Broke
Wieuca Lyrics
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Watch the ceiling fan spin while my stomach growls
Got a safety pin where I used to have a button
Reach into my pocket and I don't feel nothing
But a hole in the bottom is a metaphor
And I slump from the couch down to the floor
A person like me just can't get off
It's time for me to get a goddamn job
On the other side of town
There's always something going down
They buy artisanal toilet paper
See you at the tanning booth later
And on my side of town
It's all dried-up dead and brown
I drain the last drop and the bottle's empty
The ghost of sobriety leaves my body
The bar's overstaffed and I can't get a shift
The boss is mad and the manager's pissed
The smoke leaves his lungs and he discards the butt
While I'm saving up two months for the haircut
Cool Guy Jake and the Blackout Brigade
Are going to them bars tonight, it's going to be real gay
Huge fire ants take over my street
Next door neighbor is Lee Von Teves, if that tells you anything
Yeah, on my side of town
Where fire ants freckle the ground
I drain the last drop and the bottle's empty
Ghost of sobriety leaving my body
The lyrics to Wieuca's Broke in 2 tackle the issue of socioeconomic divide between different parts of town, and how it makes the lives of the lower-income people extremely difficult. The song starts with a vivid description of the singer lying on a couch, staring at the ceiling fan while his stomach growls with hunger. He has a safety pin in place of a button and nothing in his pockets except for a hole, which is a metaphor for his lack of money. In the chorus, he acknowledges that he needs to get a job, but he feels like "a person like me just can't get off."
The second verse contrasts his side of town with the other side, which, in comparison, seems to have everything. People buy artisanal toilet paper and go to tanning booths, while the singer is barely scraping by. He drains the last drop of alcohol from a bottle, and the ghost of sobriety leaves his body, showing that he is used to living a life of numbness and escapism. In the third and final verse, he talks about how he can't even get a job at a bar and has to save up for a haircut while his neighbors are partying and having a good time. The fire ants taking over the street further emphasize the stark contrast between the two sides of town.
Overall, Broke in 2 is a poignant portrayal of the struggles of those living in poverty and how they are constantly reminded of the privileges that the wealthier parts of town have. The lyrics are honest and raw, but there is a sense of hopelessness that permeates the song.
Line by Line Meaning
Flung haphazardly on the couch
I am lying on the couch carelessly
Watch the ceiling fan spin while my stomach growls
As I am hungry, I am watching the ceiling fan while it is spinning
Got a safety pin where I used to have a button
I replaced my missing button with a safety pin
Reach into my pocket and I don't feel nothing
When I put my hand in the pocket, I don't feel anything
But a hole in the bottom is a metaphor
The hole in the bottom represents the empty state of my pocket
And I slump from the couch down to the floor
I fell from the couch onto the floor
A person like me just can't get off
I cannot get up from the floor due to my situation
It's time for me to get a goddamn job
I need to find a job to improve my situation
On the other side of town
The other part of the town
There's always something going down
There is always something happening there
They buy artisanal toilet paper
People there buy high-quality toilet paper
See you at the tanning booth later
I might see them later at the tanning booth
And on my side of town
My part of the town
It's all dried-up dead and brown
The area looks dry and dead
I drain the last drop and the bottle's empty
I have finished the last drop from the bottle
The ghost of sobriety leaves my body
I am no longer sober
The bar's overstaffed and I can't get a shift
The bar has enough staff, and I cannot find a job there
The boss is mad and the manager's pissed
The boss and manager are angry
The smoke leaves his lungs and he discards the butt
The person smokes and throws away the cigarette butt
While I'm saving up two months for the haircut
I need to save money for a haircut for two months
Cool Guy Jake and the Blackout Brigade
A group called 'Cool Guy Jake and the Blackout Brigade'
Are going to them bars tonight, it's going to be real gay
They plan to go to bars tonight, and it will be fun
Huge fire ants take over my street
Many fire ants are in my street
Next door neighbor is Lee Von Teves, if that tells you anything
My neighbor's name is Lee Von Teves, which may indicate something
Yeah, on my side of town
Again, I am referring to my part of the town
Where fire ants freckle the ground
My street is full of fire ants
I drain the last drop and the bottle's empty
The last drop from my bottle is finished
Ghost of sobriety leaving my body
Again, I am no longer sober
Contributed by Savannah D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.