Breakfast in America

A Band from England singing about the myth of America being the promised land. The land of milk and honey. Obviously sarcasm. He compares his girlfriend to the beautiful dream of California Girls, and finds her lacking. He thinks everyone has everything they want in America. That's the image it has. They must eat like kings 'cos they're all millionaires. The sarcasm there is that probably not a lot of Texans know what kippers are. ( correct me if I'm wrong ) I think he's trying to say "Be happy with what you got, 'cos what you think the other guy's got ain't always better."

The song is about a young dreamer who thinks that by going to America he will live a better life than what he has. He's unsatisfied with his girlfriend and thinks that he will find a better one in California because of the stereotype of the California model/actress/fun-lover that he has of that place. He asks his mother for kippers so that he can feel like a Texas millionaire when in reality kippers are considered lower-class fare, but in his family they're a treat. This shows that he doesn't understand his own world enough to even know what he should be striving for. He calls himself a winner (he wants to make himself seem worthy of the American dream), a sinner (maybe because he is unfaithful to his girlfriend if by thought alone), "Do you want my autograph?" (A young Roger dreaming of stardom while writing this song and tying it to the American dream), I'm a loser, what a joker" (the songwriter realizes how silly he is to dream in this way when he is only a nameless teenager). Then the teenager guards the same girlfriend, that he isn't satisfied with, jealously as he realizes that she's all he's got until he can make it to America to fulfill his dreams.

I've always liked the oom-pah beat and the old music-hall feel of the song; if the lyrics weren't originally sarcastic, the silliness of the music makes it come across as such. It's someone dreaming of an America where all the men are rich billionaires, and the women are all 'California girls'.

And since it seems to be a game with prog-rockers to play connect-the-dots with the songs, think on this: Pair it up with "Gone Hollywood", you've got the portrait of a man who's come to America with the dreams of making it big in USA only to end up at his wit's end, stuck in this dumb motel next to the Taco Bell without a hope in hell of making it here.

And string it with "Child of Vision", and it's can be an outsider-on-the-inside's concept of what America truly is--it's not seen as paradise because it's perfect, it's seen as a paradise because it's got the best salesmen around who can sell it as such.

Quoted from The Very Best of Supertramp, the little booklet that hangs in the front.

Everyong thinks that the song "Breakfast in America" came from the band's experiences of living in America. When i actuality, it was one of the band's oldest songs. Roger wrote it when he was 18. "Actually, when I wote it, I hadn't been to America," informs Roger.

Now, I don't know if you can really say Roger was high at 18 when he wrote the song, but I guess that's open to interpretation.

I like what I've heard so far. I think of this as "I'm not really knocked out by my girlfriend, but hey, it's about all there really is"

About the following comment: They must eat like kings 'cos they're all millionaires. I'd think of it as the other way around. They must be millionaires to afford such a king-like eating habbit. If you weren't born in America and come over, your first impression is normally "Everyone's so fat"

If you watch Roger Hodgson's new DVD "Take The Long Way Home", he states that he wrote this song "dreaming of coming to America" as he never was in America before. Pretty much, it's just a song about him talking about much better America is, and how he dreams to go there one day.

The songs name is 'Breakfast in America' and was already submitted 5 years ago.

To me, it sounds like "the grass isn't greener on the other side."

someone explain this song.

This song is so good, but unfortunately i havent got the slightst idea what the meaning is, or if there even is a meaning!! If i had to guess i'd say that its about an average joe who breaks into stardom of some sort and the only person he has that he can rely on is his girlfriend whom he doesnt exactly get along with like a loving couple should. In the begining his fram of mind is, "I've got it made, look at my sucess, I've got everything I need, money and a girlfriend." but then after the effects of stardom kick in he is more like, "stop looking at me, i dont want to live this way anymore, leave me alone." thats what I think at least, I'm pretty sure that that s not the meaning, but hey, Its what i think it is!

Supertramp was high when they wrote this song