know something spiritual happened—it wasn’t just us in the car. We had faith in the front seat and hope by our side. The angels heard us cry. I was born 10 weeks premature, in that wreck, and the first moments of my life were touch and go for mum and I. I’ve experienced a series of resets and sliding-door moments in my life, which I never take for granted.”

“The Power”
“This was one of the first songs I wrote on this record, originally called ‘The Power of a Prayer’. I always loved it, but so much changed in the world and myself since it was written. Just before I was due to hand in the final mastered album, I rewrote the verses and went back into the studio to record it again. The meaning had changed and I suddenly heard themes of strength and empowerment, rather than the original sentiment. A gospel choir brought the energy I was hearing to life. Listening to the song literally lifts me up.”

“Play”
“This last song starts with an audio sample by Alan Watts from the Tao of Philosophy talk ‘Coincidence of Opposites’. We listened to this recording before starting any of the writing for this album, and it has such important messages that resonated with me: You don't work the piano, you play the piano; the whole purpose of the dancing is the dance; how life is like an analogy of music. It is a musical thing and you are supposed to dance while the music is being played. So, just go and 'Play'.”