Simpson was born in Jackson, Breathitt County, Kentucky, the only child of a secretary and a state policeman who formerly worked undercover narcotics. Due to his father's work, Simpson's family moved to Versailles, outside Lexington, where Simpson graduated from Woodford County High School. Simpson's mother's family were coal miners. Simpson is the first male on his mother's side of the family to not work in a strip mine or deep mine. After three years in the United States Navy, Simpson spent time in Japan, then lived in Everett, Washington, and then moved back home to Lexington, Kentucky.
As of August 2017, he has released three albums as a solo artist. He released two albums independently, High Top Mountain in 2013 and Metamodern Sounds in Country Music in 2014. His second album is notable for being nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Americana Album, being listed 18th on Rolling Stone's "50 Best Albums of 2014," and also being named among "NPR's 50 Favorite Albums of 2014." His third studio album, A Sailor's Guide to Earth, was released on Atlantic Records and was Simpson's first major-label release, later earning him Best Country Album at the 59th Grammy Awards while also being nominated for Album of the Year.
Simpson is often compared to Waylon Jennings and the Outlaw Country genre of country music. Shooter Jennings says, "Sturgill isn't imitating at all, and he sounds like my favorite era of my dad, the Seventies, when he would sing quieter and more conversational. That's what struck me about Sturgill from Day One. And still does." Simpson himself counts Merle Haggard, Willie Nelson, Keith Whitley, and Marty Robbins as much bigger influences on his sound than Waylon Jennings. Simpson has also stated he tries to base his career around that of Dwight Yoakam. Indeed, Country Music Television noted that Simpson had "a voice that recalls Merle Haggard [and] guitar licks that bring Buck Owens to mind." His overall sound was described by Indiewire as "a mesmerizing and sometimes bewildering mix of traditional country sounds, contemporary philosophy, and psychedelic recording-studio wizardry.
Breakers Roar
Sturgill Simpson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
They keep pulling me farther from shore
Thoughts turn to a love so kind
Just to keep me from losing my mind
So enticing, deep dark seas
It's so easy to drown in the dream
Oh, and everything is not what it seems
Shatter illusions that hold your spirit down
Open up your heart and you'll find love all around
Breathing and moving are healing
And soothing away
All the pain in life holding you down
Bone breaks and heals
Oh, but heartaches can kill
From the inside, so it seems
Oh, I'm telling you it's all a dream
It's all a dream
It's all a dream
It's all a dream
It's all a
It's all a dream
"Breakers Roar" is a reflective song by Americana artist, Sturgill Simpson. The song is known to showcase Simpson's melancholic side, and the introspective lyrics are haunting. The opening line, "Oh, how the breakers roar, they keep pulling me farther from shore," sets the tone for the song. The roaring ocean waves represent the struggles of life, which always threaten to pull us under. Simpson seems to be standing on the shoreline, watching the waves crash and retreat, while he contemplates the world around him.
The next lines, "Thoughts turn to a love so kind, just to keep me from losing my mind," reflect on his desire to find something worth fighting for. Something that would anchor him to shore, and keep him from disappearing into the depths of the ocean. As he gazes into the deep, dark sea, he's reminded of how easy it is to fall into the seductive pull of the waves, to drown in the dream. The dream, in this case, is the illusion of life that is all-consuming, exciting, and ultimately, destructive.
Simpson's message seems to be that everything in life is not what it seems. Our perceptions and illusions can hold us down and prevent us from discovering the beauty of the world around us. Shattering the illusions that hold our minds captive can lead us to love and hope. Breathing, moving, healing, and soothing the pain of life can be therapeutic, as he suggests in the lines, "Breathing and moving are healing and soothing away, all the pain in life holding you down." He concludes that while bone breaks and heals, heartaches can kill from the inside, and it seems that everything in life is but a dream.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh, how the breakers roar
The loud and constant crashing of the waves pulls the singer further away from land.
They keep pulling me farther from shore
The force of the waves is so strong that the singer's distance from the shore keeps increasing.
Thoughts turn to a love so kind
The singer's mind wanders to a sweet and tender love that helps them from not going insane.
Just to keep me from losing my mind
The thought of a kind love is what keeps the artist sane despite being pulled away from land by the waves.
So enticing, deep dark seas
The deep and mysterious sea is alluring and captivating to the artist.
It's so easy to drown in the dream
It's easy to get lost in the beauty and mystery of the sea and forget about reality.
Oh, and everything is not what it seems
What appears to be true and real is often just an illusion or a dream.
This life is but a dream
Life is transient and fleeting, like a dream that soon passes.
Shatter illusions that hold your spirit down
Break free from the false beliefs and limitations that keep you from experiencing true joy and fulfillment in life.
Open up your heart and you'll find love all around
If you let go of your fears and embrace love, you'll see that it's abundant and present everywhere around you.
Breathing and moving are healing
Breathing and physical exercise can help heal emotional and mental wounds.
And soothing away all the pain in life holding you down
Through breathing and movement, you can release and heal the emotional baggage that keeps you feeling stuck and weighed down in life.
Bone breaks and heals
Physical injuries can be mended and healed over time.
Oh, but heartaches can kill
Emotional pain can be devastating and cause long-term harm.
From the inside, so it seems
Emotional pain is often internal and not visible on the surface.
Oh, I'm telling you it's all a dream
The artist assures the listener that everything in life, whether good or bad, is ultimately fleeting and temporary.
It's all a dream
Everything in life is transitory and impermanent, like a dream that eventually fades away.
It's all a dream
The repetition of this line underscores the idea that everything in life is illusory and ephemeral.
It's all a dream
The singer emphasizes that even the most joyous and poignant moments in life are just temporary and will eventually come to an end.
It's all a
The artist trails off, suggesting that the transience of life can be both beautiful and sad.
Lyrics Ā© Wixen Music Publishing
Written by: John Sturgill Simpson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@joeymcauley1
Oh, how the breakers roar
They keep pulling me farther from shore
Thoughts turn to a love so kind
Just to keep me from losing my mind
So enticing, deep dark seas
It's so easy to drown in the dream
Oh, and everything is not what it seems
This life is but a dream
Shatter illusions that hold your spirit down
Open up your heart and you'll find love all around
Breathing and moving are healing
And soothing away
All the pain in life holding you down
Bone break and heals
Oh, but heartaches can kill
From the inside, so it seems
Oh, I'm telling you it's all a dream
It's all a dream
It's all a dream
It's all a dream
It's all a...
It's all a dream
@kaitlinbush6482
This song is mainly the reason I made it through my miscarriage. I had it on repeat in my car for weeks, months maybe. One day I got on here to listen & where the heart slips out of the baby carriage... I just lost it. Thank you, Sturgill, for finding the words for my pain but also leading me up & out of it. "Breathing & moving are healing & soothing away all the pain in life, holding you down..." I have no words to describe how yours have healed me.
@emilymason4593
I'm with you. ā¤
@markhilston2119
I lost my son at one and a half months old. My heart goes out to you and we have matching scars caused by the worst thing a parent can go through. My name on here is my real name. I live in Painesville Ohio. If you ever need to talk or vent , look me up on Facebook and send me a message and I'd be more than happy to listen. My girlfriend would as well if you need an understanding female who lost a baby and is working through it. I know a mother's love is unique. It actually would help her very much to talk to another mother who has been through the loss of a child. If you don't want to talk to her or me, that's perfectly understandable. But I want you to know that seeing comments like yours makes us not feel so alone. God bless you and I'm going to pray for you. Oh yeah. These songs on this album have helped me grieve as well. I can feel my son's presence In them. Isn't it beautiful? Sturgills music is very special.
@mikes8193
Oooof heres to all those lost in such a way. May you never be forgotten. I really love the soul sturgill puts into his music and am glad people like you could find solace in it.
@robinlaniertomlinson5373
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@btssilence
I went from "I don't know who Sturgill Simpson is" to "Sturgill Simpson is one of the best musicians on the planet" in about ten seconds flat. This song is absolutely incredible.
@justinh8216
btssilence exactly what happened to me it only took a song to become a fan
@kristaroberts2377
I did the same thing now I am loving all of his music and streaming and streaming it all now
@dylannatole3934
Same as you all! Hes the man
@waderoberts9693
@Michael Pryor no fucking joke. He gave me the most horrific ego death