Broken Bones
Love Inc. Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning | Line by Line Meaning

Not from the sticks and stones but from the names that you call me.
I got broken bones,
Not from the sticks and stones but from the names that you call me.

Hey you got the picture do you know what I mean,
I'm the fire baby and you're the gasoline.
You like my characteristics, you like my stones,
Call me all the names you say and break my bones.

Well let me tell you I've been high most of my life,
And a dream is just a wish that a heart makes,
I used to sell ya, sell ya, sell ya only things you could find in a drugstore.
People used to tell me, tell me, tell me, just what kind of high they were looking for.
Take a ride on a purple airplane,
Honey I don't know when I'll be back again.

Cause I got broken bones,
Not from the sticks and stones but from the names that you call me.
I got broken bones
Not from the sticks and stones but from the names that you call me.

Hey you got the picture do you know what I mean,
I'm the fire baby and you're the gasoline.
You like my characteristics, you like my stones,
Call me all the names and say break my bones.

Take a ride on a purple airplane,
Honey I don't know when I'll be back again.

Let me tell you darling I've been high most of my life,
And a dream is just a wish that a heart makes,
I used to sell ya, sell ya, sell ya all the things you could find in a drugstore.
People used to tell me, tell me, tell me, just what kind of high they were looking for.

Take a ride on a purple airplane,
Honey I don't know when I'll be back again.

Overall Meaning

The song "Broken Bones" by Love Inc. talks about the highs and lows of life through the metaphor of drug use. The lyrics open with the protagonist confessing that they have been high most of their life, indicating that they have spent a lot of time chasing a feeling of euphoria. They compare dreaming to wishing, implying that sometimes dreams cannot be materialized into reality. The next line highlights that the protagonist has been selling things only found in drugstores, indicating that they may have been involved in selling drugs. The following lines suggest that people used to tell them what kind of high they were looking for, indicating that they were perhaps a drug dealer catering to the needs of the customer.

The chorus talks about having broken bones not from physical harm but from the names that people call them. It suggests that people's words have hurt them more than sticks and stones, making a deeper emotional impact. The second verse repeats the chorus with slight alterations, and the lines about calling the protagonist names and breaking their bones are repeated. The song ends with the same lines that it started with, about taking a ride on a purple airplane and not knowing when they will be back again.

Overall, the song is a commentary on the impact that both physical and emotional pain can have on a person. It highlights the dangers of chasing highs in life and the damaging impact that negative words can have on a person's self-esteem and self-worth.

Line by Line Meaning

Let me tell you darling I've been high most of my life,
I have lived most of my life in a state of euphoria and/or drug-induced highs.

And a dream is just a wish that a heart makes,
The aspirations a person have are merely desires that come from their hearts.

I used to sell ya, sell ya, sell ya only things you could find in a drugstore.
I used to provide you with only drugs that were readily available in a drugstore.

People used to tell me, tell me, tell me, just what kind of high they were looking for.
People would inform me about what kind of high they wanted to experience.

Take a ride on a purple airplane,
Get on board with my drug-fueled lifestyle.

Honey I don't know when I'll be back again.
I am uncertain about when I will return from my drug-induced journey.

Cause I got broken bones,
Metaphorical wounds have been inflicted upon me.

Not from the sticks and stones but from the names that you call me.
The emotional pain that I suffer from is not caused by physical aggression, but rather by words uttered to me by another.

Hey you got the picture do you know what I mean,
Do my words and actions make sense to you?

I'm the fire baby and you're the gasoline.
I am the catalyst for change, you bring the power to unleash that change.

You like my characteristics, you like my stones,
You seem to enjoy who I am, and what I am offering.

Call me all the names you say and break my bones.
Use your words to hurt me emotionally even if physical harm is not prevalent.

Let me tell you darling I've been high most of my life,
I have lived most of my life in a state of euphoria and/or drug-induced highs.

And a dream is just a wish that a heart makes,
The aspirations a person have are merely desires that come from their hearts.

I used to sell ya, sell ya, sell ya all the things you could find in a drugstore.
I used to provide you with every drug that was readily available in a drugstore.