Hailing from Sydney’s west, A Broken Silence launched on to the hip-hop roc… Read Full Bio ↴Hailing from Sydney’s west, A Broken Silence launched on to the hip-hop rock scene in 2008. Breaking the silence with their debut LP All For What in 2009, the five-piece band quickly began to consume the ears of hip-hop and rock enthusiasts of the world.
It was All For What that was picked up by Tim Freedman (the whitlams) who liked it so much, he jumped on their first single ‘The Road is Lost’ which was toured around Australia Backed by an 88-piece orchestra and played to sold out audience’s across Australia including the Sydney Opera House where they received a standing ovation – which to say the least was an epic moment for the band.
Prior to starting A Broken Silence, Torcha (John Chmielewski) had already cemented a reputation in Australia’s hip-hop scene. He started rapping in his mid teens and was soon causing serious damage in local MC battles. He is best known as a part of dynamic duo Hyjak N Torcha. Together they released groundbreaking Australian hip hop music and have toured extensively around the country independently and in support of the likes of De La Soul, Xzibit, Mobb Deep, Lord Finesse, and the Hilltop Hoods. It was from here on that Torcha branched out with a new project, affording him a new sense of musical freedom
Similarly, the other members of A Broken Silence also had pre-established careers in diverse areas of music. B-Don (Brendon Costello) who holds down the keys and programming has a background in both metal and hip-hop production. Guitarist Cactus (Daniel Bartulovich), who also showcases his melodic vocals throughout the latest record, has experience playing punk and rock in various bands. The inspiration of bass player Boots (Simon Lennon) and drummer Nathan Tuffin span from the likes of Miles Davis and James Brown to Wyclef and Damien Marley.
Coming from different musical corners and with a wide spectrum of influences and experience, the combined forces of the five members give life to the powerful crescendos, soaring punk rock and metal guitar lines in A Broken Silence’s sound. From this A Broken Silence create their own unique lane, pushing the boundaries of genre while staying true to their individual respective cultures and in effect blending to create a sound that does not have many to compare to.
With a freshly sign deal with Wide Awake/Death Row Records, A Broken Silence will release the self-title record to the rest of the world early next year followed by a national tour.

Are You Not Entertained?
A Broken Silence Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

She's set up in her ways staying awful thin, he's fed up being poor and
got laws to bend, everywhere I walk distortion is, but are you not
entertained? Of course you is
She's set up in her ways staying awful thin, he's fed up being poor and
got laws to bend, everywhere I walk distortion is, but are you not
entertained? Of course you is, everywhere I walk, distortion is, but are you not entertained, of course you is.

VERSE 1

Obsessed from a young age, cool as, guns blazed, none safe, ignorance is
on the front page, at some stage man, we slipped into some dumb phase,
filled with pictures of bitches up in a drunk daze, some times I cant
believe what they be feeding us, gossip it got the medias obedience,
toxic, they got us reading about some deviants, they prefer
photogenic over genius, ingredients to aid self destruction,
popularity increases if ya fail to function, intelligence equates to
sales of nothing, I reminisce on tapes that were laced with substance,
when investigative news the papers published, and all girls didn't
think their body shapes repugnant, a great abundance of lives to
idolize, modern scribes seem confined to meaningless diatribe, in my
eyes, in your eyes.

She's set up in her ways stayin awful thin, he's fed up being poor and
got laws to bend, everywhere I walk distortion is, but are you not
entertained? Of course you is
She's set up in her ways stayin awful thin, he's fed up being poor and
got laws to bend, everywhere I walk distortion is, but are you not
entertained? Of course you is, everywhere I walk, distortion is, but are you not entertained, of course you is.

VERSE 2
We got idols who's life got em stocking up pills, get the
spotlight for piping, squandering mills(millions), rhymers who get
shot, rob and they steal, rub off on the brightest, now they out
popping tills, what's the appeal, what created the change up, not even
a teen she's caking her face with make up, is it human nature, a good
girl gone bad, drinking wine in her house singing songs about rehab,
stumbling home, ripped Jeans and knee scabs, skin and bone our
culture seems to breed that, could it be that? They're vision of beauty
is shallow, climbing poles shaking bootys like pussycat dolls,
mindstate, undeveloped like tadpoles, that push our souls, see the
imminent black holes, that hold that they got, outta control, but you
know it don't stop... it's profitable, for my eyes, for your eyes,
for her eyes, it's right there.

She's set up in her ways staying awful thin, he's fed up being poor and
got laws to bend, everywhere I walk distortion is, but are you not
entertained? Of course you is
She's set up in her ways staying awful thin, he's fed up being poor and
got laws to bend, everywhere I walk distortion is, but are you not
entertained? Of course you is, everywhere I walk, distortion is, but are you not entertained, of course you is.

BRIDGE
Why do they walk like this, why do they talk like this, simple
and plain they just caught where distortion is, why do we walk like

this, why do we talk like this, we ourselves change like up in this
game we've been forced to fit. (twice)

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to A Broken Silence's song Are You Not Entertained? criticize the current state of popular culture and the media's role in perpetuating it. The first verse speaks to the decline of meaningful journalism and the rise of vapid celebrity gossip. The second verse addresses the harmful effects of the beauty and fame standards set by mainstream culture, which often prioritize physical appearance over substance, and the monetary gains that come with promoting these ideals. The repetition of the line "everywhere I walk, distortion is" suggests that this distorted view of reality is pervasive and inescapable.

The chorus, "but are you not entertained? Of course you is," references a line from the film Gladiator, in which the main character's captor asks if he is not entertained by the gladiatorial games. The line is meant to highlight the audience's complicity in perpetuating a damaging and often exploitative system. In the context of the song, it suggests that while people may criticize pop culture and recognize its flaws, they still consume it and contribute to its success.

Overall, the lyrics to Are You Not Entertained? challenge the audience to consider the impact of popular culture on society and to question their own role in perpetuating it.

Line by Line Meaning

She's set up in her ways staying awful thin, he's fed up being poor and got laws to bend, everywhere I walk distortion is, but are you not entertained? Of course you is
The society is obsessed with a certain image of beauty, and people are willing to do whatever it takes to fit in. Distorted images of reality are everywhere, but people seem to be entertained by them.

We got idols who's life got em stocking up pills, get the spotlight for piping, squandering mills(millions), rhymers who get shot, rob and they steal, rub off on the brightest, now they out popping tills, what's the appeal, what created the change up, not even a teen she's caking her face with make up, is it human nature, a good girl gone bad, drinking wine in her house singing songs about rehab, stumbling home, ripped Jeans and knee scabs, skin and bone our culture seems to breed that, could it be that? They're vision of beauty is shallow, climbing poles shaking bootys like pussycat dolls, mindstate, undeveloped like tadpoles, that push our souls, see the imminent black holes, that hold that they got, outta control, but you know it don't stop... it's profitable, for my eyes, for your eyes, for her eyes, it's right there.
Our role models are flawed individuals who spend their time popping pills and living a life of luxury at the expense of others. The culture breeds self-destruction, and people seem to idolize the shallow vision of beauty portrayed in the media. This culture is like a black hole that consumes our souls, and the situation seems to be out of control. It's as if people are entertained by their own destruction.

Why do they walk like this, why do they talk like this, simple and plain they just caught where distortion is, why do we walk like this, why do we talk like this, we ourselves change like up in this game we've been forced to fit. (twice)
People are trapped in a distorted image of reality, and they don't even realize it. We're all caught up in this game of fitting in, and we change ourselves to fit the mold. We walk and talk like we're told to, without questioning why.

Contributed by Carter G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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