The Ziggens are a band based out of Orange County, California who's self-de… Read Full Bio ↴The Ziggens are a band based out of Orange County, California who's self-described style of "cowpunksurfabilly" combines elements of surf rock, punk, ska, and country. The Ziggens are led by Bert Susanka who sings and plays rhythm guitar. Other members include Dickie Little on lead guitar, Jon Poutney on bass, and Brad Conyers who plays the drums and provides background vocals. The Ziggens have been playing since the early 1990s and have developed a strong following in Southern California.

The Ziggens were contemporaries with Sublime and were originally released under their Skunk Records label. Their song Big Salty Tears was covered and popularized by Bradley Nowell on the Sublime acoustic album. The Ziggens, and more specifically Bert Suzanka were also mentioned in the Sublime song "Greatest Hits". Also, Bert Susanka is sampled in the Sublime song Smoke Two Joints in the line: "Smoke cigarettes til the day she died!" The Ziggens contributed a track to the Sublime tribute album released in June 2005, Look at All the Love We Found. The Ziggens are currently with Cornerstone R.A.S., which is a spinoff of Skunk Records.

Breakin' The Law
The Ziggens Lyrics

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There I was completely wasted, out of work and down.
All inside it's so frustrating as I drift from town to town.
Feel as though nobody cares if I live or die,
So I might as well begin to put some action in my life
Breaking the law, breaking the law
Breaking the law, breaking the law
Breaking the law, breaking the law
Breaking the law, breaking the law

So much for the golden future: I can't even start!
I've had every promise broken, there's anger in my heart!
You don't know what it's like, you don't have a clue
If you did you'd find yourselves doing the same thing too
Breaking the law, breaking the law
Breaking the law, breaking the law
Breaking the law, breaking the law
Breaking the law, breaking the law
You don't know what it's like!
Breaking the law, breaking the law
Breaking the law, breaking the law

Breaking the law, breaking the law
Breaking the law, breaking the law

Overall Meaning

The Ziggens’s ‘Breakin’ The Law’ draws attention to a situation where the singer describes himself as being in a downtrodden state. He’s unemployed and feels like he's just drifting from town to town. He's feeling the oppressive feeling of being ignored, like nobody cares whether he survives or not. So, he decides to do something about his situation and set on breaking the law. As the song progresses, he explains that his life isn't happy without any prospects for the future. He’s lost hope and has anger in his heart as he’s been let down by every promise that he’s been given. He therefore rationalizes that if you knew what he was feeling about his current situation, you would understand why he’s breaking the law.

The song lyrics highlight a sense of helplessness and hopelessness in life. The singer feels trapped in a situation where he can’t see a way out of his troubles other than to break the law. He feels like he's had every promise made to him broken and has no hope of a better future. His only solution is to rebel against the system that is holding him down. The catchy four-line chorus of ‘Breaking the Law’ is repeated multiple times, highlighting the lack of choices in his life.

Line by Line Meaning

There I was completely wasted, out of work and down.
I found myself in a state of intense drunkenness, joblessness, and despair.

All inside it's so frustrating as I drift from town to town.
The internal stress and annoyance of wandering aimlessly from place to place is overwhelming.

Feel as though nobody cares if I live or die,
I have a sense that no one would be affected if I ceased to exist.

So I might as well begin to put some action in my life
I am motivated to take action, regardless of the consequences.

Breaking the law, breaking the law
I am committing illegal acts.

So much for the golden future: I can't even start!
I am unable to realize any hopes or dreams for the future.

I've had every promise broken, there's anger in my heart!
I have experienced disappointment due to unfulfilled promises, leaving me feeling angry.

You don't know what it's like, you don't have a clue
You cannot understand the situation I am in.

If you did you'd find yourselves doing the same thing too
If you were in my situation, you would also engage in illegal activities.

Breaking the law, breaking the law
I am committing illegal acts.

You don't know what it's like!
You cannot comprehend my predicament.

Breaking the law, breaking the law
I am committing illegal acts.

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Round Hill Music Big Loud Songs, REACH MUSIC PUBLISHING, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Glenn Raymond Tipton, Kenneth Downing, Robert Halford

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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