While Greg Kihn may have found a home for his music when he moved to Berkeley in 1974 and signed on with Beserkley Records, it would take almost a decade to find a successful formula for his music. Winding from Dylanesque folk to merseyesque rock, by the early '80s Kihn and his band found they shared elements of new wave music, and scored their first US hit, "The Breakup Song (They Don't Write 'Em)." Kihn had a bigger hit the following year with "Jeopardy," which peaked in the States at number 2. "Jeopardy" brought Kihn two of the highest honors an early eighties act could achieve: MTV put the video into heavy rotation, and Weird Al Yankovic recorded a parody. Kihn has been hard at work over the years, hosting a radio show, writing books and coming up with clever album titles (Kihnspiracy, Unkihntrollable). He has kinhtinued recording through it all, though it has proven difficult for Kihn to recapture the successes of 1982 and '83.
(http://www.80smusiclyrics.com/artists/gregkihnband.htm)
The Breakup Song
Greg Kihn Band Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Just an hour before
Ah-ah-ah, ah-ah-ah-ah, ah
And now I'm staring at the bodies
As they're dancing 'cross the floor
Ah-ah-ah, ah-ah-ah-ah, ah
And then the band slowed the tempo
And the music gets you down
It was the same old song
With a melancholy sound
Ah-ah-ah, ah-ah-ah-ah, ah
They don't write 'em like that anymore
They just don't write 'em like that anymore
We'd been living together for a million years
Ah-ah-ah, ah-ah-ah-ah, ah
But now it feels so strange out of the atmospheres
Ah-ah-ah, ah-ah-ah-ah, ah
And then the jukebox plays a song I used to know
Ah-ah-ah, ah-ah-ah-ah, ah
And now I'm staring at the bodies
As they're dancing so slow
Ah-ah-ah, ah-ah-ah-ah, aah
They don't write 'em like that anymore
They don't write 'em like that anymore
Mm, now I wind up staring at an empty glass
Ah-ah-ah, ah-ah-ah-ah, ah
'Cause it's so easy to say
That she'll forget your past
Ah-ah-ah, ah-ah-ah-ah, aah
They don't write 'em like that anymore
No, they just don't write 'em like that anymore
They don't write 'em like that anymore
They just don't write 'em like that anymore
They just don't, no, they don't, no no, uh-uh
They just don't write 'em like that anymore
They just don't
The Greg Kihn Band's iconic hit "The Breakup Song" details the aftermath of a recently ended relationship. The lyrics describe the confusion and heartache one experiences when they see their ex-partner out and about with other people. The singer is filled with nostalgia and longing as they reflect on the memories of their relationship. The band slows down the tempo, playing an old song with a melancholy sound that further deepens the pain of the singer. The lyrics offer a commentary on how the songs of the past used to deal with romantic heartbreak and how current songs don't quite capture the same raw emotion.
The singer describes how long they were together, noting that it felt like a million years, before commenting how out of place they feel now the relationship has ended, like they are in a different atmosphere entirely. The singer hears a song from their past relationship on the jukebox, causing them to get lost in thought and stare as the couple dances slowly, reminding them of a time when they were in love. The song's chorus repeats the idea that they just don't write songs like that anymore, suggesting the music landscape is different nowadays.
Overall, the lyrics to "The Breakup Song" detail the struggles of moving on after heartbreak, showcasing the pain and nostalgia that comes with the end of a meaningful relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
We had broken up for good
Just an hour before
Ah-ah-ah, ah-ah-ah-ah, ah
I recently broke up with my partner and it's still fresh in my mind, the pain is starting to set in
And now I'm staring at the bodies
As they're dancing 'cross the floor
Ah-ah-ah, ah-ah-ah-ah, ah
I'm at a party but I can't bring myself to join in the fun, I feel like such an outsider
And then the band slowed the tempo
And the music gets you down
Ah-ah-ah, ah-ah-ah-ah, ah
The music is reflective of my mood, slow and sad, it's only making things worse
It was the same old song
With a melancholy sound
Ah-ah-ah, ah-ah-ah-ah, ah
The song the band is playing is one I know well, and it's only compounding my sadness
They don't write 'em like that anymore
They just don't write 'em like that anymore
I'm lamenting the fact that music these days can't capture the depth of emotion like this song does
We'd been living together for a million years
Ah-ah-ah, ah-ah-ah-ah, ah
My ex and I had been together for so long, it feels like forever
But now it feels so strange out of the atmospheres
Ah-ah-ah, ah-ah-ah-ah, ah
Without my partner, everything feels foreign and unsettling, like I'm in a different world
And then the jukebox plays a song I used to know
Ah-ah-ah, ah-ah-ah-ah, ah
A familiar song starts playing, one that reminds me of happier times with my ex
And now I'm staring at the bodies
As they're dancing so slow
Ah-ah-ah, ah-ah-ah-ah, aah
Watching everyone dancing slowly is a painful reminder of what I've lost
Mm, now I wind up staring at an empty glass
Ah-ah-ah, ah-ah-ah-ah, ah
I'm drowning my sorrows in alcohol, trying to numb the pain
'Cause it's so easy to say
That she'll forget your past
Ah-ah-ah, ah-ah-ah-ah, aah
I'm trying to convince myself that my ex will move on and forget about me, but it's easier said than done
No, they just don't write 'em like that anymore
They just don't write 'em like that anymore
They just don't
One last time, I bemoan the fact that modern music just doesn't capture heartbreak like this song does
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: GARY PHILLIPS, GREGORY STANLEY KIHN, STEPHEN ALAN WRIGHT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@kiddanger4202
00:00:13 We had broken up for good
Just an hour before
Ah-ah-ah, ah-ah-ah-ah, ah
And now I'm starin’ at the bodies
As they're dancin’ 'cross the floor
Ah-ah-ah, ah-ah-ah-ah, ah
And then the band slowed the tempo
And the music gets you down
Ah-ah-ah, ah-ah-ah-ah, ah
It was the same old song
With a melancholy sound
Ah-ah-ah, ah-ah-ah-ah, ah
They don't write 'em like that anymore
They just don't write 'em like that anymore
We'd been livin’ together for a million years
Ah-ah-ah, ah-ah-ah-ah, ah
But now it feels so strange outta the atmospheres
Ah-ah-ah, ah-ah-ah-ah, ah
And then the jukebox plays a song I used to know
Ah-ah-ah, ah-ah-ah-ah, ah
And now I'm starin’ at the bodies
As they're dancin’ so slow
Ah-ah-ah, ah-ah-ah-ah, aah
They don't write 'em like that anymore
They don't write 'em like that anymore
Mm, now I wind up starin’ at an empty glass
Ah-ah-ah, ah-ah-ah-ah, ah
'Cause it's so easy to say
That she'll forget your past
Ah-ah-ah, ah-ah-ah-ah, aah
They don't write 'em like that anymore
No, they just don't write 'em like that anymore
They don't write 'em like that anymore
They just don't write 'em like that anymore
They just don't, no, they don't, no no, uh-uh
They just don't write 'em like that anymore
They just don't
@jonahdrake5885
We had broken up for good just an hour before,
Ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah.
And now I'm staring at the bodies as they're dancing 'cross the floor.
Ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah.
And then the band slowed the tempo, and the music gets you down.
Ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah.
It was the same old song, with a melancholy sound.
Ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah.
They don't write 'em like that anymore.
They just don't write 'em like that anymore.
We'd been living together for a million years,
Ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah.
But now it feels so strange out of the atmospheres.
Ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah.
And then the jukebox plays a song I used to know.
Ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah.
And now I'm staring at the bodies as they're dancing so slow.
Ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah.
They don't write 'em like that anymore.
They don't write 'em like that anymore.
Now I'm winding up staring at an empty glass
Ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah.
Cause it's so easy to say that you'll forget your past.
Ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah.
They don't write 'em like that anymore.
No, they just don't write 'em like that anymore.
Oh, they don't write 'em like that anymore.
They just don't write 'em like that anymore.
They just don't, no they don't, no no, uh-uh,
They just don't write 'em like that anymore.
They just don't...
@May.417
LYRICS
We had broken up for good
Just an hour before
Ah-ah-ah, ah-ah-ah-ah, ah
And now I'm staring at the bodies
As they're dancing 'cross the floor
Ah-ah-ah, ah-ah-ah-ah, ah
And then the band slowed the tempo
And the music gets you down
Ah-ah-ah, ah-ah-ah-ah, ah
It was the same old song
With a melancholy sound
Ah-ah-ah, ah-ah-ah-ah, ah
They don't write 'em like that anymore
They just don't write 'em like that anymore
We'd been living together for a million years
Ah-ah-ah, ah-ah-ah-ah, ah
But now it feels so strange out of the atmospheres
Ah-ah-ah, ah-ah-ah-ah, ah
And then the jukebox plays a song I used to know
Ah-ah-ah, ah-ah-ah-ah, ah
And now I'm staring at the bodies
As they're dancing so slow
Ah-ah-ah, ah-ah-ah-ah, aah
They don't write 'em like that anymore
They don't write 'em like that anymore
Mm, now I wind up staring at an empty glass
Ah-ah-ah, ah-ah-ah-ah, ah
'Cause it's so easy to say
That she'll forget your past
Ah-ah-ah, ah-ah-ah-ah, aah
They don't write 'em like that anymore
No, they just don't write 'em like that anymore
They don't write 'em like that anymore
They just don't write 'em like that anymore
They just don't, no, they don't, no no, uh-uh
They just don't write 'em like that anymore
They just don't
@thearthmystergeneral2583
I’m Captain Loggins and you’re on Los Santos Rock Radio
@michaelriley2527
I gotta go trim my beard. Time for a commercial.
@molahsalazar
Unfunny kid
@luisautodidata8232
Yeah, i also use this song !
@kratosguy91
Except its a different version in the game
@JesusGomez-xp9yf
Perrona musica
@grungemetal1996
I seriously had to sing "uh uh uh uh uh uh uh uh" to my mom so she could tell me the name of this song for me to find it on YouTube LOL
@play4u67
Along time ago I used to listen to this song a LOT..lol. Then it kind of got away from me...or me it..lol..and I too forgot the name of it and had to sing the exact same thing to my husband (of all people..the break up song?? lol) and laughed at me and told me the name and who sang it. So yeah, I get it.. happened to me too...lol. But now we know and bet we don't forget it again (: Take care.
@jackslater230011
I think that "uh uh uh uh uh uh" segment represents crying. I think he's making fun of all the break-up songs in the past.
@cristopherplatric5757
Thank you so much sir.