They Broke Him Down
Toh Kay Lyrics

Did I mention he was dreaming
The person being referred to was in a state of dreaming.

When the devil came to town?
During the person's dream, it seems that the devil appeared.

I was awoken by the screaming
Awakened by the sound coming from the person's anguish.

But nobody heard a sound
Despite the crying, there was no response or help from anyone.

And the lies we tell at breakfast
The things we say to each other are often lies we use to hide the truth from ourselves.

Won't match the lies we share for lunch
The lies we tell in the morning will not match the lies we tell later on.

And the lies we serve for dinner
The lies we tell in the evening are the biggest lies of all.

They're the tallest of the bunch, yeah
Out of all the lies, these are the most prominent.

Did I mention he was cold
The person was feeling cold, whether literally or metaphorically.

When he finally lost control of the ghost?
When the person couldn't control their own demons anymore.

And the epilogue I dreaded
The ending that was anticipated and feared by the storyteller.

Now seems likely to console
The ending brings a sense of closure or peace.

And I'm still not understanding
The storyteller is unable to comprehend what happened.

The things he did before he left
The actions taken by the person before they left this world.

And the one thing that will haunt me
One particular thing that will stick with the storyteller forever.

Is right before his final breath
Something that was said or done just before the person passed away.

What he said
Revealing what was said by the person before they passed away.

Oh, they broke me down
The person was mentally or emotionally broken by someone or something.

Yeah they broke me down
The breaking down was severe and impactful for the person.

So I can't be your saint, you see
The storyteller is not capable of saving others, as they are still dealing with their own issues and pain.

Cause I won't be hanging around
The storyteller won't be staying in one place for too long, as they are always moving forward.

So I stood there and I held my breath
The storyteller was waiting for something to happen, but held their breath in trepidation.

And no one holds a grudge, dear, like I do
The storyteller holds onto past grievances and hurts more than most people do.

I see it through
The storyteller is determined to see things through to the end, even if it takes a long time.

And you may not remember
The other person involved might have forgotten or dismissed the event, but the storyteller has not.

It was nothing much at the time
What happened didn't seem significant or important at first.

But I kept it bottled inside
The storyteller kept their hurt and pain from the event locked inside of them.

Oh, and we all know how that goes
Most people know how difficult it can be to keep things bottled up inside.

I've given up on letting go
The storyteller has stopped trying to release their feelings about the situation.

So here we are
The storyteller is acknowledging the present moment and situation.

With nothing left, dear
There is no more hope or possibility left to explore.

And now you've left here
The person who the storyteller is speaking to is no longer with them.

And I was last to know
The storyteller found out about the person's departure later than everyone else.

Some say he'd given up the ghost
Some people believe that the person has passed on from this life.

But he wouldn't do that
In the storyteller's opinion, the person would not have given up or ended their life willingly.

I think he's hiding in the background
The storyteller believes that the person is still present or watching from a distance, but not revealing themselves.

Of his favorite photographs
The person is observing or hiding within images that meant something to them.

And he's living as a beggar
The person is living a lowly, difficult life.

Or maybe a millionaire
Alternatively, they could be living a life of wealth and luxury, but keeping it hidden.

But the one thing that I'm sure of
Despite the mystery surrounding the person's current state, the storyteller is certain of one thing.

Is he found some comfort there
The person may have found some peace or contentment in their current situation.

And that's fair
The storyteller is accepting and understanding of the person's decisions and chosen path.

Before they broke me down
The storyteller is anticipating experiencing the same kind of breaking down that the person did.

Before they broke me down
The storyteller believes that it is only a matter of time before they experience the same kind of pain.