Breakin' The Law
New Pornographers Lyrics
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I can never place the name with the face...
Don't touch me,
Don't touch me up to the tees by the numbers,
It's not much but I'm going under.
It's not much but I'm going under.
It's not much but I'm going under.
Liar, liar, everything's on fire.
So I don't want to hear how you crossed the wires.
Don't touch me,
Don't touch me up, watch, I'll take it to the river.
You'll come too, little Indian giver.
You'll come too, little Indian giver.
You'll come too, little Indian giver.
So give us the keys now, we'll burn this hall of justice down!
Around the ankles or just to the ground.
Hats off to the city fathers, they're no longer a hundred feet tall.
They're no longer, no longer -- and we're just here another hundred feet stronger.
The New Pornographers’ ‘Breakin’ The Law’ is a song that seems to be about someone who is struggling to stay afloat. The first two lines of the chorus, “I can never place the name with the face”, suggests that the singer of the song is feeling disconnected from their surroundings, unable to remember even the most basic details of the lives around them. The repetition of “Don’t touch me” in the verse underscores this feeling of isolation.
The lyrics become more vivid in the second verse, with the line “Liar, liar, everything’s on fire” suggesting a loss of control, and a sense of things spinning out of the singer’s grasp. The chorus repeats again, with the addition of the line “You’ll come too, little Indian giver”, which is a reference to a derogatory term for someone who gives a gift and then takes it back.
The final verse is perhaps the most evocative, with the line “So give us the keys now, we’ll burn this hall of justice down!” sounding like a call to arms. The following line, “Around the ankles or just to the ground”, suggests that the singer is not interested in half measures – they want to wreak as much havoc as possible. The closing line, “And we’re just here another hundred feet stronger”, is optimistic, suggesting that despite their struggles, the singer is still standing, and is even stronger than before.
Line by Line Meaning
I can never place the name with the face...
I can't seem to associate people's names with their faces.
Don't touch me,
Hands off, don't come near me.
Don't touch me up to the tees by the numbers,
Don't manipulate me or tell me how to do things step-by-step.
It's not much but I'm going under.
I'm in over my head, and things are not looking good for me.
Liar, liar, everything's on fire.
You can't be trusted, and everything is a disaster because of it.
So I don't want to hear how you crossed the wires.
I don't want to hear about what you've done wrong or how you messed something up.
Don't touch me up, watch, I'll take it to the river.
Stop trying to control everything, I'll handle it myself.
You'll come too, little Indian giver.
You'll be dragged into this whether you like it or not.
So give us the keys now, we'll burn this hall of justice down!
Give us control, and we will tear down the oppressive systems in place.
Around the ankles or just to the ground.
We will not let the systems hold us back or slow us down in any way.
Hats off to the city fathers, they're no longer a hundred feet tall.
The once-powerful figures of authority are no longer as formidable or intimidating as they once were.
They're no longer, no longer -- and we're just here another hundred feet stronger.
As their power diminishes, ours grows stronger, and we continue to fight for change.
Contributed by Ryan N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.