Broderick he grew up in a small town of Carlton, near Portland, Oregon. Coming from a musical family, he started violin lessons at age 7, and in high school became interested in all different kinds of instruments. He started to play piano, guitar, banjo, mandolin, musical saw, and anything else he could find. After high school he moved to Portland, OR, where he studied music theory and filmmaking. During this time he began to play in multiple bands around town, and was able to establish himself as a regular session musician at various recording studios for artists like M. Ward.
In late 2007 he was miraculously invited by some of his musical heroes, the Danish band Efterklang, to move to Copenhagen and join the live band. So he did, and since then he has toured with the band all around the world, playing hundreds of concerts, and opening many of them as a solo act.
Since this move he has released several solo recordings as well. Starting with a few primarily instrumental, piano-based releases in 2007, then branching out into a completely different world with the more folky ‘Home’ in late 2008, which has all but established Broderick as the young composer to watch – with critical acclaim from music magazines (NME/Mojo/Uncut) and broadsheet press alike. ‘A precociously talented, classically trained multi-instrumentalist’ – The Independent / ‘A songwriter of beguiling depth' #19 Album of 2008 – The Sunday Times
2009 saw his first major release, ‘Music for Falling From Trees’, a 30-minute piece, in seven sections, created for a contemporary dance by London-based choreographer Adrienne Hart (Neon Productions). Adrienne was looking for a score of piano and strings, so he left the guitar and his voice aside and focused entirely on those two timbres. ‘I decided to take this literally and make a rule not to use any other instrument. In the script it called for the sound of a ticking clock. I made this sound by tapping on the body of the violin with my fingernails.’ The dance tells the story of a man in a psychiatric hospital, and his struggle to maintain his identity. The music is sometimes melancholic, sometimes playful, sometimes chaotic, but with the combination of piano and strings, full of beauty, reverence and awe. The dance premièred at The Place, London, on January 21st, 2009.
His album "‘These Walls of Mine" was released in 2012.
Human Eyeballs On Toast
Peter Broderick Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Chemicals that make us tall
Too fast, too fast
All my friends look the same
All of us feel the same pain
Always pain
Perfectly calibrated here
And it feels wrong
So every time I see a man
I dream about his face in a frying pan
Human eyeballs on toast
But when they sear off my beak
I realize just how weak
We are, we are
And if I had a bigger brain
I'd surely find a way to take my own life
I'd end it all right here
Before my meat is how they want it
Mmhmm
But that might be the only part of my body
That you haven't tried to change
My alter life is the worst miracle
My peanut can't imagine
The lyrics to Peter Broderick's song "Human Eyeballs On Toast" paint a surreal and disturbing picture of a world that has become too fast and too controlled. The first verse describes feathers in a too-small cage, sizing chemicals, and everything happening too quickly. This image sets the stage for a world where even the natural things are manipulated to fit a certain standard or pace.
In the chorus, the singer reveals that all of his friends look the same and share the same pain. This idea of homogenization and suffering suggests that people are losing their individuality and becoming more alike in their struggles. The second half of the chorus is the most disturbing part of the song, as the singer reveals a twisted fantasy about frying a man's face and serving it on toast.
The second verse takes a more personal turn, as the singer reflects on his own weakness and despair. He imagines ending his life before he can be turned into something he doesn't want to be. The final line of the song speaks to the limitations of the singer's own intellect and imagination, suggesting that he can't even fathom how bad things really are.
Overall, the song portrays a bleak and dystopian vision of a world that has lost its way. It speaks to the dangers of conformity, manipulation, and control, and the importance of holding onto one's own identity and humanity in the face of such forces.
Line by Line Meaning
Feathers and a cage too small
I feel trapped in a life that's too small for me
Chemicals that make us tall
I'm growing up too fast due to the chemicals in my food
Too fast, too fast
Life is moving too quickly and I can't keep up
All my friends look the same
Everyone around me seems to be conforming and losing their individuality
All of us feel the same pain
We all have a shared sense of suffering and dissatisfaction
Always pain
Pain is a constant in our lives
All official sunlight here
The world is only showing us what it wants us to see
Perfectly calibrated here
Everything is controlled and manipulated to fit a certain standard
And it feels wrong
I can sense that something is not right about the world we live in
So every time I see a man
I feel a sense of anger toward the men who perpetuate the system
I dream about his face in a frying pan
I fantasize about harming those who have caused me and others harm
Human eyeballs on toast
I am disgusted by the cruelty and inhumanity that seems to be pervasive in our society
But when they sear off my beak
When others try to silence my voice and my opinions
I realize just how weak
I feel powerless and helpless to change things
We are, we are
We are all victims of the system
And if I had a bigger brain
If I were smarter or had more resources
I'd surely find a way to take my own life
I might consider suicide as a way to escape the pain and suffering
I'd end it all right here
I wish I could just make it all stop
Before my meat is how they want it
Before the system breaks me down completely and makes me conform
Mmhmm
A sound of resignation and sadness
But that might be the only part of my body
Suicide might be the only way to have control of my own body and life
That you haven't tried to change
The system has already altered so much about me that suicide seems like the only option left
My alter life is the worst miracle
The version of myself that the system has created is horrible
My peanut can't imagine
I can't picture a better future or way of living
Contributed by Amelia C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Shyloh
Feathers and a cage too small
Chemicals that make us tall
Too fast, too fast
All my friends look the same
All of us feel the same pain
Always pain
Artificial sunlight here
Perfectly calibrated here
And it feels wrong
So every time I see a man
I dream about his face in a frying pan
Human eyeballs on toast
But when they sear off my beak
I realize just how weak
We are, we are
And if I had a bigger brain
I'd surely find a way to take my own life
I'd end it all right here
Before my meat is how they want it
Mmhmm
But that might be the only part of my body
That you haven't tried to change
My alter life is the worst miracle
My peanut can't imagine
Ryank1908
This song is about the unethical treatment of battery farmed chickens, and it alone is more beautiful and more tragic than every love song I've ever heard put together.
Shyloh
Feathers and a cage too small
Chemicals that make us tall
Too fast, too fast
All my friends look the same
All of us feel the same pain
Always pain
Artificial sunlight here
Perfectly calibrated here
And it feels wrong
So every time I see a man
I dream about his face in a frying pan
Human eyeballs on toast
But when they sear off my beak
I realize just how weak
We are, we are
And if I had a bigger brain
I'd surely find a way to take my own life
I'd end it all right here
Before my meat is how they want it
Mmhmm
But that might be the only part of my body
That you haven't tried to change
My alter life is the worst miracle
My peanut can't imagine
JTReitsma
Fist time I hear a someone sing about this kind of topic in such a beautiful way. He is an brilliant and respectively undiscovered jewel in the music world. I am glad I am one of the lucky ones to know his music.
Tom Habernal
Amazing song! Vegetarian for two years this month!
DRUZY DAY
Beautiful song. I never realized quite exactly what it was about until today, when I re-read the lyrics, but it was definitely always an eye-opener to me and still is today.
EtherealMusic UK
anyone who doesn't hear the sad beauty of this song has misunderstood its meaning
Marek Pasieczny
thank God for musicians like Peter in today's music industry. I'm your huge fan. Big respect.
Jasmine V
I can't get enough of this beautiful song. <3
Lyndon Jones
Can't wait to see Peter in Cork this November. This track is so beautiful get the lyrics so hard hitting and worst of all..fact
What a combination
Kirsty Jane
How did i miss this talent until now? i had heard his name countless times, but never paid attention until now ........ Criminal 😍