Broke My Neck
Echo a The Bunnymen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
All I meant, lost respect
It was a fall from grace
I'm dead, that's what I meant
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't help yourself, I can help myself
No sign of face to face
The lyrics of Echo and The Bunnymen's song "Broke My Neck" depict the struggle of the singer as they come to terms with their own fall from grace. The opening lines "I'll forget just what I meant, All I meant, lost respect" describe the feeling of losing oneself and one's purpose. The statement "It was a fall from grace" emphasizes the severity of the singer's situation. Then, the line "I'm dead, that's what I meant" implies that the singer feels powerless, hopeless, and possibly suicidal.
As the song progresses, the singer laments their inability to make amends or face the consequences of their actions. The lines "Lost all track and the way I went, No sign of face to face, No chance of face to face" indicate the difficulty of confronting others and the resultant feeling of isolation. The lines "I helped myself, I couldn't help myself" and "I tell myself, go on and help yourself, You can't help yourself, I can help myself" demonstrate the internal conflict of autonomy versus vulnerability. The final line, "No sign of face to face," suggests a haunting emptiness as the singer faces their own demons.
Line by Line Meaning
I'll forget just what I meant
I will eventually forget the real intentions behind my actions
All I meant, lost respect
The respect I had from others is now lost due to my actions
It was a fall from grace
My actions have caused me to lose my previously held position of honor and respect
I'm dead, that's what I meant
The consequences of my actions have effectively killed off a part of who I used to be
Lost all track and the way I went
I am no longer sure of the direction I was headed in
No sign of face to face
There is no chance for a direct confrontation or interaction with others
No chance of face to face
The opportunity for a direct confrontation or interaction with others is entirely gone
I helped myself, I couldn't help myself
Although I am the author of my own undoing, I feel powerless in the moment to change course
I tell myself, go on and help yourself
I am telling myself to continue acting selfishly and only look out for my own interests
You can't help yourself, I can help myself
I am implying that others may be weakened by their inability to help themselves, while I alone am able to do so
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