Freedy Johnston (born 1961) is a New York City-based singer-songwriter orig… Read Full Bio ↴Freedy Johnston (born 1961) is a New York City-based singer-songwriter originally from Kinsley, Kansas. Johnston's first album, "The Trouble Tree" was released in 1990, and features the guitar playing of the roots musician and author, David Hamburger. Johnston sold some of his family's farmland to finance the recording of his second album, Can You Fly (an event he wrote about in a song on that album, "Trying To Tell You I Don't Know"). Johnston followed up with his 1994 major label debut This Perfect World, which received rave reviews and led to Rolling Stone Magazine naming him "songwriter of the year". That album also spawned a minor alternative hit with the song "Bad Reputation".

Johnston's songs are often about troubled loners, and cover topics like heartbreak, alienation and disappointment. Known for the craftsmanship of his songs, he has sometimes been called a "songwriter's songwriter".

He has contributed songs to the soundtracks for movies including Kingpin and Things to Do in Denver When You're Dead. Johnston and fellow musicians Jay Moran, James "Pie" Cowan, Duke Erikson, and Butch Vig perform occasional shows as a covers band called "The Know-It-All Boyfriends."

Johnston latest release is a covers album titled "Rain on the City", It includes selections from Tom Petty, Paul McCartney, Matthew Sweet and The Hollies.

Broken Mirror
Freedy Johnston Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I wouldn't believe everything you said
Now what do I see
A broken mirror looking at me
Am I now the one who's incomplete

Broken mirror
You did not lie
You told me what's wrong

And you told me why
Your pieces are true
Sharp and blind
Nobody looks back
From your unseen side

You wouldn't believe
Everything I said I did not mean
Broken mirror under my feet
Are you now the one reflected in me

Broken mirror
You did not lie
You told me what's wrong
And you told me why
Your pieces are true
Sharp and blind
Nobody looks back
From your unseen side

Well, every night, every day
I came to you to see what you'd say
And now look what I've done
It's the hour and the lack of oxygen

I wouldn't believe everything you said
Now what do I see
A broken mirror looking at me
Am I now the one who's incomplete

Alone in the night

Overall Meaning

, Freedy Johnston's Broken Mirror is a hauntingly beautiful song that grapples with the complexities of truth, perception, and self-discovery. The song opens with a sense of doubt, as the singer expresses skepticism about accepting everything someone else says as true. This skepticism is mirrored by the broken mirror that stares back at the singer, challenging their own sense of completeness and wholeness.

The imagery of the broken mirror is powerful and multifaceted. On one hand, it reveals the truth about imperfection and brokenness, acknowledging the sharp and blind pieces that make it up. At the same time, it suggests the limitations and distortions of perception, as nobody can look back from the unseen side. Ultimately, the broken mirror becomes a reflection of the singer's own flaws and incompleteness, as they recognize that what they see in the world is often a projection of their own inner dissonance.

Line by Line Meaning

I wouldn't believe everything you said
The singer realizes that they should have doubted the words of someone else.

Now what do I see
The situation now appears different, and the singer is struggling to interpret what is happening.

A broken mirror looking at me
The singer sees their reflection in a shattered surface and is forced to confront their own flaws and shortcomings.

Am I now the one who's incomplete
The artist questions whether they are the one who is lacking or flawed.

Broken mirror
The physical object used as a metaphor for the artist's current state of mind.

You did not lie
The broken mirror serves as an honest reflection of the singer's reality.

You told me what's wrong And you told me why Your pieces are true Sharp and blind Nobody looks back From your unseen side
The shattered pieces of the mirror reveal the singer's flaws and shortcomings with harsh clarity, but also serve as a metaphor for hidden truths and secrets that are not visible to the naked eye.

You wouldn't believe Everything I said I did not mean
The artist is regretful for saying things that they did not mean and understands that their words may have been deceptive or misleading.

Broken mirror under my feet Are you now the one reflected in me
The artist is standing on shards of the broken mirror and questions whether the mirror is now a part of them.

Well, every night, every day I came to you to see what you'd say And now look what I've done It's the hour and the lack of oxygen
The artist relied on the broken mirror to reveal their innermost thoughts and feelings, but is now realizing the consequences of their actions.

Alone in the night
The singer is left to face their own reflection, without any external influences or distractions.

Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS

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