By the time of their debut album, 1980's Crocodiles - a moderate UK hit - the drum machine had been replaced by Pete de Freitas. Their next, the critically-acclaimed Heaven Up Here, reached the Top Ten in 1981, as did 1983's Porcupine and '84's Ocean Rain. Singles like "The Killing Moon" (later used in the soundtrack to Donnie Darko, a film whose imagery owed much to the artwork of the band's early records.), "Silver," "Bring on the Dancing Horses," and "The Cutter" helped keep the group in the public eye as they took a brief hiatus in the late 1980s. Their 1987 self-titled LP was a small American hit, their only LP to have significant sales there.
McCulloch quit the band in 1988. De Freitas was killed in a motorcycle accident one year later. The others decided to continue, recruiting Noel Burke to replace McCulloch on vocals in Reverberation (1990), which did not generate much excitement among fans or critics. Burke, Sargeant and Pattinson split after that, but the surviving three fourths of the original band reformed in 1997 and released Evergreen (1997), What are You Going to Do with Your Life? (1999), Flowers (2001) , Siberia (2005), and the latest addition, The Fountain (2009). The group's old audience liked the return to their classic sound, and they also managed to gain a number of new, younger listeners.
Echo and the Bunnymen were managed early on by Bill Drummond, who went on to be a founder member of The KLF.
Broke My Neck
Echo & the Bunnymen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Just what I meant
Broke my neck
Lost respect
It was my fall from grace
I object
Is what I meant
And away I went
No sign of face-to-face
No chance of face-to-face
I helped myself
I couldn't help myself
I helped myself
I couldn't help myself
I tell myself
Go on and help yourself
You can help yourself
I can't help myself
No sign of face-to-face
No chance of face-to-face
The lyrics of Echo & the Bunnymen's song Broke My Neck explore feelings of failure, regret, and helplessness. As the verses progress, the singer seems to be struggling to understand their own actions and the consequences that have followed. The repetition of the phrase "I helped myself, I couldn't help myself" suggests a feeling of powerlessness, as if the singer is being driven to self-destructive behavior against their own will.
The first verse sets the stage with the lines "I forget, just what I meant, broke my neck, lost respect." This could be interpreted as the singer losing their way, making a mistake that caused them to lose the respect of others. The image of breaking one's neck suggests something severe and potentially debilitating, but it's not clear if this is meant literally or figuratively.
In the second verse, the singer says "I object, is what I meant, lost all track, and away I went." This suggests that the singer had a plan or a goal in mind, but something caused them to lose their focus and drift off course. The final lines of the song emphasize the sense of isolation and separation, with the repeated refrain of "no sign of face-to-face, no chance of face-to-face."
Overall, the lyrics of Broke My Neck convey a sense of confusion, regret, and despair. The repetition of certain phrases creates a kind of echoing effect that adds to the overall mood of the song.
Line by Line Meaning
I forget
I can't recall
Just what I meant
The true intention that I had in mind
Broke my neck
I had a severe fall
Lost respect
I lost the admiration and esteem of others
It was my fall from grace
It was my downfall or loss of status and honor
I object
I protest or disagree
Is what I meant
My real intention or interpretation
Lost all track
I lost my orientation or direction
And away I went
I went without a clear purpose or destination
No sign of face-to-face
No chance of a personal interaction or confrontation
No chance of face-to-face
No opportunity for a direct and personal encounter
I helped myself
I acted in my own interest
I couldn't help myself
I was unable to resist my impulses
I tell myself
I advise myself
Go on and help yourself
Take what you want without hesitation or reservation
You can help yourself
You are free to act in your own interest
I can't help myself
I am not able to control my actions
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: IAN STEPHEN MCCULLOCH, LESLIE THOMAS PATTINSON, PETE DE FREITAS, WILLIAM SERGEANT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
The Man from the train
For me one of the best tracks they ever recorded.
Maz
Bloody tune!
Davey Dave
For me, one of the best tracks ever!!! 😍😎❤
Carl Fairhurst
This is epic....brilliant 🎸🎸
Boston Guy in the midwest
Definitely one of their best tunes, wish they would do more songs like this instead of "Lips Like Sugar."
chris barlow
No it was Broome My Neck. It was the b side of A Promise.
O D
a great song, not sure why the band treated it so badly. Rarely played it live and it never made it onto any of their original lps. When they did do it live, Will played the guitar with a bow. Halcyon moments.
Davey Dave
Because it hurts like fuck for them as the drummer died in a road accident on his bike..... 😭
ninetyminutestd
Maybe because it's not a McCulloch song? It's angular and weird--sounds like something Sergeant wrote whereas McCulloch is more the melodic songwriter? Don't know but that's my guess. It's not really a song that emphasizes vocals.
Since McCulloch is the singer, they can't make him perform something he doesn't want to.
Uggy M
best piece of music I have ever heard