Brett
Apocalypse Hoboken Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

She's static and cold her death trip is getting old
Don't want to see you cry...didn't think it'd be suicide
Took a knife and made the change
It's the past I wish I could rearrange
It's all over now and I'm the one left to blame
I didn't think it would happen this way
I guess I didn't think at all
I didn't think it would happen this way
Just another day in the life of the born loser
I'm neurotic and cold my tiny life is getting old
Don't want to see me cry, thumbs up for suicide
Put a gun up to my head, Pulled the trigger




But I'm not dead
It's all over now and I'm the one left to blame

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Apocalypse Hoboken's song "Brett" describe two different individuals who are both struggling with the monotony and mundanity of their lives. The first person is described as "static and cold" and is stuck in a "death trip" that they've grown tired of. They didn't want to make those around them upset, but their own unhappiness led to them taking drastic measures to make a change. Unfortunately, this change involved taking their own life, leaving the singer feeling remorseful for not noticing the signs of distress.


The second person, the singer themselves, is also struggling with feeling "neurotic and cold" and feeling like their own "tiny life is getting old". They express a desire to end their own life ("thumbs up for suicide") and ultimately attempt to do so by putting a gun to their head and pulling the trigger. The twist is that they don't die, and the realization that they could have left their own loved ones to suffer just as the first person did sets in.


Line by Line Meaning

She's static and cold her death trip is getting old
The person being referred to as 'she' is emotionally numb and disinterested in life. Her constant thoughts about death have become tedious and repetitive.


Don't want to see you cry...didn't think it'd be suicide
The singer, addressing someone they care about, never imagined their negative state of mind would lead them to attempt suicide, as it’s difficult to bear seeing them in emotional pain.


Took a knife and made the change
The person referred to as 'she' made a drastic decision to end their life by taking a sharp object and hurting themselves with it.


It's the past I wish I could rearrange
The artist regrets their past actions that may have contributed towards the person's emotional distress and potentially led them to take their own life. They wish they could go back and make amends to prevent this outcome.


It's all over now and I'm the one left to blame
The person who died is now gone, leaving the artist feeling guilty and responsible for their loved one's death.


I didn't think it would happen this way
The singer is shocked that things have escalated into a tragedy, as they didn't foresee the potential danger of their loved one's situation.


I guess I didn't think at all
The singer is admitting that they were unable to fully understand the gravity of the situation and failed to think about the consequences of their actions or words.


Just another day in the life of the born loser
The artist who identifies as a 'born loser' has learned to live with disappointments and negative circumstances in their life, despite their attempts to prevent bad things from happening. The line is a commentary on how life is an accumulation of moments, some of which are positive, and some are negative.


I'm neurotic and cold my tiny life is getting old
The artist describes their emotional state as being nervous and detached from reality, as they struggle to find purpose in their existence. Their life feels insignificant to the point of boredom.


Don't want to see me cry, thumbs up for suicide
The artist sarcastically suggests that others encourage their suicidal behavior by taking it lightly and not realizing the severity of their situation or trying to help them.


Put a gun up to my head, Pulled the trigger
The singer also took drastic action and attempted to end their life by shooting themselves in the head.


But I'm not dead
Despite the attempt to end their life, the artist is still alive but remains in despair.


It's all over now and I'm the one left to blame
Just like the earlier line, the singer's suicidal behavior has left them feeling guilty, responsible and alone. The solemn repetition acts as a reminder to the singer that their thoughts could lead them down the path of the person they care for that was lost to suicide.




Contributed by Aiden V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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Comments from YouTube:

Bread840

I've been listening to this song for 21 years. It never gets old. I loved Hoboken shows at fireside...drinking mad dog 20/20's out front. Good times.

Sean Sansone

You're gay.

Laurie Trumbower

Fuck yes. I listen to Hoboken every few months and they never ever cease to be awesome.

RT-N65

Ha hell yeah!!! Bet Ive been to shows you went to as well. Mad Dog was a must. But damn did it taste like shit lol.

Windom Earle

Amen and cheers. Seeing Hoboken, 88FL, Dillinger Four, Lawrence Arms and the like back then was something I'm grateful to have been a part of. Have moved on to new super cheap, disgusting fruity-ish beverages with super high alcohol content (mad dog is nothing compared to some of this swill, the kids who actually drink FourLoko and such are serious, thats potent shit!) but I still love a good club or warehouse/basement/houseparty Chicago punkshow. For me it won't ever compare to those amazing nights sweating and singing along at Fireside. As for the kids these days, I'm hoping they have found their own outlet like that

G A

The best part of my teenage years was listening to Apocalypse Hoboken, Tommyrot, Sidekick Kato and other bands like this in my otherwise completely blank hometown.

Aaron shogun Brown

yo this was my first punk show in like 94 in Elgin Illinois

Gill Serrano

Third Floor!!!!

mike1953Buick

One of the all time great Chicago bands....I have fond memories of seeing them in Chicago

Dan Murtagh

Jesus Christ,,, at 40 years old,, I hear this and feel like I'm 16 again. I absolutely love this. Thank you for posting it.

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