I'm Broken
Pantera Lyrics

I wonder if we'll smile in our coffins
Reflecting on death, questioning if we will find peace even as we lay lifeless in our caskets

While loved ones mourn the day
Acknowledging the sadness and pain that will come with our passing for those who care for us

The absence of our faces
Highlighting the impact of our absence in the lives of others, particularly our loved ones

Living, laughing, eyes awake
Contrasting the image of a living, healthy, and happy individual with the idea of being dead inside a coffin

Is this too much for them to take?
Asking the question whether death is too difficult for our loved ones to emotionally handle

Too young for one's conclusion, the lifestyle won
Addressing the fact that sometimes we may die earlier than we expected and therefore did not have the chance to fully live our lives before it was over

Such values you taught your son
Acknowledging that some of our values and beliefs may be inherited and passed down from our parents or guardians

That's how
A transitional phrase that marks a shift in perspective or thought

Look at me now
Turning the focus onto the artist, acknowledging their current state and how it relates to the previous lyrics

I'm broken
Admitting a sense of brokenness, whether physical or emotional

Inherit my life
Accepting the legacy or impact that one leaves behind after they are gone

One day we all will die, a cliched fact of life
Stating a commonly accepted truth that everyone will eventually pass away

Force-fed to make us heed
Implying that the idea of death is forcefully implanted in our minds so that we may better understand its inevitability

Inbred to sponge our bleed
Reflecting on how death is intertwined with life, and how it is part of the natural order of things

Every warning, a leaking rubber
Comparing warnings about death to a faulty condom that cannot contain what it is meant to protect against

A poison apple for mingled blood
Referencing the Biblical story of Adam and Eve, implying that the knowledge and acceptance of death is obtained at a cost

Too young for one's delusion, the lifestyle cost
Reiterating the idea that sometimes death comes too soon, before one has fully lived their life

Venereal Mother embrace the loss
The term 'Venereal Mother' is likely a reference to a sexually transmitted disease, and could imply the idea that death is contagious or easily transmitted from one to another

That's how look at you now
Another transitional phrase indicating a new thought, this time directing the focus towards the listener

You're broken
Acknowledging the artist's belief that the listener is also 'broken' in some way

That's how look at us now
Another transitional phrase that shifts the focus back to both the artist and the listener

I'm broke, oh
The final line of the song, reiterating the sense of brokenness that the artist feels