While touring in support of their full-length album Albatross, the band created the Acoustic EP: Seattle Sessions, which was simply a compilation of songs they created while on the road.
Their next album, 'The Silver Cord', was released on July 22, 2008. With the album being based on the realities of life and death, it signals a move into an alternative genre for TCC. Exactly 5805 copies of 'The Silver Cord' were sold in the first week. 5805 is a significant number because it is a song title on the album and it is the address of the house where the band formed and began to break out.
In 2010, 'Vagabonds' was released.
Broken Mess
The Classic Crime Lyrics
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He can't eat
He keeps thinking about her
Behind the locked door or her bedroom
As she knowingly tortures the shell that is left of her bride groom
What did he do?
To deserve
This horrible wife that parades her disgrace to his face now
And gave up his life in more ways than she knows how
And all
I can say is that
Love
Is a terrible art
It's a hook in your heart
That can drag you on broken glass
And as you protest
The shards in your flesh
The hook tears out your chest
Until your just a broken mess
Where is God?
In this rot?
Depraved he commits the most heinous if sins and breaks her vows
But he loves her despite all true crime she devises in his house
Where is God?
I've been taught
That He's close to the broken
It's true I have spoken with him some
When I look in my brothers eyes
I can see where his love comes from
And all
He can say
Is that
Love
Is a terrible art
It's a hook in the heart
That can drag you on broken glass
And as you protest
The shards in your chest
The hook tears out your chest
Until your just a broken mess
But he has mercy on her lover
And does not bleed him dry
A credit to his self control
If it were me that monster would probably die
Love
Is a beautiful thing
She can make your heart sing
When your walking on broken glass
She will open your eyes
Point you to the sunrise
Help you leave this broken mess behind
Love
Is a beautiful thing
Will you leave your broken mess behind?
The lyrics of Broken Mess by The Classic Crime delve into the complexity and pain of a failing marriage. The singer cannot sleep or eat, as he obsesses over his wife who is knowingly torturing him. He questions what he did to deserve such treatment from her, while reflecting on the sacrifices he made for her out of his love. The chorus follows with a poignant observation that love is a terrible art, which hooks onto your heart like broken glass to drag you along. Even as you try to resist the pain and protest, the hook tears through your chest until you are only a broken mess. The singer wonders where God is in this rot and refers to his talk of how God is close to the broken. This reflection leads him to find grace for his wife's lover, and he chooses to exercise self-control rather than drown in hate and anger.
The lyrics explore the fragility of love, which can lift you up and tear you apart at the same time. The lines "Love is a terrible art" and "Love is a beautiful thing" illustrate the contradictory nature of love- it can be both terrible and beautiful, painful and healing. The singer is torn between his love for his wife and the pain she causes him. He questions whether he deserves to be treated this way and where God is in all of this. The final question poses a choice: will you leave your broken mess behind? It invites the listener to contemplate their own relationship with love and whether they too are trapped in a broken mess.
Line by Line Meaning
He cant sleep
He is restless and unable to fall asleep
He can't eat
He has lost his appetite and is not able to eat
He keeps thinking about her
He is constantly consumed by thoughts of her
Behind the locked door or her bedroom
She is isolating herself from him by locking herself in the bedroom
As she knowingly tortures the shell that is left of her bride groom
She is aware of the pain she causes him and continues to do so
What did he do?
He is unsure of what he has done to deserve such treatment
To deserve
He believes he doesn't deserve to be treated this way
This horrible wife that parades her disgrace to his face now
She is humiliating him and displaying her misconduct to him
When he loved her
He loves her deeply despite her behavior
And gave up his life in more ways than she knows how
He has made many sacrifices for her without her knowledge
And all
I can say is that
The singer is acknowledging that they cannot do much about the situation
Love
Is a terrible art
Love can be dark and painful
It's a hook in your heart
Love has an immense grip on your emotions
That can drag you on broken glass
Love can lead you down a destructive path
And as you protest
The shards in your flesh
Trying to resist love only causes more pain
The hook tears out your chest
Love can rip your heart out
Until your just a broken mess
It can leave you feeling shattered and defeated
Where is God?
The singer is questioning God's presence in this difficult situation
In this rot?
The situation is unbearable and corrupt
Depraved he commits the most heinous of sins and breaks her vows
Her behavior is sinful and betrayal to their vows
But he loves her despite all true crime she devises in his house
Despite her actions, he still has feelings for her
I've been taught
That He's close to the broken
The artist believes that God is present in difficult times
It's true I have spoken with him some
The singer has experienced communication with God himself
When I look in my brothers eyes
The artist sees God's love reflected in other people
I can see where his love comes from
The singer recognizes the source of love through God
And all
He can say
Is that
Despite the difficulty of the situation, the singer realizes that there is not much that can be said or done
But he has mercy on her lover
He shows mercy on her despite her behavior
And does not bleed him dry
He doesn't drain all of his emotions and energy
A credit to his self control
He is exceptionally self-disciplined and composed
If it were me that monster would probably die
The singer would react harshly to her actions
Love
Is a beautiful thing
Love has a positive aspect to it as well
She can make your heart sing
Love can bring happiness and joy
When your walking on broken glass
Even when things are rough, love can still be present
She will open your eyes
Love can help to see things more clearly
Point you to the sunrise
Love can lead to a new beginning
Help you leave this broken mess behind
Love can aid in moving forward and leaving behind pain and hurt
Will you leave your broken mess behind?
The singer is encouraging the listener to move on from their struggles and find love again
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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