The band rose from the ashes of, "several crap indie bands [[artist]Hofman etc.] and a pretty good post-rock band [[artist]Gwei-lo]" in post-millennial Cambridge (i.e. around 2001).
“The first nice thing outside our own little world was getting a call from John Peel on a Sunday morning saying he liked our first record. It was like a pat on the back from your favourite uncle,” says frontman Steven Adams. Their first mini-album The King Will Build A Disco appeared in 2002, to general bemusement and delight that East Anglia had produced its own leftfield Americana act. The following year saw their first full-length album, the more folksy Cold Water Songs, closely followed by the inventive, adventurous Jesus Songs mini album. In 2005 they released the spiteful, dark Welcome Home Loser, clad in a particularly magnificent sleeve, and 2006’s cunningly titled Balls sealed their position as Britain’s most unlikely indie-country-rock outfit, as they turned up the fuzz and put down the acoustic guitars. By 2007 the distinctly British-sounding Hello Love was well received across the board, the swaggering single ‘Love Your Man, Love Your Woman’ becoming something of an anthem.
Eight years later, The Broken Family Band have gradually shed the accordionists, the cute girl singers, the banjo players and even the American drawl, and reduced themselves to the unchanged core of Adams, bassist Gavin Johnson, guitarist Jay Williams and drummer Micky Roman.
Mixed by veteran producer George Shilling, The Broken Family Band release their seventh album, Please and Thank You on 20/04/2009 and a single, Salivating, on 06/04/2009.
Citing wishes to "quit while we're ahead", the band announced their imminent split in August 2009. A series of shows in October will precede the final gig on October 31 at The Portland Arms in Cambridge.
Edit: 25/01/10 RIP The Broken Family Band. Gone but not forgotten.
Twisted
The Broken Family Band Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Deep down would you prefer someone handsome?
I know all the answers and I know where they come from
I just don't know how they get to be so wrong by the time they reach my ears
D'you think they're big, 'cause I could have surgery?
Admit you hate my laugh and cynical pose
I know all the answers and I know where they come from
I know they're bloodshot, it's 'cause I'm tired
All night I've been too scared to go to sleep
If you shut your eyes, am I still there?
Will your smile soon be turned on someone else?
I know all the answers and I know where they come from
I just don't know how they get to be so ugly by the time they get to you
The Broken Family Band's song "Twisted" is a melancholic exploration of the damaging impact of societal norms on an individual's self-worth. The lyrics are heavy with insecurity as the singer questions whether they would be loved more if they were prettier or more conventionally attractive. The opening lines, "Would you love me more if I was prettier? / Deep down would you prefer someone handsome?" set the tone for the rest of the song. The singer seems to know all too well the answers to these questions and where they originate from, but can't understand why they have to be so twisted and damaging by the time they reach their ears or eyes.
The song delves further into the singer's insecurities as they contemplate surgery and the idea that their partner may hate certain aspects of their personality, such as their laugh and cynical pose. The final lines, "I know they're bloodshot, it's 'cause I'm tired / All night I've been too scared to go to sleep" capture the exhaustion and anxiety that comes from constantly comparing oneself to unattainable beauty and societal standards. The closing lines, "I know all the answers and I know where they come from / I just don't know how they get to be so ugly by the time they get to you" encapsulate the damaging path that these insecurities and societal norms can take, ultimately leading to a distorted and damaged sense of self-worth.
Line by Line Meaning
Would you love me more if I was prettier?
Do you base love on external beauty?
Deep down would you prefer someone handsome?
Do you secretly want someone who looks better than me?
I know all the answers and I know where they come from
I understand the source of these insecurities
I just don't know how they get to be so wrong by the time they reach my ears
I don't understand why my interpretation of them is so negative
D'you think they're big, 'cause I could have surgery?
Do you think I should change my body to be more attractive?
Admit you hate my laugh and cynical pose
Acknowledge that you don't like my sense of humor and attitude
I just don't know how they get to be so twisted by the time they reach my eyes
I don't know how my perception of myself became so distorted
I know they're bloodshot, it's 'cause I'm tired
My eyes are red because I haven't been sleeping well
All night I've been too scared to go to sleep
I've been afraid to face my thoughts and insecurities in my dreams
If you shut your eyes, am I still there?
Do you really see me for who I am?
Will your smile soon be turned on someone else?
Will you eventually find someone better than me?
I just don't know how they get to be so ugly by the time they get to you
I don't understand how these insecurities become so unattractive to others
Contributed by Violet N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.