American Minor is a rock band from Champaign, IL, by way of Charleston, WV.… Read Full Bio ↴American Minor is a rock band from Champaign, IL, by way of Charleston, WV. Mixing elements of hard rock, southern rock and blues in a powerful live show, American Minor quickly caught the attention of ex-Blind Melon members Christopher Thorn and Brad Smith, who brought the band to the attention of Jive Records in 2004. They released an EP, Buffalo Creek in 2004, and followed with a full length, American Minor, in 2005. Unfortunately, they're no longer together today.

Break
American Minor Lyrics

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Woman, won't you do a little dance for me?
I've been working 9 to 5 just left my old lady
And when the evening comes I know where I wanna be
But in the daylight hours you can't be seen with me

You break when you're taking
And you take like there's nothing worth believing in
You just break, you breaking even

You just take your heart's coal black, you don't look back, no

Woman, won't you say a little prayer for me?
Come on shake your hips for a while, give your love to me
'Cause when the evening comes I know where I wanna be
But in the daylight hours, you can't be seen with me

You break when you're taking
And you take like there's nothing worth believing in
You break, you breaking even
You just take your heart's coal black, you don't look back, no

Stay with me
Through the night, 'til the morning light
Stay with me
When the light of my days has past me away

Come on, you break when you're taking
And you take like there's nothing worth believing in

You break, you breaking even
You just take your heart's coal black, you don't look back

Overall Meaning

The song Break by American Minor is about the persona's plea to a woman to be with him regardless of societal perceptions. The persona describes his predicament where he desires to be with the woman at night when the world is asleep but has to discretely hide their relationship during the day. The first verse is a plea to the woman to dance for him as he is now free from his old lady. Although the persona desires to be with the woman, they cannot be seen together in public, hence the reference to "can't be seen with me" in both the first and second verses. Here the persona is acknowledging that the woman breaks when she takes and takes like there's nothing worth believing in. The woman has a habit of breaking even, taking from others and leaving them with nothing.

The chorus highlights the persona's desire for this woman to be with him even when the darkness is gone. He is asking her to stay with him not only when it is convenient but also when it is not. The second verse is a plea for the woman to pray for him and to give him her love. The persona is fighting for a relationship that is not socially acceptable, thus his asking for all the support he can get. The theme of the second verse is consistent with the idea of taking and not giving back. The persona is taking in order to feel loved and whole again, but he is not sure if the woman will be with him through the hurdles they will have to face together.

In conclusion, the song Break highlights the hardships of being in a relationship that goes against societal norms. The singer is making a plea for the woman to stay with him even though the relationship comes with many risks. The persona uses the lyrics to show how broken he feels and how he desires closeness with the woman. He acknowledges that the woman has a habit of taking without giving back. He is asking for her love, support, and prayers to overcome the obstacles they will encounter in their relationship.

Line by Line Meaning

Woman, won't you do a little dance for me?
Asking a woman to dance and bring some joy into his life

I've been working 9 to 5 just left my old lady
He just got off work and left his girlfriend

And when the evening comes I know where I wanna be
At night, his desire is to be with this woman

But in the daylight hours you can't be seen with me
The woman doesn't want to be seen around him in public

You break when you're taking
She falls apart when she's taking things from him

And you take like there's nothing worth believing in
She takes what she wants without any regard for their relationship

You just break, you breaking even
She just falls apart without any hope for repairing their relationship

You just take your heart's coal black, you don't look back, no
She takes what she wants regardless of what it does to both of them

Woman, won't you say a little prayer for me?
Asking this woman to pray for him

Come on shake your hips for a while, give your love to me
Asking her to dance and give him some attention and affection

Stay with me
Asking her to stay and not leave him alone

Through the night, 'til the morning light
Asking her to stay with him through the darkness and into the next day

When the light of my days has past me away
Asking her to be there for him when he's no longer young and desirable

You break when you're taking
She falls apart when she's taking things from him

And you take like there's nothing worth believing in
She takes what she wants without any regard for their relationship

You break, you breaking even
She just falls apart without any hope for repairing their relationship

You just take your heart's coal black, you don't look back
She takes what she wants regardless of what it does to both of them

Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC, O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: CHRISTOPHER ALEXANDER KNOX

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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