Tears in the Typing Pool
Broadcast Lyrics

The opening lines of Broadcast's song "Tears in the Typing Pool" suggest that success is not solely about finishing first or achieving a set goal. The lyrics "Succumb to the line/ The finishing time/ The long distance runner/ Has stopped on the corner" depict the moment when a long-distance runner comes to a stop after crossing the finish line. The line may refer to the finish line of a race or the race towards an end goal. The long-distance runner stopping on the corner could represent the idea that the journey towards success is ongoing and has no real end, and there will always be something else to strive for.

The lyrics "But I won't give up/ Although I've stopped too" connote hope and a willingness to keep trying even when things seem challenging or overwhelming. The singer seems to be at a standstill and yet still has the determination to push through. The phrase "Before the end of me and you/ The patchwork explains/ The land is unchanged" suggests that despite the effort taken to maintain a relationship, its ultimate end was inescapable. The "patchwork" may represent the various pieces of a relationship held together by effort and care. Finally, the phrase "The land is unchanged" reinforces the notion of immutability, indicating that despite our efforts to change the things around us, the world still seems to be the same.

The lines "Interpret the rooms/My tears in the typing pool/ The letters are sighing/ The ink is still drying" indicate a sense of sadness and lost opportunities. The singer seems to be struggling to let go of the past, represented here through the tears in the typing pool, which are themselves an evocative metaphor for unfulfilled desires. The ink drying may mean that whatever chance the singer had to express their feelings has now passed by. The idea of "sighing letters" may indicate that words, once written, take on a life of their own, and their sighs seem to echo the sentiment projected by the singer.