Breed
Steve Earle Lyrics


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I don't care
I don't care
I don't care
I don't care
I don't care
Care if it's old

I don't mind
I don't mind
I don't mind
I don't mind
I don't mind
Mind, don't have a mind

Get away
Get away
Get away
Get away
Away, away from your home

I'm afraid
I'm afraid
I'm afraid
I'm afraid
I'm afraid
Afraid, afraid of a ghost

Even if you have
Even if you need
I don't mean to stare
We don't have to breed
We could plant a house
We could build a tree
I don't even care
We could have all three
She said
She said
She said
She said
She said
She said
She said

I don't care
I don't care
I don't care
I don't care
I don't care
Care if it's old

I don't mind
I don't mind
I don't mind
I don't mind
I don't mind
Mind, I don't have a mind

Get away
Get away
Get away
Get away
Away, away from your home

I'm afraid
I'm afraid
I'm afraid
I'm afraid
I'm afraid
Afraid, afraid of a ghost

Even if you have
Even if you need
I don't mean to stare
We don't have to breed
We can plant a house
We can build a tree
I don't even care
We could have all three
She said
She said
She said
She said
She said
She said
She said
She said

Even if you have
Even if you need
I don't mean to stare
We don't have to breed
We can plant a house
We can build a tree
I don't even care
We could have all three
She said
She said
She said
She said
She said
She said




She said
She said, good!

Overall Meaning

At first glance, Steve Earle's song "Breed" may seem like a disjointed collection of random phrases with no real meaning. However, upon closer inspection, the lyrics reveal a deep message about freedom, fear, and the anti-establishment mentality of the counterculture movement that emerged in the 1960s.


The repeated phrases of "I don't care" and "I don't mind" express a desire to reject societal norms and expectations. The line "Even if you have, even if you need, I don't mean to stare, we don't have to breed" is a rejection of the pressure to conform to traditional roles of marriage and child-rearing. The idea of planting a house or building a tree represents a rejection of materialism and consumerism, and a desire to live a simpler, more natural life. The repeated mention of being afraid of a ghost may represent fear of the unknown or fear of being different from the norm.


Overall, "Breed" is a call to question the status quo and live life on one's own terms, free from the expectations of society.


Line by Line Meaning

I don't care
The singer is indifferent to something.


I don't care if it's old
The age of something does not affect the singer's feelings about it.


I don't mind
The singer doesn't have a strong preference either way.


Mind, don't have a mind
The artist is suggesting that their lack of a clear preference might be because they are absent-minded or distracted.


Get away
The artist is commanding someone to leave or move away.


Away, away from your home
The person being addressed is being told to go far away from their home.


I'm afraid
The singer is nervous or scared.


Afraid, afraid of a ghost
The artist is afraid of something inexplicable or supernatural.


Even if you have
The artist is acknowledging that someone already possesses something.


Even if you need
The artist is acknowledging that someone has a necessity.


I don't mean to stare
The singer is apologizing for looking intently at or taking a long look at something or someone.


We don't have to breed
The artist is asserting they are under no obligation to have children.


We could plant a house
The singer is suggesting an unconventional way of settling down, or taking root.


We could build a tree
The singer is suggesting an even more unusual path to creating a home and family.


I don't even care
The singer has little emotional attachment or investment in the matter.


We could have all three
The artist is suggesting they could obtain multiple alternatives at once.


She said
The artist is quoting someone else.


Good!
The person being quoted approves or agrees with what has been said.




Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Kurt Cobain

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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