This is a hauntingly beautiful song about introspection, specifically about looking back at a relationship that started bad and ended so poorly, that the narrator wants to go back to the very beginning and tell himself to not even travel down that road. I believe that the relationship started poorly because of the lines:
"Take me back to the night we met:When the night was full of terrors: And your eyes were filled with tears: When you had not touched me yet"
So, the first night was not a great start, but the narrator pursued the relationship and eventually both overcame the rough start to fall in love with each other:
"I had all and then most of you"
Like many relationships that turn sour, it was not a quick decline, but a gradual one where the narrator and their partner fall out of love and gradually grow apart
"Some and now none of you"
Losing someone who was once everything in your world, who you could confide in, tell your secrets to, share all the most intimate parts of your life, to being strangers with that person is probably one of the most painful experiences a person can go through. So Painful, the narrator wants to go back in time and tell himself to not even pursue the relationship.
This was the perfect song for "13 Reasons Why"
I don't know you but I know what you did to her
She told me and I happen to believe her too
They will be three steps behind
You will not know what's got you
Oh so you're sorry now
All is not well, it's not ended
Hold your breath 'till it's over
There's something left underwater
You've been quiet, there are things
That you do not speak of
But if you stay gone a little
Longer your keys won't work
'Cause I will be two steps behind
You will not know what's got you
Oh so you're sorry now
All is not well, it's not ended
Hold your breath 'till it's over
There's something left underwater
Hold your breath 'till it's over
There's something left underwater
Hold your breath 'till it's over
There's something left underwater
Hold your breath 'till it's over
There's something left underwater
She told me and I happen to believe her too
They will be three steps behind
You will not know what's got you
Oh so you're sorry now
All is not well, it's not ended
Hold your breath 'till it's over
There's something left underwater
You've been quiet, there are things
That you do not speak of
But if you stay gone a little
Longer your keys won't work
'Cause I will be two steps behind
You will not know what's got you
Oh so you're sorry now
All is not well, it's not ended
Hold your breath 'till it's over
There's something left underwater
Hold your breath 'till it's over
There's something left underwater
Hold your breath 'till it's over
There's something left underwater
Hold your breath 'till it's over
There's something left underwater
Lyrics submitted by hopeful_canyon
We Build Then We Break Lyrics as written by Benjamin Wysocki Ben Wysocki
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
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This is my interpretation of the song:
"I don't know you but I know what you did to her She told me and I happen to believe her too"
--I think Isaac is talking about someone he knew that abused someone else, he knows that person, but he no longer knows who they actually are, especially after what they did.
"They will be 3 steps behind You will not know what's got you Oh so you're sorry now All is not well, its not ended"
-- I think this could mean two things: If it was physical abuse it could be law enforcement coming to get the person, and he suddenly is sorry to do a guily plea and get less punishment or... It's the abusers feelings/conscience getting to him. He didn't expect to have these feelings and the 'old' him is coming back and he is suddenly sorry and sees all the wrongs he commited.
"Hold your breath til its over There's something left underwater"
-- I think this is something the abusee thought while it was happening, and now it starts to also come into play for the abuser. Just hold your breat till its over, then try to make something of what is left of you.
"You've been quiet, there are things that you do not speak of But if you stay gone a little longer your keys won't work"
-- I think Isaac is talking to the abuser nonconfrontational at first but is getting nowhere; the abuser isn't literally gone, but just not himself and the keys are an allusion to only the abuser can unlock the truth and if he doesn't soon he will never get redemption.
"Cause I will be 2 steps behind You will not know what's got you Oh so you're sorry now All is not well, its not ended
Hold your breath til its over There's something left underwater"
-- The abuser never expected Isaac to confront him and is startled , I think it's very deep that Isaac is one step ahead of the other person, whoever it may be. The ending is the same as above."
A girl he cares about has told him she was abused when she was little, and he’s confronting the person who did it, even though he’s never met them before, and he is really pissed off. I think the song is about him (wanting to) taking revenge on the person who hurt her, tracking them down when they are not expecting it and ignoring their self-serving apologies.
The ‘hold your breath until it’s over’ makes me think of the little girl closing her eyes and holding her breath until the abuse was over, and the ‘there’s something left under water’ could mean the something left unresolved in the past, the abuse that has been buried in the memories of the girl and never brought out.
This also supports ‘you’ve been quiet, there are some things you do not speak of’ meaning the little girl, who learnt never to talk about what happened. ‘but if you stay gone a little longer your keys won't work’ makes me think the abuse has really been mentally torturing this girl all these years, and if she continues to deny it, it could end up really harming her/ making her lose her mind.
FAVOURITE song off the new album, hands down.
It's pretty awesome, eh? Love the drums in this song. Second favourite on the album after "Say When". I can't believe there aren't more comments here.
I know. I totally agree with you about "Say When" and "We Build Then We Break"!!
He sounds a bit like Tom Chaplin from Keane in the chorus of this song! In fact, this song almost sounds like one Keane would make. I really like it :)
I agree!<br /> It definitely has a bit of a Keane feel to it.<br /> Keane's a better band, though. But I really enjoy this song.
This song seems to be about a vengeful friend/boyfriend threatening someone who hurt a girl very important to him.
It has kind of creepy, mysterious sound to it.
pretty dark. interesting. Yea it basically sounds like hes angry at someone abusing a girl he likes or something. that sucks
I agree with everybody else Although
It also sounds like the person who is abusive is being either drowned mentally or physically
"hold your breath, til it's over"
"they will be 3 steps behind, you will not no what's got you"
This song sounds like a vengeful friend speaking to a lover who's hurt a girl he cares about. The first verse is obvious in meaning, and "They will be 3 steps behind, You will not know what's got you" I think refers to feelings of guilt and remorse, or memories. "Hold your breath, till it's over, there's something left underwater", Probably signifies the friend's revenge...saying, watch out, I'll make you join my friend underwater. "You've been quiet, there are things that you do not speak of But if you stay gone a little longer your keys won't work", this another "watch out" line, saying you can't hide or run away from what you did, you'll be stuck here forever. "Cause I will be 2 steps behind", is of course, referring to himself now. This song is amazing--wonderfully creepy, and the ending makes me want to dance, really. XD