The debut self-titled album by Broken Bells was released on Columbia Records on March 9, 2010. The first single from the record, "The High Road", was released on December 21, 2009.
NPR's "All Things Considered" aired an interview with the duo on March 16, 2010. A transcript of the article can be found here.
An EP, Meyrin Fields, was released on March 29, 2011.
Their second LP, After the Disco, was released on February 4, 2014.
Their third album, INTO THE BLUE, was released on October 7, 2022.
www.brokenbells.com
Perfect World
Broken Bells Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Help me stumble home
Let me lose myself along the way
I've got nothing left
It's kind of wonderful
'Cause there's nothing they can take away
Away
The open doors
Left me wanting more
Never thought they'd close them all away
The ordinary life they want for you
Is it too much to have to bear?
But it's another way to win a useless fight
You've been lying so long from the way that you're faking
See the water run and rise
Just another day into a useless night
I've been pushing so hard that my hands are shaking
See the water run and rise
But I've been turned around
I was upside down
I thought love would always find a way
But I know better now
Got it figured out
It's a perfect world all the same
World
But I've been turned around
I was upside down
I thought love would always find a way
But I know better now
Got it figured out
It's a perfect world all the same
World, world, world, world
World, world, world, world
I was hoping for
An easy rambling life
'Till an ocean came to my mind
We look for exit signs
But we can't be changed
Into nothing overnight
Though we know it's over
It keeps exploding
Every morning when we rise
The Broken Bells' song Perfect World seems to evoke a sense of disillusionment with traditional values of societal normalcy, which is emphasized through the lyrics that describe the singer wandering home alone in the dim light of the London moon. The song's opening lines highlight a sense of lost desperation, as the singer pleads for help in finding their way home, but ultimately resigns themselves to "lose themselves" along the way. The following lines describe the sublime nothingness of having nothing left to lose, which the singer juxtaposes with the societal pressure of having an "ordinary life." The singer seems to have come to a realization that their pursuit of a unique and meaningful existence has only led them down a path of disappointment.
The chorus indicates a newfound acceptance and understanding of the world's imperfections, as the singer has found peace in the realization that the world is perfect in its own way. The second verse offers further insight into this acceptance, as the singer vocalizes the idea that real change and growth take time, and that personal evolution and self-discovery cannot be rushed. The final lines of the song suggest a never-ending cycle of explosive growth and renewal, but despite this, the singer seems to have found a sense of hope and perseverance to persist through life's highs and lows.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh London moon
I'm lost and looking for direction in my life
Help me stumble home
I need an escape from reality
Let me lose myself along the way
I want to forget about my problems and worries
I've got nothing left
I feel like I've hit rock bottom
It's kind of wonderful
Having nothing to lose can be liberating
'Cause there's nothing they can take away
No matter what happens, I'll still have myself
The open doors
Opportunities that were once available
Left me wanting more
I desire more than what's been given
Never thought they'd close them all away
I didn't expect to lose all the opportunities
The ordinary life they want for you
Society's expectations for the norm
Is it too much to have to bear?
Is conforming to expectations worth losing individuality?
But it's another way to win a useless fight
Conforming to society isn't a worthwhile battle to win
You've been lying so long from the way that you're faking
You've been pretending to be someone you're not for too long
See the water run and rise
Change is happening, whether we like it or not
Just another day into a useless night
Each day feels like a waste, leading to sleepless nights
I've been pushing so hard that my hands are shaking
I've been trying so hard to succeed that I'm exhausted
But I've been turned around
My perspective has changed
I was upside down
My previous understanding was flawed
I thought love would always find a way
I had hope that love could solve anything
But I know better now
Experience has taught me otherwise
Got it figured out
I understand the reality of the situation
It's a perfect world all the same
Despite the struggles, the world is still beautiful in its own way
World
The imperfect yet amazing world we live in
I was hoping for
I had aspirations for
An easy rambling life
A stress-free existence
'Till an ocean came to my mind
Until a flood of thoughts overwhelmed me
We look for exit signs
We search for a way out of our problems
But we can't be changed
We can't escape ourselves
Into nothing overnight
We can't change who we are in an instant
Though we know it's over
Even if we know something has ended, we can't stop feeling it
It keeps exploding
Our emotions continue to overwhelm us
Every morning when we rise
We can't escape our emotions, they'll be with us every day
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JAMES MERCER, BRIAN BURTON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Mary Narvaez
Oh, London moon
Help me stumble home
Let me lose myself along the way
I've got nothing left, it's kinda wonderful
'Cause there's nothing there can take away, away
The open doors left me wanting more
Never thought they'd close them all the way
The ordinary life they want for you
Is it too much to have to bear?
But it's another way to win a useless fight
You've been lying so long, don't know when you're faking
See the water on the rise
Just another day into a useless night
I've been pushing so hard, now my hands are shaking
See the water on the rise
But I've been turned around
I was upside down
I thought love would always find a way
But I know better now
Got it figured out
It's a perfect world all the same
I've been turned around
I was upside down
I thought love would always find a way
But I know better now
Got it figured out
It's a perfect world all the same
I was hopin' for
An easy ramblin' life
Till the notion came to my mind
We look for exit signs
But we can't be changed
Into nothing overnight
Though we know it's over
It keeps exploding
Every morning when we rise
Qi Zhou
So underrated. I found out about broken bells couple weeks and theres no a single song that I dislike. Hope they get more recognition in the future
Griffy
The fact they don't stay mainstream make them great as well<333 as long as they are cool and come by I don't miiind - just know u guys u make awesome music, I love every inch of it and I'm listening to it all the tiiiime💖💖💖u mean so much to mee, much love<333😍✌️🔥
Thijmen
I just found them a week ago. They're awesome!
Kenneth Pickerel
If you like broken bells check out James Mercedes’ first band “the shins”
Skye 💜
I’ve had this in my library for years now and it has never resonated with me so much as it does tonight 💜🥺
Nick Walker
This song will go down in history as a classic. That is if we have a future.
LanceMin
There's always hope.
Bilal Ahmed
You forgot to end the question.
That is if we have a future AS long as this song has a future
Samyboy
I don’t like this one that much
Swapmeet sheriff Don Knott expert
Right! U sound like me brada