Broken City
Urban Decay Symphony: Audioslave's Broken City Revealed
Lyrics
My city sleeps by the side of a freeway, the city scraps
Describes the city's inactive state beside a freeway, filled with discarded items.
And winter time she wore a yellow coat
Refers to the past when the city was vibrant, represented by a personified "yellow coat."
Now there's nothin' on her back
Indicates the city's current desolation, lacking any metaphorical covering.
If a building falls you wouldn't care to notice unless you were in it
Suggests apathy towards urban decay unless directly affected, emphasizing indifference.
Then no one cares about climbin' stairs, nothin' at the top no more
Comments on society's disregard for climbing metaphorical "stairs" to success.
Outside trippin' in the broken city
Expresses engagement with the deteriorating city, acknowledging its broken state.
Outside trippin' in the broken city, I watch a millionaire crack
Observes a wealthy individual facing challenges, emphasizing universal struggles.
Outside trippin' in the broken city
Reiterates involvement in the troubled city environment.
Outside kickin' in the broken city, there's nothin' wrong with that
Highlights that engaging with the broken city is not inherently negative.
Now the snow falls down like it's fallin' on an ocean
Compares falling snow to an "ocean," symbolizing a vast, cold emptiness.
Dead and empty by the railroad tracks where they used to go and come
Describes a once-active area near railroad tracks, now deserted and lifeless.
Now they don't come back
Reflects on the irreversible departure of people from the city.
You can heal the rust, goin' up the throughways
Suggests the possibility of renewal and recovery, using the metaphor of healing rust.
Down the alleys where they stole this town from the frontier
Describes the stolen town and hints at a desire to reclaim it.
I can see 'em tryin' to steal it back
Portrays efforts to regain the city that was taken away.
Outside trippin' in the broken city (Outside trippin' in the broken city)
Repeats the theme of involvement and awareness in the broken city environment.
Outside trippin' in the broken city, I watch a millionaire crack
Reiterates the challenges faced by individuals, even those with wealth.
Outside kickin' in the broken city (Outside trippin' in the broken city)
Emphasizes that participating in the broken city is not inherently problematic.
Outside trippin' in the broken city, there's nothin' wrong with that
Underlines the acceptance of engaging with the challenges of the broken city.
Now the sun won't shine on this part of the map
Describes a part of the city where sunlight no longer reaches, symbolizing darkness.
Anymore
Confirms the absence of light in a specific area of the city.
When it's cold outside I see it hide behind the smokestacks
Highlights the concealment of sunlight behind industrial smokestacks during cold times.
No thin roses, no goldrush, no miner, no revolution they'd hire
Lists absent elements (roses, goldrush, miner, revolution) contributing to the city's decline.
And the shipyard is a graveyard, no one will be trying to find him
Depicts a shipyard as a place of inactivity and abandonment.
Outside trippin' in the broken city (Outside trippin' in the broken city)
Reiterates engagement in the challenges of the broken city environment.
Outside kickin' in the broken city, I watch a millionaire crack
Observes the struggles of a wealthy individual in the broken city.
Outside trippin' in the broken city (Outside trippin' in the broken city)
Reaffirms the acceptance of facing challenges in the broken city.
Outside kickin' in the broken city, there's nothin' wrong with that
Stresses that there is nothing inherently wrong with actively participating in the broken city.
(There's nothin' wrong with that)
Repeats the affirmation that there is nothing wrong with engaging with the broken city.
(Outside trippin' in the broken city)
Concludes the song, reiterating the theme of involvement in the troubled city.
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