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Broadripple Is Burning
Margot & the Nuclear So and So's Lyrics


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Children, Broadripple is burning
And the girls are getting sick
Off huffing glue up in the bathroom
While your boyfriends pick up chicks
And darling I'm lost
I heard you whispering
That night in fountain square
The trashed filled streets made me wish we were heading home

There was love inside the basement
Where that woman used to lie
In a sleeping bag we shared upon
The floor most every night
And darling I'm drunk,
And everything that I have loved has turned to stone
So pack your bags and come back home

And I'm wasted
You can taste it
Don't look at me that way,
'Cause I'll be hanging from a rope
I will haunt you like a ghost

And if my woman was a fire,
She'd burn out before I wake,
And be replaced by pints of whiskey,
Cigarettes, and outer space
Then somebody moves
And everything you thought you had will go to shit
Well, we've got a lot
Don't ever forget that

And I wrote this on airplane where the people looked like eggs
And when a woman that you loved was gone,
She was bombing East Japan
And don't fucking move,
'Cause everything you thought you had will go to shit
We've got a lot
Don't you dare forget that

And I'm wasted
You can taste it
Don't look at me that way,
'Cause I'll be hanging from a rope
I will haunt you like a ghost

And I'm wasted
You can taste it
Don't look at me that way,
'Cause I'll be hanging from a rope
I will haunt you like a ghost

Overall Meaning

"Broadripple Is Burning" is a song by Margot & the Nuclear So and So's, and it explores themes of loss, addiction, and the fleeting nature of relationships. The opening lines depict a scene of chaos and self-destructive behavior, with girls huffing glue in the bathroom and boys chasing after other girls. The singer is lost and overwhelmed by the scene, and he longs for the comfort of home.


The second verse takes a more reflective tone, as the singer remembers a past relationship that was once pure and full of love. However, he has since fallen into a spiral of addiction and despair, and everything he once loved has turned to stone. He pleads with his lover to return home, but it is unclear if she is still there.


The chorus features the repeated line "And I'm wasted, you can taste it," which suggests that the singer is intoxicated and emotionally distressed. He warns his lover, "Don't look at me that way, 'Cause I'll be hanging from a rope, I will haunt you like a ghost," which illustrates the intensity of his pain and the potential for self-harm.


Overall, "Broadripple Is Burning" is a poignant and haunting meditation on the pain of loss and the struggles of addiction. The lyrics are open-ended and evoke a sense of ambiguity, leaving the listener to fill in the gaps and interpret the singer's inner turmoil.


Line by Line Meaning

Children, Broadripple is burning
The town of Broadripple is in chaos and trouble.


And the girls are getting sick
Girls are indulging in harmful activities like glue-sniffing in the bathroom.


Off huffing glue up in the bathroom
Girls are sniffing or inhaling glue in the bathroom, which is a dangerous and reckless activity.


While your boyfriends pick up chicks
While boyfriends are flirting and looking for other girls to hook up with.


And darling I'm lost
The artist is feeling lost and confused about life.


I heard you whispering
The singer overhears someone whispering, possibly about their situation or feelings.


That night in fountain square
A specific location where the singer was present and heard someone whispering.


The trashed filled streets made me wish we were heading home
The streets are dirty and filled with garbage, making the artist wish they were going back to a cleaner, more comfortable environment.


There was love inside the basement
The basement was a place where love was once experienced or shared.


Where that woman used to lie
A woman who was once present in the basement is no longer there.


In a sleeping bag we shared upon
The love shared in the basement was expressed while lying together in a sleeping bag.


The floor most every night
The sleeping bag was laid out on the floor most nights.


And darling I'm drunk,
The singer is intoxicated and possibly expressing their feelings more openly because of it.


And everything that I have loved has turned to stone
Things that once held importance or meaning to the singer now feel lifeless or unimportant.


So pack your bags and come back home
The singer is urging someone to return to their home or a place where they feel safe and comfortable.


And if my woman was a fire,
If the artist's significant other was a fire, a source of warmth, comfort, and nurturing, but like all fires would eventually burn out and disappear.


She'd burn out before I wake,
The metaphorical 'fire' that is the artist's significant other would be extinguished or gone before the artist wakes up or comes to terms with it.


And be replaced by pints of whiskey,
Their significant other would be replaced by the destructive and numbing influence of alcohol.


Cigarettes, and outer space
Other vices like cigarettes and possibly drugs would become a source of temporary escape and solace for the singer.


Then somebody moves
When someone makes a move or takes an action.


And everything you thought you had will go to shit
When that action occurs, everything previously thought to be stable or valuable will fall apart and go wrong.


Well, we've got a lot
In contrast to the negative events happening around them, the artist notes that they still possess many positive things.


Don't ever forget that
A reminder to hold on to the good things in life during hard times.


And I wrote this on airplane where the people looked like eggs
The artist is in a plane where fellow passengers look unfamiliar or strange to them, possibly due to the effects of alcohol or drugs.


And when a woman that you loved was gone,
When someone you love leaves or disappears,


She was bombing East Japan
A reference to the atomic bombing of Japan, possibly as a metaphor for something catastrophic happening in the singer's life.


And don't fucking move,
A command to stay still, possibly to prevent any further negative changes or actions from occurring.


'Cause everything you thought you had will go to shit
A repetition of the fact that everything they held dear or thought was stable will be lost if someone takes action.


Don't you dare forget that
A strong reminder to remember what is important, even in the face of hardship and chaos.


And I'm wasted
The singer is drunk or under the influence of something.


You can taste it
The singer's drunkenness or drug use is noticeable or even palpable.


Don't look at me that way,
A plea to not be judged or looked at in a negative way because of their state.


'Cause I'll be hanging from a rope
If judged too harshly, the artist may feel suicidal or at their wit's end.


I will haunt you like a ghost
Even after their death, the artist's memory and the impact they had on others will continue to linger and affect those they knew.




Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: RICHARD CHARLES EDWARDS

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

@SheLady00

Children, Broadripple is burning
And the girls are getting sick
Off huffing glue up in the bathroom
While your boyfriends pick up chicks.
And darling I'm lost.
I heard you whispering
That night in fountain square.
The trashed filled streets made me wish we were heading home.

There was love inside the basement
Where that woman used to lie
In a sleeping bag we shared upon
The floor almost every night.
And darling I'm drunk,
And everything that I have loved has turned to stone.
So pack your bags and come back home.

And I'm wasted.
You can taste it.
Don't look at me that way,
'Cause I'll be hanging from a rope.
I will haunt you like a ghost.

If my woman was a fire,
She'd burn out before I wake,
And be replaced by pints of whiskey,
Cigarettes, and outer space.
Then somebody moves
And everything you thought you had has gone to shit.
We've got a lot.
Don't ever forget that.

And I wrote this on an airplane where the people looked like eggs.
And when a woman that you loved was gone,
She was bombing East Japan.
And don't fucking move,
'Cause everything you thought you had will go to shit.
We've got a lot.
Don't you dare forget that.

And I'm wasted.
You can taste it.
Don't look at me that way,
'Cause I'll be hanging from a rope.
I will haunt you like a ghost.

And I'm wasted.
You can taste it.
Don't look at me that way,
'Cause I'll be hanging from a rope.
I will haunt you like a ghost.



All comments from YouTube:

@libraryofthelabyrinth

I had such a distinct phase of my life with this song. Now I come back every once in a while to pay homage.

@celiaroberts3824

I listened to this during one of my lowest moments. Now that it’s years later, it literally takes me back to that time but in a whole other perspective that I’m thankful for.

@mrbred-el3vf

@Celia Roberts Me too. ironically, it has a special place in my heart

@jess_isthebest1

@sosemiteyam562

Spot on.

@yungslug8251

Absolute same

37 More Replies...

@intent6228

I love how this uses repetition but the repeated parts get more aggressive as it goes - darling I'm lost becomes darling I'm drunk, turned to stone becomes turned to shit, somebody moves becomes don't fuckin' move. Great lyricism there.

@JPusername

You have opened my eyes, I thank you

@Sleeplessxdream

My favorite is where it goes from "don't ever forget that" turns to "don't you dare forget that"

@stevenmercer8299

I completely agree. I am not sure who introduced them to me. I fuckin love them. (using their language0

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