DAWN has been one of music’s most distinctive voices and songwriters since … Read Full Bio ↴DAWN has been one of music’s most distinctive voices and songwriters since 2004, as a member of Danity Kane and then Diddy-Dirty Money, releasing the cult R&B classic Last Train to Paris. However, it’s as a solo artist that she’s really soared.
 
Across three solo albums, DAWN has honed a style of music that she describes as “genderless and genreless”.
 
DAWN’s 2019 album New Breed was her most successful to date. Showcasing her home city New Orleans and the Carnival Indian culture makes her latest album a one of a kind masterpiece. Her vocal and dance ability are matched with her production and songwriting skills making her one of most extraordinary talents of our time. New Breed was named as one of the year’s best albums by Pitchfork, Rolling Stone, Vogue, FACT, LA Times, Spin, Rap Up and many more. DAWN continues to push the boundaries of music and visual technology with her videos and live show, becoming the first artist to perform live in 360 on YouTube. She has also released a VR album debuted by WIRED as well as collaborated with her long time partners Adult Swim making her the first black female singer to do so. What makes DAWN a unique pop sensation and a phenomenon is that she does this all DIY. Being completely Independent with no label or team she has broken ceilings for women, POC, LGBTQ, and so many others. DAWN is more than just her music, she is a movement.

Break of Dawn
Dawn Richard Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Oh you, oh oh
Oh you
You, oh oh

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, oh, oh
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh

You push me off top of a building

To see if I was made of glass, yeah
You push your lies and doubts upon me
So you can have the upper hand, yeah
Because of you I nearly lost myself
My heart was blind, your love was hell
I couldn't find my way up out the dark, no
Til I realized I was my help
I found my light I told myself
You'll never crush me, no matter how hard
And never be the break of dawn

You, oh, oh,
You'll never ever see the break of dawn
Hearts will just sing it one time, yeah, yeah
You, oh, oh,
No matter what you do, baby you won't,
Never see the break of dawn

You try to run me into the pavement
You said I never had a chance
Oh, oh, oh you tried to tear me up well right now it’s payback
You trying to take away everything I have, oh baby no
Because of you I nearly lost my mind
I never took a risk, was scared to fly
I couldn't find my way up out the dark oh, oh!
Till I realized I was my light
Told myself gonna be alright
You’re never gonna break this open heart

You’ll never be a break of dawn
You, oh, oh,
You’ll never ever ever see the break of dawn
Hearts will just sing it one time
You, oh, oh,
No matter what you do, baby you won't
Never see the break of dawn
You, oh, oh,
I can’t stand it, I can’t fight it
You'll never ever see the break of dawn
Put your hands in the air if you feel me, hearts just sing
You, oh, oh, yeah yeah
You better what you do, baby you won’t
You'll never see the break of dawn

Put your arms up in the sky, yeah
Holding hearts unite
Yeah, yeah you'll never see the break of dawn (you'll never see the break of dawn)
Lost in the darkest night
Know there's a silver light, yeah (there's a silver light, yeah)
You'll never see it
Oh so you feel me, can you say it?
They can't bring us down
You, oh, oh,
Hearts won’t you sing me one time
You, oh, oh, yeah yeah
No matter what you do, baby you won't take it, break (You, oh oh)
I won’t breathe
No baby, no, no, no
There won’t be a, no, no, baby no no
You, oh, oh,
No baby, no oh
This gonna be, this gonna be yeah
There won’t be a break of dawn

You, oh, oh,
You, oh, oh,
You, oh, oh,
You, oh, oh,
You, oh, oh,

Oh oh
You, oh, oh

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of ‘Break of Dawn’ by Dawn Richard talk about a toxic relationship where the other person tries to break the singer down. The opening lines of the song repeat the word ‘you’ in a repetitive yet haunting tone, which sets the mood for the rest of the song. The first verse talks about how the other person has tried to push the singer off a building or in other words, test how much she can endure. The lies and doubts of this person have weighed her down but she still refuses to let go or allow them to have the upper hand. However, owing to her past experiences, she almost loses herself, but eventually realizes that she has to rely on her strength, to find her light, and not allow this person to be the break of dawn in her life.

The second verse shows how the other person is intent on hurting the singer and take everything she has. The person tries to run her into the pavement and tells her that she never had a chance. However, the singer is ready for payback and will not let the person break her down. She takes control of the situation as she takes a risk and flies instead of getting weighed down by her fears. She again reiterates that the person won't be the break of dawn in her life and she will not let their toxicity influence her.

The song's chorus highlights how the person will never be a break of dawn in the singer's life, no matter what they do. The 'you, oh oh' represents her defiance as she puts her foot down and asserts her independence. The bridge of the song, where the singer urges her listeners to 'put your arms up in the sky,' shows how she wants others who've been in similar situations to rise up and overcome their fears.

Line by Line Meaning

Oh you, oh oh
Addressing the person who has caused pain and stress in her life

You push me off top of a building
You have tested me in order to see if I am fragile

To see if I was made of glass, yeah
To see if I am easily breakable

You push your lies and doubts upon me
You have tried to suppress my confidence by feeding me lies and doubts

So you can have the upper hand, yeah
To gain control over me

Because of you I nearly lost myself
Due to your actions, I almost lost track of who I am

My heart was blind, your love was hell
Your so-called love blinded me and made my life a living hell

I couldn't find my way up out the dark, no
I was struggling to overcome the dark times in my life

Til I realized I was my help
I discovered that I am capable of finding a way out on my own

I found my light I told myself
I found my inner strength and reminded myself of it

You'll never crush me, no matter how hard
I will not let you break my spirit, no matter how much you try

And never be the break of dawn
You will never have the power to bring me down

You'll never ever see the break of dawn
You will never have the satisfaction of seeing me fall

Hearts will just sing it one time, yeah, yeah
My message will resonate with everyone who has gone through similar experiences

You try to run me into the pavement
You have attempted to crush me and push me down

You said I never had a chance
You constantly belittled and undermined me by saying that I can never be successful

You trying to take away everything I have, oh baby no
You are trying to sabotage my life and take away everything that I have worked for

Because of you I nearly lost my mind
You have caused me so much emotional pain that I almost lost my sanity

I never took a risk, was scared to fly
I have always been afraid to take risks and pursue my dreams

Till I realized I was my light
I came to the realization that my inner strength is my guiding light

Told myself gonna be alright
I promised myself that everything will be alright

You’re never gonna break this open heart
You will never have the power to break my open and loving heart

Put your hands in the air if you feel me, hearts just sing
I want everyone to join in and support my message

Lost in the darkest night
Feeling hopeless in the midst of hardships

Know there's a silver light, yeah
Believing that there is a hope for a better future

There's a silver light, yeah
There is always a way out of darkness

You won't see the break of dawn
You will not have the power to bring me down forever

No matter what you do, baby you won't take it, break (You, oh oh)
No matter what you do to me, you will never succeed in breaking me

This gonna be, this gonna be yeah
With a strong resolve, I am ready to face and overcome any challenge

There won’t be a break of dawn
I am determined to not let you be the cause of my downfall

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ANDREW SCOTT, UNKNOWN COMPOSER AUTHOR

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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