This Is How a Heart Breaks

2005 single by Rob Thomas

"This Is How a Heart Breaks" is the second single from Matchbox Twenty frontman Rob Thomas's debut album, Something to Be (2005). Released in June 2005, the song was moderately successful on the charts, peaking at number 52 in the United States and number 13 in Australia. It was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for selling over 500,000 copies, and in 2006, it was nominated for a Grammy for Best Rock Vocal Performance, Solo.

The video, directed by Pedro Romhanyi, begins with images of New York City before cutting to Thomas singing as he walks along the street. He suddenly sees someone and runs away, chased through the New York streets by this individual. As the video progresses, Thomas escapes from the pursuer and sings a few lines while walking along another part of the city. Just as he finishes the second verse, the hooded pursuer catches up again and Thomas runs through a bar, escaping through the bar's basement door. Thomas loses the pursuer again and goes into an elevator in another building. Once the elevator opens, he runs up the stairs to the fire exit and when gets to the rooftop where he encounters the pursuer chasing again. The chase continues again as Thomas tries to climb down a fire escape only to fall into a trash pile at the bottom. Thomas then runs on top of some parked cars only to run into a fence which he can't climb. Cornered, Thomas finds himself face to face with the chaser. As the video ends we get a very quick glimpse of the pursuer's face, who reveals himself as Rob Thomas, meaning Thomas was chasing himself for the whole video.

RegionDateFormat(s)Label(s)Ref. (Reference)United StatesJune 13, 2005Hot adult contemporary radioAtlantic, MelismaAustraliaJuly 18, 2005CDUnited KingdomSeptember 19, 2005CD, DVD

In 2013, Straight No Chaser covered the song with Thomas on their Under the Influence album.