After a solo tour in the fall of 2003, Alexakis decided to continue with Everclear, organizing a new band that made its debut in March of 2004. The new lineup consisted of bass player Sam Hudson, guitarist Dave French, and drummer Eric Bretl. In the summer of 2004, the band added keyboard player Josh Crawley, and swapped Bretl for former Everclear drum tech Brett Snyder. The new lineup released its first recording, a cover of Woody Guthrie's This Land Is Your Land, that summer. A self-released EP of performances recorded for XM Satellite Radio called Closure was given out at shows in the fall of 2004.
Free of a major label, Alexakis spent the ensuing year and half slowly recording material for a new Everclear release. He admitted that the time after the breakup of the original lineup served as a "wake up call", during which he suffered his third divorce and a filing for bankruptcy. Alexakis announced the completion of the album in early 2006,titled Welcome To The Drama Club. The new band is now on Eleven Seven Music.
In August of 2008, drummer Brett Snyder left the band after four years. He was then replaced by Tommy Stewart, who previously played in bands Fuel and Godsmack.
The Man Who Broke His Own Heart
Everclear Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I know you want to be the one that made me pay
I know you think you are the one that made me break
I was broken when you met me, I'm finding pieces every day
I know you want to be my almost nervous breakdown
I know you really want to give me all your pain
I know you think you are the one that knocked me down
I know deep down you really want to punish me
For the way I used to be, yeah
I don't blame you for being angry
I treated you bad, you wasted time, you tried too hard
You fell for the man who broke his own heart
Whoa
I'm the man who broke his own heart
I know you want to be my "wish I never met you"
I know you want to be the worst thing in my life
I know you think you are the reason I can't sleep at night
I wish I was that simple, I've been like this for my whole life
I hope someday you will see me as I really am
A sad and twisted man
I tried to be just what you wanted me to be
I lied to you, I played the part
You fell for the man who broke his own heart
Whoa
I'm the man who broke his own heart
I hope someday you will come to see
I am not the scary monster
You have made me out to be
I don't blame you for being angry
I treated you bad, you wasted time
You tried too hard
You fell for the man who broke his own heart
Whoa
I'm the man who broke his own heart
The lyrics to Everclear's "The Man Who Broke His Own Heart" are a reflection on a failed relationship, with the singer acknowledging the pain he has caused his partner. He recognizes that his partner wants to be the one to punish him for his past actions and acknowledges that he was broken before they even met. The repeated lines of "I'm the man who broke his own heart" show the self-awareness and self-blame he feels for the relationship's failure.
The singer expresses that he wishes he could be what his partner wants him to be and that he tried to play that part, but ultimately he was unable to be the person she wanted him to be. He hopes that one day his partner can see him for who he is and not the "scary monster" she has made him out to be.
Through the lyrics, we see a man who is struggling with his own self-image and the mistakes he has made. He blames himself for the relationship's failure and wishes he could have been what his partner wanted him to be. The repetition of "I'm the man who broke his own heart" shows that he is aware of his role in the relationship's failure and is using this self-awareness to try to move on and create something better next time.
Line by Line Meaning
I know you want to be my almost instant karma
You want to punish me as quickly as possible for my wrongdoings
I know you want to be the one that made me pay
You want to be the cause of my suffering and agony
I know you think you are the one that made me break
You believe that you caused me to fall apart and break down emotionally
I was broken when you met me, I'm finding pieces every day
I was already emotionally shattered when you came into my life, and I am still trying to pick up the pieces
I know you want to be my almost nervous breakdown
You want to be the source of my ultimate mental breakdown
I know you really want to give me all your pain
You want to transfer all your suffering onto me
I know you think you are the one that knocked me down
You believe that you caused me to fall and stumble
You think you made me lose my mind, I think you better get in line
You believe that you caused me to go insane, but I think you need to join the queue of people who have contributed to my emotional turmoil
I know deep down you really want to punish me
You have an inherent desire to seek revenge and retribution against me
For the way I used to be, yeah
Because of my past behavior and actions
I don't blame you for being angry
I understand why you are so upset and frustrated with me
I treated you bad, you wasted time, you tried too hard
I treated you unfairly and poorly, and as a result, you put in a lot of time and effort into something that ultimately failed
You fell for the man who broke his own heart
You fell in love with me, despite knowing that I am the source of my own emotional pain and heartbreak
Whoa
I'm the man who broke his own heart
I am the one responsible for my own emotional distress and suffering
I know you want to be my "wish I never met you"
You wish you had never met me and regret getting involved with me
I know you want to be the worst thing in my life
You want to be remembered as the worst experience or person in my life
I know you think you are the reason I can't sleep at night
You believe that you are the cause of my insomnia and lack of rest
I wish I was that simple, I've been like this for my whole life
I wish my troubles and problems were as easily attributable to others, but the truth is that I have always been plagued by internal struggles
I hope someday you will see me as I really am
I hope you will someday understand and accept the reality of who I am as a person
A sad and twisted man
A man who is plagued by sadness and internal turmoil
I tried to be just what you wanted me to be
I attempted to change myself to fit your idealized version of who I should be
I lied to you, I played the part
I pretended to be someone I was not, and I was dishonest with you
I hope someday you will come to see
I hope that one day you will realize and acknowledge
I am not the scary monster
I am not the awful person you may perceive me to be
You have made me out to be
Your perception of me is distorted and inaccurate
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Art Alexakis, Dave French, Freddy Herrera, Josh Crawley, Sean Winchester
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind