After signing a contract with the Atlantic Records label Lava Records in 1994, his first major-label album, Honor Among Thieves, was issued in 1995. His second album, Misguided Roses, spawned I'll Be, a major single in 1998. Two more albums (Messenger and Far from Over) followed, but at the end of 2001, he split from Lava. In 2003 he released a collection of acoustic versions of songs both old and new called The Austin Sessions via ATC Records, a Nashville-based independent record label (at which McCain was the first artist signed following its creation in 2001). Mid-2004 saw the arrival of his first studio album in three years, entitled Scream & Whisper, which was released on another indie label, DRT Entertainment.
He has released two DVDs to date. The first was through ATC records in late 2002, called Mile Marker: Songs and Stories from the Acoustic Highway, and it consisted of interviews, live performances, and other material. The other was in late 2004, Tinsel & Tap Shoes. It was his first live concert DVD, recorded at The House of Blues in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
A new CD was released in April, 2006 titled, Lost in America. Edwin recently signed a contract with Vanguard Records. This album (#8) is said to be a true "rock 'n roll" collection.
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Broke Down Hearted Wonderland
Edwin McCain Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Yellow balloons taking to the skies
Life on the high wire can only come down
And I landed in a ghost town
Shut the gates and lost the keys
There were just too many memories
And those footprints in the sand
And you were a dreamer who no-one could see
A ring of fire when you looked at me
You swear you could hear the Ferris wheel song
And a mile of lights trying to figure on
All and soon i heard them too
And realized that only you could ever understand
My broke down hearted wonderland
The moment that you took my hand
You made me feel like the young daring man
Broke down hearted wonderland
Welcome home to the town you used to be
And bring your laughter your wide-eyes
And give it free to
My broke down hearted wonderland
The moment that you took my hand
You made me feel like the daring young man
The broke down hearted wonderland
Broke down hearted
Oh broke down hearted
Oh broke down hearted
Broke down hearted wonderland
The song "Broke Down Hearted Wonderland" by Edwin McCain seems to be a nostalgic reflection on life's ups and downs. It describes a world that used to be full of joy and wonder, but has now become a "ghost town" with too many painful memories. The singer implies that life is like walking on a high wire - it can only last for so long before it all comes crashing down. But just when things seem hopeless, the singer meets someone who understands them, and they are able to find joy and hope again. The lyrics paint a picture of two people coming together in a broken world, and finding a way to connect and heal each other.
The first stanza sets the stage by describing the world that used to be. The singer remembers a time when there was laughter and wonder, symbolized by the yellow balloons taking to the skies. However, the high wire of life is precarious, and the singer finds themselves in a ghost town with nothing but memories. The gates have been shut and the keys are lost, indicating a sense of finality and loss.
The second stanza introduces the second character - someone the singer describes as a dreamer who no one else could see. This person sees the world in a unique way, hearing the Ferris wheel song and seeing a mile of lights trying to figure on. When the singer hears these things too, they realize that only this person could understand their own "broke down hearted wonderland". This connection leads to hope and renewal, as the two of them come back to the singer's hometown to find laughter and wonder once again.
Overall, "Broke Down Hearted Wonderland" is a song about finding hope in a broken world, and the power of connection to heal our hearts.
Line by Line Meaning
There used to be laughter and wide-eyes
In the past, there was merriment and amazement all around
Yellow balloons taking to the skies
Balloons of yellow color ascending high up in the atmosphere
Life on the high wire can only come down
No matter how high one's flight is on the tightrope of life, it will eventually end
And I landed in a ghost town
I ended up in a place deserted by life and people
Shut the gates and lost the keys
The entryway closed and the keys misplaced
There were just too many memories
The memories were too numerous to handle
And those footprints in the sand
Marks left behind in the sand
Oh my broke down hearted wonderland
The place of my shattered heart and soul
And you were a dreamer who no-one could see
You were someone with dreams, but no one noticed or recognized them
A ring of fire when you looked at me
Your gaze made me feel an intense emotional heat
You swear you could hear the Ferris wheel song
You insisted that you could listen to the music originating from the Ferris wheel
And a mile of lights trying to figure on
Numerous lights arranged over a distance, attempting to make sense of things
All and soon I heard them too
Gradually, I also started perceiving them
And realized that only you could ever understand
I became aware that you were the only one who could comprehend what I'm going through
My broke down hearted wonderland
The place of my shattered heart and soul
The moment that you took my hand
As soon as you held my hand
You made me feel like the young daring man
You made me feel as though I were braver and younger
Broke down hearted wonderland
The place of my shattered heart and soul
Welcome home to the town you used to be
Welcome back to the place you belonged to in the past
And bring your laughter your wide-eyes
And carry along with you the joy in your heart and the wonder in your eyes
And give it free to my broke down hearted wonderland
Unfetteredly offer it all to the place where my shattered heart and soul resides
Broke down hearted
Shattered and distressed
Oh broke down hearted
Oh, how my heart and soul are shattered and distressed
Oh broke down hearted
Oh, how my heart and soul are shattered and distressed
Broke down hearted wonderland
The place of my shattered heart and soul
Contributed by Camden P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.