Everything Is Broken
Neil Young Lyrics


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Broken lines, broken strings,
Broken threads, broken springs,
Broken idols, broken heads,
People sleeping in broken beds.
Ain't no use jiving
Ain't no use joking
Everything is broken.
Broken bottles, broken plates,
Broken switches, broken gates,
Broken dishes, broken parts,
Streets are filled with broken hearts.
Broken words never meant to be spoken,
Everything is broken.
Bridge: Seem like every time you stop and turn around
Something else just hit the ground
Broken cutters, broken saws,
Broken buckles, broken laws,
Broken bodies, broken bones,
Broken voices on broken phones.
Take a deep breath, feel like you're chokin',
Everything is broken.
Bridge: Every time you leave and go off someplace
Things fall to pieces in my face
Broken hands on broken ploughs,
Broken treaties, broken vows,
Broken pipes, broken tools,
People bending broken rules.




Hound dog howling, bull frog croaking,
Everything is broken.

Overall Meaning

In Neil Young's song Everything is Broken, he delves into the theme of brokenness as a metaphor for a shattered society. The verses are filled with references to broken objects, such as "broken lines", "broken strings", "broken bottles", and "broken dishes". These inanimate objects are juxtaposed with images of a broken people - broken heads, broken hearts, broken bones, and even broken laws. The chorus emphasizes the futility of trying to make sense of a world where everything is broken, with the lines "Ain't no use jiving, ain't no use joking, everything is broken". The bridge further emphasizes the inevitability of brokenness, with the lines "Seem like every time you stop and turn around, something else just hit the ground" and "Every time you leave and go off someplace, things fall to pieces in my face".


The use of the term "broken" as a recurring motif in the song reinforces the idea of a society that has collapsed or is in the process of collapsing. It is presented as a pervasive reality that affects every aspect of life, from relationships to the physical world. The chorus suggests a sense of hopelessness and resignation, as if there is no way to fix the brokenness around us.


One interpretation of this song is that it is a commentary on societal decline, particularly in America during the 1980s when the song was written. Young may have been commenting on the political and economic turmoil of the time, with references to "broken treaties" and "broken rules". However, the song's themes of fragmentation and disillusionment are timeless and resonate with audiences today.


Line by Line Meaning

Broken lines, broken strings, Broken threads, broken springs, Broken idols, broken heads, People sleeping in broken beds.
There are broken things everywhere, from lines to strings to idols, and even people's beds are broken. Everything is in disrepair and falling apart.


Ain't no use jiving Ain't no use joking Everything is broken.
There's no point in pretending everything is okay, because it's not. Everything is broken, and there's no escaping that fact.


Broken bottles, broken plates, Broken switches, broken gates, Broken dishes, broken parts, Streets are filled with broken hearts.
From everyday objects like bottles and dishes to more important things like gates, everything seems to be broken. Even people's hearts are broken, as evidenced by the state of the streets.


Broken words never meant to be spoken, Everything is broken.
Even words, which are supposed to be powerful and meaningful, are broken and ineffective. Nothing seems to be able to work properly or correctly.


Seem like every time you stop and turn around Something else just hit the ground
Every time you try to stop and take a breath, something else falls apart. It's a never-ending cycle of destruction and chaos.


Broken cutters, broken saws, Broken buckles, broken laws, Broken bodies, broken bones, Broken voices on broken phones.
From tools to laws to people's bodies, everything is broken. Even communication, represented by phones and voices, is ineffective and broken.


Take a deep breath, feel like you're chokin', Everything is broken.
Even the act of breathing feels difficult, like everything is closing in and restricting. Everything is still broken and even taking a breath doesn't feel easy.


Every time you leave and go off someplace Things fall to pieces in my face
No matter what happens or where you go, things still fall apart. Everything seems to crumble and break down without any explanation or reason.


Broken hands on broken ploughs, Broken treaties, broken vows, Broken pipes, broken tools, People bending broken rules.
From farming equipment to important pledges, everything is broken. Even rules and regulations, meant to keep order, are broken and disregarded.


Hound dog howling, bull frog croaking, Everything is broken.
Even the sounds of nature, represented by an animal's howl or croak, sound broken and off-kilter. Everything is still in disarray, no matter where you look.




Contributed by Molly N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

R. R. Rubin

I have been dealing with upgrades for my "devices" with Xfinity, Sprint aka now T-Mobile, AT&T and Apple for hours and hours, and these lyrics describe by conclusions"
~~~Broken lines, broken strings
Broken threads, broken springs
Broken idols, broken heads
People sleeping in broken beds
Ain’t no use jiving
Ain’t no use joking
Everything is broken

Broken bottles, broken plates
Broken switches, broken gates
Broken dishes, broken parts
Streets are filled with broken hearts
Broken words never meant to be spoken
Everything is broken

Seem like every time you stop and turn around
Something else just hit the ground

Broken cutters, broken saws
Broken buckles, broken laws
Broken bodies, broken bones
Broken voices on broken phones
Take a deep breath, feel like you’re choking
Everything is broken

Every time you leave and go off someplace
Things fall to pieces in my face

Broken hands on broken ploughs
Broken treaties, broken vows
Broken pipes, broken tools
People bending broken rules
Hound dog howling, bullfrog croaking
Everything is broken~~~



All comments from YouTube:

Steve Thomas

It was played the year the album came out, now those are fans.

Jude The Neil Young Girl

OMG! That description of this video is absolutely DIVINE!! I found myself yelling yah! Alright! OMG! out loud, as if I was right there and experiencing the show live! You nailed it, my wonderfully descriptive fellow CSNY FANatic! I loved your review! You have a gift for capturing the feeling of what's going down and relaying it to others with startling " you are there" accuracy. Do you write for a living? You should be! You'd be a natural reviewer! Anyway, THANK YOU, SOOOO MUCH! I do wish I could have been there for that amazing, magical show.....BUT...YOUR review was the next best thing, EVER!!! LOVE YOU!

Jude The Neil Young Girl

Oh, I see now that Don Leary wrote this. I am assuming that Don IS a professional writer/reviewer and rightly so. He really does have a gift for it! WOW! LOVE HIM!

Darren Krivit

One of my favorite Dylan tunes done by some of my favorite musicians 😎ragged and awesome

DANA WHITEHOUSE

Great Dylan cover. Nice one Neil and Tom !!

Amber Buck

Phenomenal!

Jimmy Newark

wHAT a GreAt tUNE . One of the best songs ever in my mind . eVeRy ThINg is bRoKeN . Neil Young was made to sing this one .

Kathy Trim

There's a CD called "This Ain't No Tribute". It contains Dylan's music done by different people. Pretty good CD.

Shannon Kringen

love hearing tom petty with neil young.

Free America

Me too and it's broken for sure except this music.

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