Breakdown
Jack Johnson Lyrics

I hope this old train breaks down
The singer wishes that this train would stop moving as he would like to walk around and explore.

Then I could take a walk around
If the train breaks down, the singer could explore his surroundings.

See what there is to see
The singer wants to experience and observe the world around him.

Time is just a melody
The concept of time is subjective and irrelevant to the singer's desire for exploration.

With all the people in the street
The singer notices the bustling crowd that surrounds him.

Walk as fast as their feet
The people on the street are in a hurry to get to their destinations.

Can take them
Their feet are the only means for them to reach their destinations.

I just roam through town
The singer, unlike others, takes his time to wander around and explore his surroundings.

And though my window's got a view
Although the singer can see the entire city from his window,

Where the frame I'm looking through
The frame limits his perspective.

Seems to have no concern for me now
The view from the singer's window seems distant and unimportant to him.

So for now
For the time being

I need this here
The singer wants this train to stop moving

Old train to breakdown
The singer wants this train to break down.

Oh, please just
The singer is begging for this to happen

Let me please breakdown
The singer wants to break down so that he can explore the world.

Well, this engine screams out loud
The engine makes a loud noise that annoys the singer

Sayin' the beat gonna crawl westbound
The engine announces the train’s direction

So I don't even make a sound
The singer remains quiet and still

'Cause it's gonna sting me when I leave this town
The singer is suggesting that leaving the town will hurt him emotionally.

And all the people in the street that I'll never get to meet
The singer is no longer able to encounter everyone in the street because the train is leaving.

These tracks don't bend somehow
The train tracks are rigid and don't curve within the terrain.

And I got no time that I got to get to
The singer has no particular place to be.

Where I don't need to be, so I
The singer doesn't want to be in a place that he doesn't need to be.

I need this
The singer wants a train breakdown.

Old train to breakdown
The singer wants the old train to break down.

Oh, please just
The singer is asking initially for the old train to break down.

Let me please breakdown
The singer wants to explore and hence is desperate for the old train to stop moving.

But you can't stop nothing
The singer is acknowledging the fact that certain things in life are uncontrollable.

If you got no control
The singer has no control over his thoughts.

Of the thoughts in your mind
The singer is referring to the background noise of his everyday thoughts.

That you kept in, you know
The singer is keeping them all inside, unwilling to let them escape.

You don't know nothing
The singer is acknowledging his lack of knowledge.

But you don't need to know
The singer is suggesting that sometimes knowing isn't always necessary.

The wisdom's in the trees
The beauty of nature has a lot to offer than the view in the window.

Not the glass windows
The singer thinks that the true beauty lies outside the window, not inside.

You can't stop wishing
The singer acknowledges that a human nature is to wish.

If you don't let go
The singer suggests that letting go of certain wishes can be difficult.

The things that you find
The singer is referring to his discoveries.

And you lose and you know
The singer is suggesting that even after discovering things, it is still possible to lose them.

You keep on rolling
The singer is suggesting that 'the show must go on'.

Put the moment on hold
The singer wants to extend the moment for his own exploration.

The frame's too bright
The frame is too overwhelming for the singer.

So put the blinds down low and
The singer lowers the blinds to limit his vision.

I need this here
The singer wants the old train to stop.

Old train to breakdown
The singer wants the old train to break down.

Oh, please just
The singer is begging for the train breakdown.

Let me please breakdown
The singer wants to explore the world, and so he's begging for the train to break down.

I wanna break on down
The singer wants to have a breakdown.

But I can't stop now
The singer couldn't afford to have a breakdown when he's still in motion.