Crystal Gayle features prominently on the record, performing either solo vocal or singing in duet with Waits on many of the songs. For Coppola's film, Waits originally wanted to work with Bette Midler, who previously sang a duet with him on the Billie Holiday-esque track "I Never Talk to Strangers" from Foreign Affairs, but due to previous engagements, Midler was unavailable.
During the film/album project Waits met his wife Kathleen Brennan, an employee at the studio where it was recorded.
Broken Bicycles
Tom Waits & Crystal Gayle Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
With busted handle bars out in the rain.
Somebody must have an orphanage for
All these things that nobody wants any more
September's reminding July
It's time to be saying good-bye
Summer is gone, Our love will remain
Like old broken bicycles out in the rain
Broken bicycles, don't tell my folks
There's all those playing cards pinned to the spokes
Laid down like skeletons out on the lawn
The wheels won't turn when the other has gone
The seasons can turn on a dime
Somehow I forget every time
For all the things that you've given me
Will always stay, there broken but I'll never throw them away
The lyrics to Tom Waits's song "Broken Bicycles" have a sense of nostalgia and longing. The song talks about a collection of old and broken things, including bicycles with busted chains and handlebars, playing cards pinned to the spokes, and other abandoned items. The artist seems to be lamenting that these items are no longer wanted or loved, but he sees beauty in their decay.
Throughout the song, there is a sense of loss and change. September is reminding July that it's time to say goodbye, and summer is gone. However, the love that the artist has experienced will remain, just like the old broken bicycles that are left out in the rain. The artist seems to be saying that even though things change and fall apart, there is still something that remains.
Line by Line Meaning
Broken bicycles, old busted chains
The bicycles and their chains are broken and old, in bad condition.
With busted handle bars out in the rain.
The handle bars of the bicycles are also broken and they are left outside in the rain.
Somebody must have an orphanage for
The singer is thinking that there must be a place to take care of these unwanted things.
All these things that nobody wants any more
The bicycles and other things nobody wants any more are left out in the rain.
September's reminding July
September is indicating the end of the summer and that it's time to say goodbye.
It's time to be saying good-bye
It's time to say goodbye to summer and the loved one.
Summer is gone, Our love will remain
Although summer is gone, their love will remain and not fade away.
Like old broken bicycles out in the rain
Their love, like the old broken bicycles, is still there despite being left out and forgotten in the rain.
Broken bicycles, don't tell my folks
The singer doesn't want his family to know about the broken bicycles and other things he's collected.
There's all those playing cards pinned to the spokes
The singer has decorated the bicycles with playing cards, a symbol of discarded things that no one values anymore.
Laid down like skeletons out on the lawn
The bicycles are represented like skeletons and left to decay on the lawn.
The wheels won't turn when the other has gone
The wheels of the bicycles won't turn without someone to ride them; they're like a broken heart that just won't work.
The seasons can turn on a dime
The seasons can change unexpectedly in a moment.
Somehow I forget every time
Despite knowing that seasons can change quickly, the singer forgets whenever it comes around.
For all the things that you've given me
The singer addresses someone, saying they have given him things that he appreciates.
Will always stay, there broken but I'll never throw them away
The things they've given him may be broken, but he'll cherish them and never let them go.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: TOM WAITS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Haroupi
LYRICS:
Broken bicycles, old busted chains
With busted handle bars out in the rain.
Somebody must have an orphanage for
All these things that nobody wants any more
September's reminding July
It's time to be saying good-bye
Summer is gone, Our love will remain
Like old broken bicycles out in the rain
Broken bicycles, don't tell my folks
There's all those playing cards pinned to the spokes
Laid down like skeletons out on the lawn
The wheels won't turn when the other has gone
The seasons can turn on a dime
Somehow I forget every time
For all the things that you've given me
Will always stay, there broken but I'll never throw them away...
@noelhorgan1082
The summer is gone but our love will remain
@randallbenton5557
Heard this for the first time one quiet Valentine's day evening after my divorce. Cried like a baby. Still do.
@honesty_-no9he
The movie is beautiful.
@user-oy3sw7lb9d
I love❤
@ruthanningram413
Love this album.
@ShadyCrackers
Very pretty. From before Tom's ''hammering on engine parts with a metal bar'' period.
@christopappageorge827
lol
@RhythmGrizz
... which was an amazing period.
Waits never had a bad record
@honesty_-no9he
Interesting comments are still on here but most official artist music upload pages have now closed down comments deleting some of the most beautiful and moving stories and remarks from people's lives.
@digitsdigitsdigits808
This was a unilateral decision on youtube's part; all automatically-generated music uploads now have their comments disabled. Very unfortunate