Breaking The Law
Motörhead Lyrics


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There I was completely wasting, out of work and down
All inside it's so frustrating, drift from town to town
Feel as though nobody cares if I live or die
So I might as well begin to put some action in my life

Breaking the law, breaking the law
Breaking the law, breaking the law
Breaking the law, breaking the law
Breaking the law, breaking the law

So much for the golden future, I can't even start
I've had every promise broken, anger in my heart
You don't know what it's like, you don't have a clue
If you did you'd find yourselves doing the same thing too

Breaking the law, breaking the law
Breaking the law, breaking the law
Breaking the law, breaking the law
Breaking the law, breaking the law

You don't know what it's like

Breaking the law, breaking the law
Breaking the law, breaking the law
Breaking the law, breaking the law
Breaking the law, breaking the law

Breaking the law, breaking the law
Breaking the law, breaking the law




Breaking the law, breaking the law
Breaking the law, breaking the law

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Motörhead's song "Breaking the Law" tell the story of a person who is frustrated with their current situation in life. They feel like they are wasting their time and are out of work, traveling from town to town with no sense of direction. The person feels like nobody cares about whether they are alive or dead, and they decide to take action in their life. Though the person realizes that breaking the law is not the right way to deal with their problems, they feel like they are forced into this action due to their circumstances. The lyrics also highlight the anger that the person holds in their heart towards the broken promises they have received, leading them to take extreme actions.


The lyrics also suggest a sense of solidarity with the act of breaking the law. The person explains that others don't know what it's like to be in their situation, and if they did, they would also be driven to break the law. This sense of shared struggle is indicative of the type of punk rock motifs that Motörhead often incorporates in their songs.


Overall, the lyrics of "Breaking the Law" are about the frustration and desperation that one can feel when they are stuck in a situation that they feel powerless to change. The person feels compelled to take action, even if it means breaking the law, to regain a sense of control in their life.


Line by Line Meaning

There I was completely wasting, out of work and down
I was feeling hopeless, unemployed and unhappy


All inside it's so frustrating, drift from town to town
I feel like I'm going nowhere and just wandering aimlessly


Feel as though nobody cares if I live or die
I feel unnoticed, unimportant and uncared for


So I might as well begin to put some action in my life
I decided to start taking risks and doing something exciting


Breaking the law, breaking the law
I am committing illegal acts


So much for the golden future, I can't even start
I had high hopes for my future, but it seems impossible to achieve


I've had every promise broken, anger in my heart
I am angry because everyone who promised me something failed to keep their word


You don't know what it's like, you don't have a clue
You can't understand my situation and feelings


If you did you'd find yourselves doing the same thing too
If you were in my shoes, you would do the same thing as I am doing




Writer(s): Tipton, Halford, Downing

Contributed by Charlie E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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