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Stop Breaking Down
The White Stripes Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Some pretty mama she starts
Breakin' down
Stop breakin' down
Woo stop breakin' down
The stuff I got is gonna bust your brains out
Well it'll make you lose your mind

You Saturday night women
You love to
Ape and crown
You won't do nothin' but tear good mans
Reputation down
Stop breakin' down
Woo stop breakin' down
The stuff I got is gonna bust your brains out
Well it'll make you lose your mind

I gave my baby
The ninety-ninth degree
Shed just love to throw a pistol
Down on me
Stop breakin' down
Hey stop breakin'down
The stuff I got is gonna bust you brains out
Well it'll make you lose your mind

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to The White Stripes's song Stop Breaking Down are a classic example of the blues genre where the singer sings about their troubles with women. The opening line, "Some pretty mama she starts breakin' down," refers to the woman in the singer's life who is causing him distress. The repetition of "stop breakin' down" is a plea to the woman to stop causing trouble and to leave the singer alone. The singer then warns the woman that the "stuff he's got" will "bust her brains out" and "make her lose her mind."


The second verse is directed at "Saturday night women" who are "ape and crown" and "tear good mans' reputation down." This line suggests that the singer may have been the victim of gossip or slander from women who have hatched a plan to defame his name. The chorus repeats, telling the women to "stop breakin' down" and warning them of the consequences if they don't.


The final verse depicts the singer's relationship with his partner, who he feels has gone too far. He claims to have given her the "ninety-ninth degree" and even accuses her of being willing to "throw a pistol down" on him. The chorus repeats once more, urging the woman to "stop breakin' down," and warning her that the singer's "stuff" will "bust her brains out."


Line by Line Meaning

Some pretty mama she starts Breakin' down
A woman begins to struggle and falter.


Stop breakin' down Woo stop breakin' down
Please cease your harmful behavior.


The stuff I got is gonna bust your brains out Well it'll make you lose your mind
My possessions are so powerful they will overwhelm and disorient you.


You Saturday night women You love to Ape and crown
Ladies who go out partying like to mimic and emulate each other's actions and attitudes.


You won't do nothin' but tear good mans Reputation down
You will only ruin the reputation of decent men.


Stop breakin' down Woo stop breakin' down
Please quit engaging in destructive behavior.


The stuff I got is gonna bust your brains out Well it'll make you lose your mind
My possessions have the power to seriously harm your psyche.


I gave my baby The ninety-ninth degree Shed just love to throw a pistol Down on me
I pushed my lover to their limits and they reacted angrily, possibly violently.


Stop breakin' down Hey stop breakin'down The stuff I got is gonna bust you brains out Well it'll make you lose your mind
I implore you to refrain from your damaging actions, or face the dire consequences of encountering my powerful possessions.




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: Robert Johnson

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Robyn


on Candy Cane Children

The meaning of this song is basically saying the older you get, the less fun Christmas becomes usually do to adulthood. The lines "don't you know your name?...", probably refers to the adults telling kids to grow up as if they're saying "Do you know how old you are? You're getting too old for this stuff." Probably why he put the lines "nobody knows how to talk to children". Also, he puts the lines "think again" after a thought of one of the kids thinking of wishing to participate in Christmas activities. As if they're thinking "Yeah I probably AM too old for this.." "364 more tears girl" the sadness of getting older. Not participating feels like a missed opportunity and causes even more sadness..

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