The band's first single, Sail debuted at #30 on the U.S. Billboard Alternative Songs chart on the chart week of February 10, 2011. The band released their debut album Megalithic Symphony digitally on March 15th, 2011, and the physical CD was released March 29th, 2011 on Red Bull Records. The album features 15 tracks with iTunes and Amazon featuring the bonus tracks "Swinging from the Castles" and "Shoestrings" respectively.
Official site found here: awolnationmusic.com
Jailbreak
AWOLNATION Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
See I've been working on a jailbreak
Got no time for a mistake
Any moment 'til the day breaks
No more time to get to know you
I've been working on a jailbreak
Keep it calm with the fast pace
Any moment until the day breaks
Now I'm living in a dream (Ah-ah)
Now I'm living in a dream (Ah-ah)
And I don't think I'm ever going to wake up (Ah-ah)
Now I'm living in a dream (Ah-ah)
Now I'm living in a dream (Ah-ah)
And I don't think I'm ever going to wake up (Ah-ah)
See, I've been working on a jailbreak
Got no time for a new fate
Any moment they'll replace me
Should have tried to get to know you
I've been working on my timing
Insecurity beside me
But you tasted so inviting
Should have tried to get to know you
Now I'm living in a dream (Ah-ah)
Now I'm living in a dream (Ah-ah)
And I don't think I'm ever going to wake up (Ah-ah)
Now I'm living in a dream (Ah-ah)
Now I'm living in a dream (Ah-ah)
And I don't think I'm ever going to wake up (Ah-ah)
Momma, it's a jailbreak
It's a, It's a jailbreak (ooh, ooh, ooh)
Momma, it's a jailbreak
It's a, it's a jailbreak
Now I'm living in a dream (Ah-ah)
Now I'm living in a dream (Ah-ah)
And I don't think I'm ever going to wake up (Ah-ah)
Now I'm living in a dream (Ah-ah)
Now I'm living in a dream (Ah-ah)
And I don't think I'm ever going to wake up (Ah-ah)
Ah-ah, ah-ah, ah-ah
Momma, it's a jailbreak, it's a, it's a jailbreak
Ah-ah, ah-ah, ah-ah
Momma, it's a jailbreak, it's a, it's a jailbreak
Ah-ah, ah-ah, ah-ah
The lyrics of “Jailbreak” by AWOLNATION are about the urgency and determination to escape from a toxic relationship. The singer is focused on breaking free from the relationship and does not have time for any distractions. The central metaphor of a jailbreak is used to convey the sense of confinement and restriction that the singer feels in the relationship. The fast-paced beat of the song echoes the need for speed and urgency to achieve this goal.
The lyrics suggest that the singer has been working hard to free themselves from their situation, but at the same time, they feel some regret about not getting to know the person they are leaving behind better. The line, “Should have tried to get to know you”, suggests that the singer now realizes that they may have missed out on something by not investing more time and energy in the relationship. However, the urgency of the jailbreak takes over, and the singer knows that they must leave before it’s too late.
The chorus repeats the phrase “now I’m living in a dream” several times, emphasizing the idea that the singer’s ultimate goal is to escape from their current reality. The mother’s voice in the background enforces the idea that this song is about escaping from something, and the singer’s sense of urgency is heightened by the idea of the jailbreak.
Overall, “Jailbreak” is a high-energy song that captures the feeling of being trapped in a situation and the intense desire to break free.
Line by Line Meaning
See I've been working on a jailbreak
I've been putting a lot of effort into freeing myself from something that's holding me back
Got no time for a mistake
I can't afford to mess up in my quest to escape
Any moment 'til the day breaks
I could achieve my goal at any moment, even at dawn
No more time to get to know you
I don't have the luxury of getting to know someone because my focus is on escaping
Keep it calm with the fast pace
I'm maintaining a sense of composure as I work quickly to achieve my goal
Now I'm living in a dream (Ah-ah)
I feel like I'm in a surreal situation because of the effort I've put in
And I don't think I'm ever going to wake up (Ah-ah)
I'm so focused on my goal that I don't want to snap back to reality
Got no time for a new fate
I can't let anything change the course of my life, no matter how tempting
Any moment they'll replace me
I'm not indispensable, and my role could be taken over at any second
Should have tried to get to know you
I regret not taking the time to form a meaningful relationship with someone because of my singular focus
Should have tried to get to know you
I regret not taking the time to form a meaningful relationship with someone because of my singular focus
Momma, it's a jailbreak
I'm calling attention to my quest to escape from something that's holding me back
It's a, It's a jailbreak (ooh, ooh, ooh)
My escape is an urgent matter
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Aaron Bruno
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@theycallmeklee
HABIT made me listen to this song.
@spamemail1848
I like this song because the lyrics leave enough room for people to project their own very personal struggles onto and yet is still a good song
@Kushufy
That's like all their songs, they make the melody first and then the text later. They're not supposed to have any deep meaning, just sound good. They probably have no idea what this song is about themselves
@bobbirdsong6825
@@Kushufy
It is quite clear if you read or watch the interviews with Aaron Bruno that the majority of their songs do have quite a bit of meaning in them. Many musicians make the lyrics part of their expressive process, just like they would use music theory for the chord progression.
@jenniferchamplin2189
💯
@adrianmunoz7646
Yesss! When it starts it feels like I’m wrongfully imprisoned. Being the good guy….all the villains can run wild bc of it and now my loved ones are in danger.
But it can also be about some complicated struggle…like being blindsided and abandoned by your loved one and you’re stuck reliving the past and imagining the possibility of restoring it. Which is why you continue “working on a jailbreak.”
@kilo3-186
everyone is currently fighting their own personal demons - prison- , where a "jailbreak" is the only escape
@sosa6724
This song has such a similar chord progression and sound to "Sail" that it's eerie.
@lithiel123
holy shit you're right.
@sosa6724
Trig Jegman Do you think it could be a continuation of "Sail", i.e. a sequel?