Keane achieved mainstream, international success with the release of their debut album Hopes and Fears in 2004. Topping the UK charts, the album won the 2005 Brit Award for Best British Album and was the second best-selling British album of 2004. It is one of the best-selling albums in UK chart history. Their second album, Under the Iron Sea, released in 2006, topped the UK album charts and debuted at number four on the US Billboard 200. Their third album Perfect Symmetry was released in October 2008.
In May 2008, both Hopes and Fears (number 13) and Under the Iron Sea (number 8) were voted by readers of Q magazine as among the best British albums ever, with Keane, The Beatles, Oasis and Radiohead the only artists having two albums in the top 20. In 2009, Hopes and Fears was listed as the ninth best-selling album of the 2000s decade in the UK. Their EP Night Train was released in May 2010. Their fourth studio album Strangeland was released in May 2012 and peaked at number one on the UK Albums Chart.
Keane are known for using keyboards as the lead instrument instead of guitar, differentiating them from most other rock bands. The inclusion of a distorted piano effect in 2006 and various synthesisers were a common feature in their music which developed on the second and third albums. Keane have sold over 13 million records worldwide.
After the release of their compilation album The Best of Keane in 2013, the band took a hiatus, lasting nearly 5 years.
The band returned after the hiatus with new music, announcing their fifth studio album titled Cause and Effect on 6 June 2019 and releasing the lead single from the album "The Way I Feel". A collection of the songs were written by Tim Rice-Oxley during his divorce, and after discussions with Tom who had visited Tim the previous year, decided to proceed with recording the songs for the album. Cause and Effect was released on 20 September 2019. After the release of the album, the band embarked on the Cause and Effect Tour, visiting Europe and Latin America, before the remainder of the tour was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keane_(band)
Studio albums
Hopes and Fears (2004)
Under the Iron Sea (2006)
Perfect Symmetry (2008)
Strangeland (2012)
Cause and Effect (2019)
Broken Toy
Keane Lyrics
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Because it's old news
The people you love
Are hard to find
So I think if I
Were in your shoes
I would be kind
Come rain, come shine
What good does it do?
I guess I'm a toy that is broken
I guess we're just older now
I want to stay
Another season
See summer upon
This sorry land
So don't dust off your gun
Without a reason
You understand
I look out for you
Come rain, come shine
What good does it do?
I guess I'm a toy that is broken
I guess we're just older now
Who says the river can't leave its waters?
Who says you walk in a line?
Who says the city change its borders?
Who says you're mine?
I look out for you
Come rain, come shine
What good does it do?
I guess I'm a record you're tired of
I guess we're just older now
I guess I'm a toy that is broken
I guess we're just older now
The lyrics of Keane's song "Broken Toy" seem to revolve around two people's relationship where one confesses their hard-to-find or lost relationship with the people they love, and how they'd be kind if they were in the other person's shoes. The second verse shows how the singer's desire to remain another season and not abandon their hopes, wanting the other person to understand their intention. The bridge of this song illustrates the singer's frustration with the societal and interpersonal constraints that tell them to always stay in line and prevent them from feeling free or fully connecting with the other person.
In conclusion, the lyrics of "Broken Toy" convey the challenges that come with a relationship that has grown old, worn-out, and difficult to maintain. It acknowledges the fact that despite each person's efforts to keep the bond intact, sometimes, it may feel like they are 'broken toys' that can no longer serve their initial purpose or fulfill the other's expectations.
Line by Line Meaning
I think you know
I'm aware that you already understand something
Because it's old news
The thing that you know is common knowledge or something that happened a long time ago
The people you love
The individuals that you feel a strong affection towards
Are hard to find
It's difficult to locate individuals who you truly love
So I think if I
In my opinion and considering the circumstances
Were in your shoes
If I were in your position or going through what you're going through
I would be kind
I would show empathy and compassion
I look out for you
I take care of you and watch over you
Come rain, come shine
No matter what happens or the circumstances we face
What good does it do?
But does it really make a difference?
I guess I'm a toy that is broken
I feel like I'm unable to function properly or meet expectations
I guess we're just older now
Perhaps it's just that we've grown older and life has taken its toll
I want to stay
I desire to remain
Another season
For a longer period of time
See summer upon
Experience the summer season in
This sorry land
This place that is in need of improvement or repair
So don't dust off your gun
Therefore, do not retrieve your weapon
Without a reason
If there isn't a valid explanation or motive to do so
You understand
I believe that you comprehend the message that I'm trying to convey
Who says the river can't leave its waters?
Who set the limits or restrictions that the river can't overcome?
Who says you walk in a line?
Who told us that there's only one path to follow or one way to do things?
Who says the city change its borders?
Who makes the rules on where the city's limits or boundaries should be?
Who says you're mine?
Who declares that you belong to me or that we're together?
I guess I'm a record you're tired of
I think that I'm a repetitive or worn-out tune that you no longer care to hear
I guess I'm a toy that is broken
Once again, I feel like I'm unable to function properly or meet expectations
I guess we're just older now
And again, maybe it's just that we've grown older and life has taken its toll
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: RICHARD DAVID HUGHES, TIMOTHY JAMES RICE-OXLEY, TOM CHAPLIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Sandi
on I Need Your Love
Leanest