THERAPY? is an alternative rock/punk rock band from Northern Ireland. The b… Read Full Bio ↴THERAPY? is an alternative rock/punk rock band from Northern Ireland. The band was formed in 1989 by guitarist/vocalist Andy Cairns and drummer Fyfe Ewing. The band initially recorded their first demo with Andy filling in on bass guitar. To complete the line-up, the band recruited bassist Michael McKeegan.
With keen pop sensibilities, a skewed sense of humour and a willingness to draw inspiration from diverse sources (notably punk rock), Therapy? came to attention in the early 1990s rise of alternative rock, but have endured for more than a decade since; Critic Johnny Loftus writes, "After a ten-plus year career that has seen them outlast competitors and outwit industry attempts at categorization, Therapy? are still headbangers with their thinking caps screwed on tight."

Current line-up :
Andy Cairns (guitar, vocals) (1989 - )
Michael McKeegan (bass guitar, backing vocals) (1989 - )
Neil Cooper (drums) (2003 - )

Past members:
Fyfe Ewing (drums) (1989 - 1996)
Martin McCarrick (cello, guitar, backing vocals) (1996 - 2004)
Graham Hopkins (drums) (1996 - 2001)

Discography:
-Hard Cold Fire (2023)
-Cleave (2018)
-Disquiet (2015)
-A Brief Crack of Light (2012)
-Crooked Timber (2009)
-One Cure Fits All (2006)
-Never Apologise Never Explain (2004)
-High Anxiety (2003)
-Shameless (2001)
-So Much For The Ten Year Plan - A Retrospective 1990-2000 (2000)
-Suicide Pact - You First (1999)
-Semi-Detached (1998)
-Infernal Love (1995)
-Troublegum (1994)
-Face the Strange E.P. (1993)
-Shortsharpshock E.P. (1993)
-Nurse (1992)
-Pleasure Death (1992)
-Babyteeth (1991)

Northern Ireland, 1989.

Prison Breaker
Therapy? Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Fuck!

She is my ball and chain
Grows into my brain
You smother me
Lost inside your perfect dream

I'm hanging on the phone

Just to hear you breathing
Familiar sickness is
Every time that you're leaving
Just a part of you
Leaves me so uncertain
You want in my head
But my heart is still wide open

I need your face
Brings on your disease
You're so lost
I'm so lost

I'm hanging on the phone
Just to hear you breathing
Familiar sickness is
Every time that you're leaving
Just a part of you
Leaves me so uncertain
You want in my head
But my heart is still wide open

Just about now, I'd be coming home
When caucasian pyschosis is setting in
What you need and what you get
Is different when you're feeling sick
Part of me's still in digging in me
Make's me feel so warm and lost
Part of me's still digging in you
Makes you feel so gone

And we were making love
When we could've been doing drugs
And we were making love
When we should've been doing drugs

I'm hanging on the phone
(It's not that she won't care)
Just to hear you breathing
(It's not that she won't care)
Familiar sickness is
(It's not that she won't care)
Every time that you're leaving
(It's just that she's not there)
Just a part of you
(It's not that she won't care)
Leaves me so uncertain
(It's not that she won't care)
You want in my head
(It's not that she won't care)

But my heart is still wide open
(It's just that she's not there)

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to the song Prison Breaker by Therapy? explore the toxic and addictive relationship between the singer and their partner, who they describe as their "ball and chain" that "grows into [their] brain". Despite feeling suffocated and lost in their partner's "perfect dream", the singer can't help but cling to them and need their presence in their life. They describe a cycle of familiar sickness every time their partner leaves, leaving them uncertain and vulnerable. However, there is a dissonance between their partner's desire to be inside their head, and the singer's heart remaining "wide open".

The song delves into the feeling of being trapped and addicted to a person, even when that relationship is unhealthy and destructive. The repeated line of "it's not that she won't care, it's just that she's not there" emphasizes the emotional abandonment and neglect that the singer feels from their partner.

Overall, the lyrics to Prison Breaker are a raw and honest portrayal of a toxic relationship that can be difficult to break free from, despite the harm it causes.

Line by Line Meaning

She is my ball and chain
The person being referred to is seen as a hindrance to the singer's life and struggles.

Grows into my brain
Their presence has a significant impact on how the singer perceives the world and affects their mental state.

You smother me
The person being referred to is suffocating the singer and preventing them from living freely.

Lost inside your perfect dream
The person being referred to has an idealized vision for their lives, and the singer feels they are trapped in this dream.

I'm hanging on the phone Just to hear you breathing
The singer has an unhealthy attachment to the person being referred to and does things like staying on the phone even if the other person isn't speaking to them.

Familiar sickness is Every time that you're leaving
The feeling of unease and pain the singer feels when the person being referred to leaves them is something they are used to experiencing.

Just a part of you Leaves me so uncertain
The person being referred to is not completely honest with the singer, and their actions leave the singer feeling unsure about their intentions.

You want in my head But my heart is still wide open
The person being referred to is trying to manipulate the singer's thoughts and feelings, but there is still a part of the singer that is willing to love them.

I need your face Brings on your disease
The singer acknowledges that being around the person being referred to is harmful to them, but they still crave their presence.

You're so lost I'm so lost
Both the singer and the person being referred to are struggling with their lives and trying to find a path forward.

Just about now, I'd be coming home When caucasian pyschosis is setting in
The singer is referring to a specific time in their life when they felt their mental state was deteriorating, and they were going home for relief.

What you need and what you get Is different when you're feeling sick
When someone is unwell, they may not make good decisions or know what they need, and what they thought they wanted before may not be what they need now.

Part of me's still in digging in me Make's me feel so warm and lost Part of me's still digging in you Makes you feel so gone
There is a part of the singer and the person being referred to that is still attached to each other, and this attachment creates a sense of comfort in their lives, even though it's not necessarily healthy.

And we were making love When we could've been doing drugs And we were making love When we should've been doing drugs
The singer is reflecting on a time in their life when they were engaging in self-destructive behavior instead of making better choices.

It's not that she won't care It's just that she's not there
The person being referred to may not be absent physically, but they are not present in the relationship and may not be providing the support the singer is looking for.

Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

minoranza punx

1y↑1

Fuck!
She is my ball and chain
Grows into my brain
You smother me
Lost inside your perfect dream
I'm hanging on the phone
Just to hear you breathing
Familiar sickness is
Every time that you're leaving
Just a part of you
Leaves me so uncertain
You want in my head
But my heart is still wide open
I need your face
Brings on your disease
You're so lost
I'm so lost
I'm hanging on the phone
Just to hear you breathing
Familiar sickness is
Every time that you're leaving
Just a part of you
Leaves me so uncertain
You want in my head
But my heart is still wide open
Just about now, I'd be coming home
When caucasian pyschosis is setting in
What you need and what you get
Is different when you're feeling sick
Part of me's still in digging in me
Make's me feel so warm and lost
Part of me's still digging in you
Makes you feel so gone
And we were making love
When we could've been doing drugs
And we were making love
When we should've been doing drugs
I'm hanging on the phone
(It's not that she won't care)
Just to hear you breathing
(It's not that she won't care)
Familiar sickness is
(It's not that she won't care)
Every time that you're leaving
(It's just that she's not there)
Just a part of you
(It's not that she won't care)
Leaves me so uncertain
(It's not that she won't care)
You want in my head
(It's not that she won't care)
But my heart is still wide open
(It's just that she's not there)