Brad's success as the drummer of Rage Against the Machine came from the failure of a different band; he once auditioned for a band called Lock Up, who released one album (titled Somethin' Bitchin' This Way Comes) through Geffen records in 1989 and broke up when the album received little media attention upon release. Former Lock Up guitarist Tom Morello was looking to pick up where Lock Up left off and start a new band, and called up Brad to see if he was interested in playing the drums. A short while after, the duo met Zack de la Rocha, a rapper, and through de la Rocha met bassist Tim Commerford (a childhood friend of Zack's) and Rage Against the Machine was born.
When Zack De La Rocha left Rage Against the Machine in late 2000, Brad and the two remaining members, Tom Morello and Tim Commerford, opted to stay together to form a new rock band. Producer Rick Rubin suggested they have a jam session with former Soundgarden vocalist Chris Cornell. The meeting was an immediate success and they subsequently formed a band called Civilian, which was later renamed Audioslave. Brad Wilk has been the drummer of Audioslave since its formation in 2001.
Born of a Broken Man
Brad Wilk Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Capturing my memories
The frontier of loss
They try to escape across
The street where
Jesus stripped bare
And raped the spirit he was supposed to nurture
Born of a broken man, but not a broken man
Born of a broken man, never a broken man
Born of a broken man, but not a broken man
Born of a broken man, never a broken man
Like autumn leaves
His sense fell from him
An empty glass of himself
Shattered somewhere within
His thoughts like a hundred moths
Trapped in a lampshade
Somewhere within
Their wings banging and burning
On through endless nights
Forever awake he lies shaking and starving
Praying for someone to turn off the light
Born of a broken man, never a broken man
Born of a broken man, but not a broken man
Born of a broken man, never a broken man
Born of a broken man, but not a broken man
Uh
Uh
My fears hunt me down
Capturing my memories
The frontier of loss
They try to escape across
The street where
Jesus stripped bare
And raped the spirit he was supposed to nurture
In the name of my, in the name of my
Born of a broken man, but not a broken man
Born of a broken man, never a broken man
Born of a broken man, but not a broken man
Born of a broken man, never a broken man
Uh
Uh
Nah
Uh
Nah
Come on
The lyrics of Brad Wilk's song Born of a Broken Man delve into the deep-seated fears and memories that haunt the singer. The opening lines 'My fears hunt me down, Capturing my memories' set the tone for the rest of the song. The lyrics suggest that his fears are not only trapping his memories but are also preventing him from moving forward. The singer feels like he has reached the 'frontier of loss' from where there seems no escape. The phrase 'the frontier of loss' here could represent the point of no return, where the hurt and pain are so acute that there is no way to come back from it.
The second half of the first verse talks about "the street where Jesus stripped bare And raped the spirit he was supposed to nurture". These lines are metaphoric and paint an image of a broken spirit who has lost faith and all that he has ever known. This could be seen as an attack on established religion or hierarchy. The chorus emphasizes the singer's origins as being "Born of a Broken Man, but not a Broken Man". It implies that although he is born out of a situation of hardship, suffering, and pain, those experiences didn't break him. Instead, he endured and persevered through them.
The second verse describes a person's mental and emotional state when they have lost themselves. The empty glass of himself shattered signifies a deep emptiness in someone who was once whole. He is trapped by negative thoughts and memories like a hundred moths trapped in a lampshade, banging and burning their wings in a frantic attempt to escape. The singer describes this as "Forever awake he lies shaking and starving, praying for someone to turn off the light". The light here could represent hope, and he longs for someone to come and rescue him from his own thoughts. The repeated chorus emphasizes that though he has come from a broken background, it does not define him. He is still a survivor who has managed to overcome his hardships.
Line by Line Meaning
My fears hunt me down
My anxieties haunt me relentlessly
Capturing my memories
Taking away my treasured recollections
The frontier of loss
The unexplored boundary of grief
They try to escape across
They seek to flee, to no avail
The street where
In a place where
Jesus stripped bare
The son of God left exposed and vulnerable
And raped the spirit he was supposed to nurture
Caused intense harm to the very being he was meant to care for
In the name of my, in the name of my
Perhaps in the name of my pain or my anguish
Born of a broken man, but not a broken man
Despite my origins in pain, I am not myself broken
Born of a broken man, never a broken man
I remain unbroken, even with my traumatic past
Like autumn leaves
Like the fallen leaves of autumn
His sense fell from him
He lost all comprehension
An empty glass of himself
He is hollow and without substance
Shattered somewhere within
Broken on the inside
His thoughts like a hundred moths
His ideas fluttering in a confused swarm
Trapped in a lampshade
Confined and unable to escape
Somewhere within
Lost in the depths of his mind
Their wings banging and burning
Their attempts at freedom causing pain and harm
On through endless nights
Continuing through an unending cycle of darkness
Forever awake he lies shaking and starving
Always alert, quivering and in great need
Praying for someone to turn off the light
Begging for the ceaseless burden to be lifted
Uh
Uh
My fears hunt me down
My anxieties haunt me relentlessly
Capturing my memories
Taking away my treasured recollections
The frontier of loss
The unexplored boundary of grief
They try to escape across
They seek to flee, to no avail
The street where
In a place where
Jesus stripped bare
The son of God left exposed and vulnerable
And raped the spirit he was supposed to nurture
Caused intense harm to the very being he was meant to care for
In the name of my, in the name of my
Perhaps in the name of my pain or my anguish
Born of a broken man, but not a broken man
Despite my origins in pain, I am not myself broken
Born of a broken man, never a broken man
I remain unbroken, even with my traumatic past
Uh
Uh
Nah
Uh
Nah
Come on
Contributed by Tyler R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@LagmasterB
One of the most underrated Rage songs
@nerfactory8067
This performance is great. Zack and Tom nailed this song.
@michaelfortress3119
don't forget Tim and Brad holding down the rhythm, two amazing musicians too
@adminsator6403
you forgot Tim and Brad
@milostyle7875
Brad wilk is a top class drumer
@brendandrunasky1240
the human body produces its own force like adrenaline that can make it look like someone is on drugs. Don't underestimate someone's own strength.
@derekstitt7215
Imagine the adrenaline rush of looking out to about 500,000 people probably unexplainable
@IceKoldKilla
Anger is a gift.
@theteach7314
This sends chills down my spin. I love these men!
@ThePHATPHUC
1:30 that fill by the drummer is fucking impressive