In 2005, Tokyo Police Club started by accident one day in the ordinary suburb of Newmarket when Greg, Josh, Dave, and Graham decided that they missed playing music together, their previous band having broken up several months before. The four gathered in Josh's basement, plugging in instruments and making up songs almost at random, with no goal but to recapture the magic that they felt making music together. By the time summer came, TPC had quietly begun playing shows in the Toronto area, shows at which the very few people in attendance seemed impressed by what they saw. The band seemed likely to end here, with the various members preparing to go their separate ways in the fall, when fate intervened in the form of an invitation to play the Pop Montreal festival. Packing their instruments and girlfriends into a tiny university residence room, TPC spent a week immersed in music, spending days lazily wandering the streets of Montreal and nights rehearsing loudly in the tiniest of spaces, and topping it off in style with a sold out show that saw the band play for the first time to an audience that was actually interested. A few weeks later, all four had agreed that it was time to break their mothers' hearts and pursue that most elusive of pipe dreams: a career in the music business.
The boys got straight to business, playing a series of Toronto shows, and earning a reputation for live shows that were exuberant, lively, and unrestrained. In January, the very day that Dave returned for good from university, Tokyo Police Club signed up with esteemed Toronto label Paperbag Records to release their debut EP in Canada. In April 27, 2006, A Lesson in Crime was released in Canada and U.S (February 12, 2007, UK released), and the band spent the next months on the road, bringing their optimistic brand of wide-eyed post-pop to audiences across Canada, U.S. and Europe, and making many new friends along the way.
Responding to criticisms that A Lesson in Crime is too short (16:22), Graham Wright had this to say in an interview with Ukula: "It's very quick, quick, quick, one, two, three. Some of the songs don't have a lot of space in them and the album doesn't have a whole lot of room to breathe, but I think in the case of an EP this is a really good thing."
The Smith EP came in February 14, 2007. At a July 20, 2007 stop along the tour in Omaha, Nebraska the band announced the inking of a deal with Omaha based Saddle Creek Records during their live show at the Saddle Creek owned venue The Slowdown, to release their debut LP, entitled Elephant Shell, that was released on April, 22nd 2008 to much applause.
So what exactly is Tokyo Police Club? Perhaps EYE Weekly summed it up best when they wrote "[Tokyo Police Club] are undeniably catchy and raw, marrying danceable hooks with talk of robot masters and global emergencies, providing an upbeat soundtrack to our troubled times." Personally, however, I prefer Exclaim's proclamation that "somehow, the deeply innocuous subdivisions of Newmarket, Ontario have hatched a four-headed beast of tunefulness."
Breakneck Speed
Tokyo Police Club Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Tying up your hands
'Cause you're landing back on your feet
You know what I mean
Vowel change
I remember when our voices used to sound the same
Now we just translate
'Cause I'm still amazed you made it out alive
After what you did
Born on your feet, running
Forest fires underneath your bed
But it's good to be back
Good to be back
Good to be back
Spell it out
I always skip the words
'Cause all the pictures are so bright and loud
Better off than now
'Cause I'm still amazed you made it out alive
After what you did
Born on your feet, running
Forest fires underneath your bed
'Cause it's good to be back
Good to be back
Super fun
At the movies, drunk and young
Double knots that came undone
But the big bad years are gone
Yeah, the big bad years are done
And gone away
I remember when our voices used to sound the exact same
Now we just translate
'Cause I'm still amazed you made it out alive
After what you did
Born on your feet
Running, forest fires underneath your bed
But it's good to be back
Good to be back
Good to be back
In the song "Breakneck Speed," Tokyo Police Club delivers a powerful message about resilience and the human spirit's ability to overcome adversity. The lyrics describe the experience of somebody who has been through a lot, tied up and knocked down, but still manages to land back on their feet. The singer admires their strength, stating, "I'm still amazed you made it out alive after what you did." The chorus reinforces this idea, repeating the phrase, "But it's good to be back" several times. It's as if the singer has survived something massive and is happy to be alive and moving forward.
The song's melody is upbeat, matching the theme of strength and triumph over hardship. The verse builds tension with its fast pace and high energy, then releases it in the chorus, where the lyrics emphasize the importance of being alive and moving forward. The bridge offers a moment of nostalgia and reflection on the past's less pleasant moments but ends on a positive note, declaring, "But the big bad years are gone, yeah, the big bad years are done and gone away."
Overall, "Breakneck Speed" is a song of empowerment, encouraging listeners to keep pushing forward despite the obstacles they face.
Line by Line Meaning
Breakneck speed
Moving very quickly and recklessly
Tying up your hands
Restricting your freedom and independence
'Cause you're landing back on your feet
Despite the restrictions, you are able to bounce back and recover
You know what I mean
You understand the challenges that come with bouncing back
I remember when our voices used to sound the same
We used to be very similar and in sync
Now we just translate
We have grown apart and need to interpret each other's actions and words
'Cause I'm still amazed you made it out alive
I'm impressed that you survived despite the difficulties you faced
After what you did
Despite your mistakes and missteps
Born on your feet, running
You have always been adaptable and ready to face challenges head-on
Forest fires underneath your bed
You have faced great obstacles and difficulties in your life
But it's good to be back
Despite the hardships, it feels good to come back and be reunited
Spell it out
Give me all the details
I always skip the words
I tend to ignore details and focus on the visuals
'Cause all the pictures are so bright and loud
The visuals are more appealing and attention-grabbing than the words
Better off than now
Things were better in the past than they are now
Super fun
Extremely enjoyable and exciting
At the movies, drunk and young
Having a great time at the cinema while under the influence of alcohol and youthful energy
Double knots that came undone
Our plans that fell through despite our efforts to secure them
But the big bad years are gone
The difficult and challenging times are over
Yeah, the big bad years are done and gone away
The hardships are now a thing of the past
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: DAVID THOMAS MONKS, GRAHAM FRASER WRIGHT, GREGORY JARRETT ALSOP, JOSHUA G HOOK
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Manuel González Angarita
Breakneck speed
Tying up your hands
'cause you're landing back on your feet
You know what I mean
Vowel change
I remember when our voices used to sound the same
Now we just translate
'cause I'm still amazed you made it out alive
After what you did
Born on your feet, running
Forest fires underneath your bed
But it's good to be back
Good to be back
Good to be back
Spell it out
I always skip the words
'cause all the pictures are so bright and loud
Better off than now
'cause I'm still amazed you made it out alive
After what you did
Born on your feet, running
Forest fires underneath your bed
'cause it's good to be back
Good to be back
Super fun
At the movies, drunk and young
Double knots that came undone
But the big bad years are gone
Yeah, the big bad years are done
And gone away
I remember when our voices used to sound the exact same
Now we just translate
'cause I'm still amazed you made it out alive
After what you did
Born on your feet
Running, forest fires underneath your bed
But it's good to be back
Good to be back
Good to be back
jeremymac3
Lyrics
Breakneck speed
Tying up your hands
'Cause you're landing back on your feet
You know what I mean
Vowel change
I remember when our voices used to sound the same
Now we just translate
'Cause I'm still amazed you made it out alive
After what you did
Born on your feet, running
Forest fires underneath your bed
But it's good to be back
Good to be back
Good to be back
Spell it out
I always skip the words
'Cause all the pictures are so bright and loud
Better off than now
'Cause I'm still amazed you made it out alive
After what you did
Born on your feet, running
Forest fires underneath your bed
'Cause it's good to be back
Good to be back
Super fun
At the movies, drunk and young
Double knots that came undone
But the big bad years are gone
Yeah, the big bad years are done
And gone away
I remember when our voices used to sound the exact same
Now we just translate
'Cause I'm still amazed you made it out alive
After what you did
Born on your feet
Running, forest fires underneath your bed
But it's good to be back
Good to be back
Good to be back
Ilaria Guadagno
I'm so obsessed with this. Thanks Shameless for having such an amazing soundtrack.
Parkour
iLaRiettaiLoveYou i dont remember this being in shameless
zuzicqa28
Parker Dolan s01e08, only the opening guitar part :)
lollylovescheese
+zuzicqa28 and season 2 episode 1!
Jurassic Yoshi
Shameless💛
Cameron Starz
Anyone need a link to the OST mega file lmk
THE_BEAR_JEW
That riff at 1:19 is so sweet. It's simple and genius.
Onion Knight
It's beautiful
Lacey Rhodes
This songs sends a wave of memories through my head. I miss being Ignorant and care-free.
SVPPXRT
i cant even get over this, cheers to the years.