AllMusic said of the album: "On the surface, there's not much different between this album and its predecessor, but the songs are stronger, sharper, and the performances are lean, muscular, and immediate."
Although not the commercial success its predecessor was, Breach got to #13 on the Billboard 200 chart and was certified Gold.
Letters From The Wasteland
The Wallflowers Lyrics
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I make no sounds when I move through your reservoirs.
But I wake up quick, and I wake up sick as you abandon me into these fields of rank and file.
Through this cloud I hear you breathing.
Through these bars I watch them bring more in.
Now I send back letters from the wasteland home.
I slow dance to this romance on my own.
It may be two to tango but, boy, it's one to let go.
It's just one to let go.
Now, boy, keep still don't spread yourself around.
Get back in line, eat your bread, and just work the plow.
'cause you're not through they're not done with with you.
Did you think you were the only one that's been let down?
So sleep tight, little boys of the new damned.
Another drop in the tidal wave of quicksand.
Now I send back letters from the wasteland home.
I slow dance to this romance on my own.
It may be two to tango but, boy, it's one to let go.
It's just one to let go.
Now another bad idea gets through
down the assembly line to you.
You're every bridge I should have burned,
every lesson I've unlearned,
in this smoke filled waiting room
with incarcerated lovesick fools
I wait for you to cut me loose.
But till then I send back letters from the wasteland home.
Last slow dance to this romance on my own.
It may take two to tango but, boy, it's one to let go.
From the wasteland home I slow dance to this romance on my own.
The lyrics to The Wallflowers' song "Letters from the Wasteland" deal with themes of abandonment and isolation. The singer has been abandoned by a lover who has left him feeling lost and alone. He compares himself to a drop in a tidal wave of quicksand and feels as though he is trapped in a smoke-filled waiting room with other lovesick fools. Despite all of this, he continues to send letters home from the wasteland, hoping that someone will hear his cries for help.
The line "It may be two to tango but, boy, it's one to let go" speaks to the imbalance of power in the relationship - the singer is the one who has been left behind, while his lover has moved on without him. He is trying to let go of his feelings for this person, but it is a difficult process. The slow dance to the romance he once had with his lover is now something he has to do alone.
The metaphor of the swan dive to the lover's arms also speaks to the idea of falling or being deceived by someone. The singer has fallen for this person, only to be left behind in the wasteland with nothing but his thoughts and regrets.
Line by Line Meaning
Now coming down out of this swan dive to your arms
Returning to your embrace from a perilous situation.
I make no sounds when I move through your reservoirs.
Navigating through your emotional depths without a sound.
But I wake up quick, and I wake up sick as you abandon me into these fields of rank and file.
Quickly becoming aware of your abandonment and feeling ill at ease in a conformist and regimented environment.
Through this cloud I hear you breathing.
Even in a hazy state of mind, I can sense your presence.
Through these bars I watch them bring more in.
Observing from a place of restriction as others are brought in.
Now I send back letters from the wasteland home.
Communicating from a desolate and abandoned place.
I slow dance to this romance on my own.
Moving in a rhythmic yet solitary way through this relationship.
It may be two to tango but, boy, it's one to let go.
Although it takes two to make a relationship work, sometimes only one is willing to walk away.
Now, boy, keep still don't spread yourself around.
Stay focused and don't get distracted.
Get back in line, eat your bread, and just work the plow.
Follow the rules, do your duty, and work hard to survive.
'cause you're not through they're not done with with you.
You still have a purpose, even if it's not clear yet.
Did you think you were the only one that's been let down?
Realizing that disappointment is a universal experience.
So sleep tight, little boys of the new damned.
Rest easy, for we are all in this together.
Another drop in the tidal wave of quicksand.
One more small piece in a larger pattern of struggle.
Now another bad idea gets through down the assembly line to you.
Receiving yet another flawed plan or suggestion.
You're every bridge I should have burned, every lesson I've unlearned.
A reminder of past mistakes and missed opportunities for growth.
in this smoke filled waiting room with incarcerated lovesick fools.
Trapped in a space with others who are also suffering from their own failed relationships.
I wait for you to cut me loose.
Longing for release from the emotional ties that bind me.
But till then I send back letters from the wasteland home.
Continuing to communicate from a bleak and barren place.
Last slow dance to this romance on my own.
Savoring the final moments of this relationship, even if they are solitary.
It may take two to tango but, boy, it's one to let go.
Acknowledging that sometimes letting go of a relationship is a solo act, regardless of how it began.
From the wasteland home I slow dance to this romance on my own.
Engaging in a slow dance, even if it's just with myself, while in a desolate place.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JAKOB DYLAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind