Breaking The Broken
This song was inspired by a visit back home to Ohio about 7 or 8 years ago. I went to one of my old favorite clubs we played at for years and ran into my old drummer's ex. She went on and on about how lucky I was to "break out" of that small town and be able to follow my dreams. After about 15 minutes I was like "what's holding you back from doing what you want in life"? She had no real answer but lots of excuses and this same scene played out as I bumped into more and more friends and acquaintances throughout my trip. I feel bad for most of the people that think they are "stuck" with no way out. In most cases they have options but are too blinded by the problems and limitations at hand to be able to see a way out and the more I encountered this attitude the more it reminded me of my roots.
I too felt stuck and hated my little hometown when I lived there. I felt my spirit was crushed and that my dreams meant nothing to anyone but me, yet I didn't have the strength to make them a reality. So I started to write this as a song of remembrance, of my lowest points and what it took to get out of it. For me I was completely broken down to nothing. I went into huge debt for a building that was a money pit just to save our rehearsal space and ended up living on Kool Aid and butter sandwiches and letting my life go downhill fast. When I got to the point that I hated looking in the mirror I realized it was time to shatter the image I had of myself and become the reflection of the real man inside! I shattered all the broken bits to rise up from the ash and start a new life - So that's the basic concept. Kinda like that saying you gotta reach rock bottom to climb back up. There are some other hidden mystical references in there too so see if you can pick 'em out!
(Lyrics)
Up From the dust we rise
Slithering these same streets
To shed this self de-evolution
I need to break what's broken
Chorus: So I'm Breaking Down the Broken
Shatter the pain we cling to
Every vibration spoken
Just brings it all right back to you
Smearing this dirt on myself
Footprints all across my face
Eyes blurred from scraping away the truth
I need to break what's broken
Chorus: So I'm breaking down the broken
Shatter the pain we cling to
Every vibration spoken
Just brings it all right back to you
Poem by Rashani Rai:
There is a brokenness
out of which comes the unbroken,
a shatteredness out of which blooms the unshatterable.
There is a sorrow beyond all grief
which leads to joy and a fragility
out of whose depths emerges strength.
There is a hollow space
too vast for words
through which we pass with each loss,
out of whose darkness
we are sanctioned into being.
There is a cry deeper than all sound
whose serrated edges cut the heart
as we break open to the place inside
which is unbreakable and whole,
while learning to sing.
Chorus: So I'm breaking down the broken
Shatter the pain we cling to
Every vibration spoken
Just brings it all right back to you
