Breakdown
Dawn McCarthy & Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy Lyrics

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The clubs are all closed and the ladies are leaving
There's nobody, nobody knows on the street
A few stranded souls standing cold at the station
And nowhere to go but to bed and to sleep

Lord, would you look at you
Now that you're here ain't you
Proud of your peers and the long way you've come

All alone all the way on your own who's to say
That you've thrown it away for a song
Boy you've sure come a long way from home

So it's so long so many so far behind you
Fair weather friends that you no longer know
You still got the same lonely songs to remind you
Of someone you seemed to be so long ago

Lord, would you look at you
Now that you're here ain't you
Proud of your peers and the long way you've come
All alone all the way on your own who's to say

That you've thrown it away for a song
Boy you've sure come a long way from home

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Dawn McCarthy & Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy's song Breakdown paint a picture of a desolate and empty city streetscape, with the clubs closed and the ladies leaving. The few stranded souls standing cold at the station and nowhere to go to but bed and sleep. The song delves into themes of isolation and loneliness, as the singer reflects on the journey they have taken to reach this point, with fair weather friends left behind and the same lonely songs to remind them of someone they used to be. The lyrics are tinged with a sense of melancholy, as the singer struggles with the choices and sacrifices they have made along the way.

The chorus of "Lord, would you look at you, Now that you're here ain't you Proud of your peers and the long way you've come" can be interpreted as self-reflection, a reminder to the singer that despite the hardship they have faced, they have come a long way and should be proud of who they are and what they have achieved. However, the line "who's to say that you've thrown it away for a song" suggests that the character may have given up important things for their artistic pursuits.

Overall, the lyrics of Breakdown convey a sense of emotional turmoil and exploration, as the singer reflects on the journey of self-discovery and the sacrifices made along the way.

Line by Line Meaning

The clubs are all closed and the ladies are leaving
As the night comes to an end, the clubs are closing and the women are heading home.

There's nobody, nobody knows on the street
The streets are empty and there is no one around to be seen.

A few stranded souls standing cold at the station
There are a small number of lonely and cold individuals waiting at the station.

And nowhere to go but to bed and to sleep
There is nothing else for anyone to do except go to bed and get some sleep.

Lord, would you look at you
Oh my, just take a look at yourself.

Now that you're here ain't you
Now that you have arrived and succeeded, don't you feel accomplished?

Proud of your peers and the long way you've come
You should be proud of yourself and the progress you have made along the way with your peers.

All alone all the way on your own who's to say
You have accomplished all of this on your own, and who can judge what you have done?

That you've thrown it away for a song
Some may say that you have wasted your hard work for something as simple as a song.

Boy you've sure come a long way from home
You have come quite a distance from your starting point and it is impressive.

So it's so long so many so far behind you
There are many people and things that you have left behind in order to come this far.

Fair weather friends that you no longer know
There are people who were once your friends but have now abandoned you in your success.

You still got the same lonely songs to remind you
Although you have succeeded, you still have the same old and lonely songs to remind you of the past.

Of someone you seemed to be so long ago
These songs remind you of who you used to be, someone from a long time ago.

Contributed by Cameron A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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