Breakaway
The Ozark Mountain Daredevils Lyrics


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My aunt Jessie was cruel
Lord, she made me go to school
All the time
It was killing me
It was a crime
'Cause I could not be free
From the confines
Of those chains

Oh the river was deep
But the water looked sweet
Oh my, my, my
I jumped right in
You know I tried
But I could not swim
Through the darkness or the pain

Never thought I'd breakaway from those chains
Never thought I'd breakaway from those chains
Never thought I'd breakaway from those chains
Never thought I'd breakaway from those chains

So I headed for the hills
Let the danger break my will
Oh my, my
In a landslide
I was losing ground
And there was no one but myself to blame

Never thought I'd breakaway from those chains
Never thought I'd breakaway from those chains
Never thought I'd breakaway from those chains
No, no, no, I'd breakaway from those chains





Breakaway from those chains
Breakaway from those chains

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to The Ozark Mountain Daredevils' song Breakaway describe a feeling of being trapped by societal constraints and one's own lack of agency. The singer's Aunt Jessie forces them to go to school, which they view as a form of confinement. They feel like they are being stifled and that their potential for freedom and self-expression is being limited. The metaphor of jumping into a river and not being able to swim represents the singer's attempt to break free from these constraints but ultimately failing. They then turn to the danger of the hills as a way to find that freedom, but end up losing ground and realizing that they have no one to blame but themselves.


Overall, the song speaks to the human desire for freedom and the struggle to attain it. It also touches on the idea of personal responsibility and the role it plays in one's ability to break free from the chains that hold them back.


Line by Line Meaning

My aunt Jessie was cruel
The singer had a cruel aunt named Jessie


Lord, she made me go to school
Jessie forced the singer to attend school


All the time
This occurred constantly


It was killing me
Attending school was emotionally draining for the artist


It was a crime
The artist felt like being forced to attend school was a type of mistreatment


'Cause I could not be free
The singer felt trapped


From the confines
The physical or emotional restrictions


Of those chains
The artist is using metaphorical chains to represent the emotional restrictions that are holding them back


Oh the river was deep
The river was physically deep


But the water looked sweet
The water looked attractive or tempting to the artist


Oh my, my, my
An expression of surprise and excitement


I jumped right in
The artist took immediate action to pursue their desires


You know I tried
The singer made an effort


But I could not swim
The singer was not able to handle the consequences or challenges of their actions


Through the darkness or the pain
The singer struggled through difficult times


Never thought I'd breakaway from those chains
The artist did not believe they had the ability to escape their emotional restrictions


So I headed for the hills
The artist removed themselves from the emotionally restrictive environment


Let the danger break my will
The singer embraced the risk and uncertainty of their new path


In a landslide
The singer experienced a dramatic and sudden shift in their situation


I was losing ground
The artist felt like they were losing control or stability


And there was no one but myself to blame
The artist took full responsibility for their situation


No, no, no, I'd breakaway from those chains
The artist now believes they can escape their emotional restrictions


Breakaway from those chains
The singer is urging themselves to break free




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JOHN DILLON

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

One car garage Hot rods

Takes me back to when I was 12 and at our camp when I first heard this song great music ☺️

Rick Wilbur

One of their best tunes!

Krash Daniel

These guys are gold, The real MIZZOU ‼️☮️

Puddsbrudda

great music!

Krash Daniel

Yeah it's all relative.

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