It originally started in 2001 as the soundtrack for a friend's film. It developed into a solo project with the first release in 2002 on Tiger Style Records. In between touring with The Faint and Beep Beep, Petersen found time to write music for Broken Spindles.
The song, "Song No Song," from fulfilled/complete was used in a car commercial for Lexus
introvert
Broken Spindles Lyrics
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There's nothing there that wasn't already there before
The rubbing brings burning and I'll themed sits
I pull on my insides to distract intellect
An inch away from ever saying anything
An itch, a pain I'll never say anything
I think on thoughts too long until they run their course
An inch away from ever saying anything
An itch, a pain I'll never say anything
I hush, I hush, I'll always shut up, I hush
I watch and stay inside
To speak would be not me, a thief, a lie
An inch away from ever saying anything
An itch, a pain I'll never say anything
The lyrics to Broken Spindles's "Introvert" speak to the innermost feelings of a person who feels unable to express themselves openly. The first line, "There's a hole in my head, I'm leaking on the floor," seems to suggest that the singer feels as if they are losing their mind. They equate their inability to express themselves with a physical wound that is draining their thoughts from their head. The second line, "There's nothing there that wasn't already there before," furthers this sense of hopelessness by suggesting that they are trapped in their own thoughts and have nothing new to offer.
The next lines, "The rubbing brings burning and I'll themed sits, I pull on my insides to distract intellect," suggest that the singer is mentally torturing themselves by overanalyzing their thoughts. They cannot escape their own mind and the constant pressure to say something meaningful. The repetition of the phrase, "An inch away from ever saying anything, an itch, a pain I'll never say anything," emphasizes the internal conflict the singer is experiencing. They feel so close to speaking their mind, but something is holding them back.
The last lines of the song, "I hush, I hush, I'll always shut up, I hush. To speak would be not me, a thief, a lie," drive home the idea that the singer feels that speaking their mind would be out of character for them. They believe that to express themselves would be to betray their true nature and become someone they are not. The song portrays the crippling effects of overthinking and the fear of being misunderstood.
Line by Line Meaning
There's a hole in my head, I'm leaking on the floor
I feel like my thoughts are overflowing and I can't handle them anymore.
There's nothing there that wasn't already there before
My thoughts are just repeating and going around in circles.
The rubbing brings burning and I'll themed sits
When I think too much, it feels like my brain is on fire.
I pull on my insides to distract intellect
I try to distract myself from my own thoughts and feelings but it never works.
An inch away from ever saying anything
I'm so close to opening up, but I always hold back.
An itch, a pain I'll never say anything
It hurts to stay silent, but it's easier than speaking up.
There's no reason to ration the words exposed
There's no reason to hold back what I want to say.
I think on thoughts too long until they run their course
I overthink everything and end up exhausting myself.
I hush, I hush, I'll always shut up, I hush
I always keep my thoughts and feelings to myself.
I watch and stay inside
I observe everything from a distance and don't participate.
To speak would be not me, a thief, a lie
Speaking up would feel like betraying myself and who I am.
An inch away from ever saying anything
I'm always on the edge of opening up, but I never do.
An itch, a pain I'll never say anything
It's painful to keep things bottled up inside, but I never let them out.
Contributed by Dominic E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.