Broken Train
Beck Lyrics
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In the bushes again
I'm glad I got my suit dry-cleaned
Before the riots started
Cause there's only rehashed faces
On the bread line tonight
Soon you'll be a figment
Of some infamous life
Billionaires smile like weapons
Passing out platinum pensions
They're out of control
No one know how low they'll go
(Hold on)
Take a ride on a broken train
These bra burning deportees
At the service station
They know that beige
Is the color of resignation
We're out of control
No one knows how low we'll go
(Hold on)
Take a ride on a broken train
Shinin' like crystal tiaras
Ghettos and grey Rivieras
This is the real me ladies
You won't find no shelter here
Tell me, what's your zip code baby
Did you ever let a cowboy sit on your lap
The lyrics of "Broken Train" by Beck use vivid, chaotic imagery to portray a society that is falling apart, with snipers passed out in bushes, riots in the streets, and bread lines filled with "rehashed faces." The singer of the song sets himself apart from this chaos by mentioning that he has gotten his suit dry-cleaned, an image that suggests a level of detachment and privilege. The theme of detachment continues with the mention of billionaires who "smile like weapons" and are passing out "platinum pensions" while everything else falls apart. The recurring refrain, "Take a ride on a broken train," suggests that the whole society is careening out of control and headed towards a disastrous end.
The second verse of the song adds more detail to the bleak picture the song paints. The singer encounters "bra burning deportees" at a service station, suggesting a feminist or progressive protest movement, but they are resigned to a life of beige conformity. The last lines of the verse return to the image of billionaires and their excess, with "ghettos and grey Rivieras" offering a glimpse into the kind of luxury that is only available to the very rich. Overall, the lyrics convey a sense of unease and foreboding about the direction that society is heading, with a few privileged individuals rising above the chaos while the rest of the population struggles and suffers.
Line by Line Meaning
The sniper are passed out
The snipers have once again succumbed to drunkenness
In the bushes again
And are now passed out in the bushes
I'm glad I got my suit dry-cleaned
I'm relieved that I had the foresight to get my suit cleaned before the riots began
Before the riots started
Which have now overtaken the streets
Cause there's only rehashed faces
Because there are no new faces in sight
On the bread line tonight
Just the same old people lining up for food
Soon you'll be a figment
And soon you'll be forgotten
Of some infamous life
Just another victim of the chaotic times we live in
Billionaires smile like weapons
The wealthy are smug and arrogant
Passing out platinum pensions
Handing out frivolous rewards to their own
They're out of control
They're running rampant
No one know how low they'll go
No one knows how depraved their actions may become
(Hold on)
(Be patient)
Take a ride on a broken train
Come on this journey with me, though it may be unpleasant
These bra burning deportees
These women who are fighting for their rights
At the service station
At this mundane place
They know that beige
They understand that the color beige represents giving up
Is the color of resignation
And they refuse to resign themselves to their fate
We're out of control
Society as a whole has lost its way
No one knows how low we'll go
And we don't know how much worse things will get
Shinin' like crystal tiaras
The glitzy and glamorous are in the spotlight
Ghettos and grey Rivieras
While the poor struggle to get by in run-down places
This is the real me ladies
This, the bleakness of our reality, is what we must confront
You won't find no shelter here
There's no way to escape it
Tell me, what's your zip code baby
As if knowing where someone lives can tell us anything about them
Did you ever let a cowboy sit on your lap
As if such trivial things are what really matter in this world
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: BECK HANSEN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind