Did I mention we were dreaming
When the devil came to town
I was awoken by the screaming
But nobody heard a sound

And the lies we told at breakfast
Will match the lies we had for lunch
And the lies we said for dinner, yeah for dinner
They're the tallest of the bunch

Did you notice he was cold
When he finally lost control long ago
And the [?]
Was he likely to console
And I'm still not understanding
The things he did before he left
And the one thing that will haunt me
It will haunt me
Right before his final breath, he said

And they broke him down, yeah they broke him down
He said I'll never be your saint you see cause I won't be hanging around
So they broke him down, yeah they broke him down
So I stood there and I held my breath cause I know that it wouldn't be long
Till they broke me down

Did I mention we were flailing?
When the angels came around
And they just sat there they we were waiting
For the first of us to drown
And I started going under
But I didn't hold my breath
Cause the last thing that I needed
Oh I needed
Was the hold of holy dead [?]
Oh no

And no one holds a grudge dear
Like I do, I see it through
And you may not remember
It was nothing much at the time
But I kept it bottled inside

Oh and we all know how that goes
Yeah I've given up on letting go
So here we are, with nothing left here
And now you left me here
And I was last to know

[Chorus]

And they broke him down, yeah they broke him down
So I can't be your saint you see cause I won't be hanging around
And they broke him down, yeah they broke him down
So I stood there and I held my breath cause I knew that it wouldn't be long

Holy smokes [?]
Some say we've given up the ghost
But I think he's in the background (somewhere in the background)
Hiding in his favorite photographs
And he's leaving as a beggar
Horribly undead [?]
But the one thing that I'm sure of
I am sure of
Is he found some comfort there

[Chorus x2]
Till they broke me down


Lyrics submitted by Scepvyle, edited by decibeldiscord, janeaparis1

They Broke Him Down Lyrics as written by

Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC

Lyrics powered by LyricFind

They Broke Him Down song meanings
Add Your Thoughts

2 Comments

sort form View by:
  • 0
    My Interpretation

    I think, to simplify, this song is about the "big bad cooperation" or even more specifically the record company chipping away at this man until he either gave in (sold out) and became a millionaire, or told them to fuck off (quit) and got all of his possessions and money taken away. And of course my favorite line "but the one thing that I'm sure of, I am sure of, is that he found some comfort there" So he either sold out and said at least I became successful, or "I may be begging for money but at least I didn't sell out my principles." Even if I'm completely off base, fantastic song, fantastic album, fantastic band.

    TomatoBombon September 14, 2013   Link

Add your thoughts

Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.

Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!

More Featured Meanings

Album art
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
"Fast car" is kind of a continuation of Bruce Springsteen's "Born to Run." It has all the clawing your way to a better life, but in this case the protagonist never makes it with her love; in fact she is dragged back down by him. There is still an amazing amount of hope and will in the lyrics; and the lyrics themselve rank and easy five. If only music was stronger it would be one of those great radio songs that you hear once a week 20 years after it was released. The imagery is almost tear-jerking ("City lights lay out before us", "Speeds so fast felt like I was drunk"), and the idea of starting from nothing and just driving and working and denigrating yourself for a chance at being just above poverty, then losing in the end is just painful and inspiring at the same time.
Album art
I Can't Go To Sleep
Wu-Tang Clan
This song is written as the perspective of the boys in the street, as a whole, and what path they are going to choose as they get older and grow into men. (This is why the music video takes place in an orphanage.) The seen, and unseen collective suffering is imbedded in the boys’ mind, consciously or subconsciously, and is haunting them. Which path will the boys choose? Issac Hayes is the voice of reason, maybe God, the angel on his shoulder, or the voice of his forefathers from beyond the grave who can see the big picture and are pleading with the boys not to continue the violence and pattern of killing their brothers, but to rise above. The most beautiful song and has so many levels. Racism towards African Americans in America would not exist if everyone sat down and listened to this song and understood the history behind the words. The power, fear, pleading in RZA and Ghostface voices are genuine and powerful. Issac Hayes’ strong voice makes the perfect strong father figure, who is possibly from beyond the grave.
Album art
Magical
Ed Sheeran
How would you describe the feeling of being in love? For Ed Sheeran, the word is “Magical.” in HIS three-minute album opener, he makes an attempt to capture the beauty and delicacy of true love with words. He describes the magic of it all over a bright Pop song produced by Aaron Dessner.
Album art
Amazing
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran tells a story of unsuccessfully trying to feel “Amazing.” This track is about the being weighed down by emotional stress despite valiant attempts to find some positivity in the situation. This track was written by Ed Sheeran from the perspective of his friend. From the track, we see this person fall deeper into the negative thoughts and slide further down the path of mental torment with every lyric.
Album art
Page
Ed Sheeran
There aren’t many things that’ll hurt more than giving love a chance against your better judgement only to have your heart crushed yet again. Ed Sheeran tells such a story on “Page.” On this track, he is devastated to have lost his lover and even more saddened by the feeling that he may never move on from this.