You Broke Me First
Heartbreak's Echo: When You Break Before They Do
Lyrics
Maybe you don't like talking too much about yourself
Expressing reluctance to discuss personal matters
But you shoulda told me that you were thinkin' 'bout someone else
Regret that the person didn't communicate about their feelings for someone else
You're drunk at a party or maybe it's just that your car broke down
Suggesting a difficult situation, possibly a breakdown or being stranded at a party
Your phone's been off for a couple months, so you're calling me now
Noticing a period of silence and now receiving a call after a long time
I know you, you're like this
Describing the person's behavior when things go wrong
When shit don't go your way you needed me to fix it
Highlighting the person's reliance on the singer to fix problems
And like me, I did
The singer helped in the past but is now unable to
But I ran out of every reason
No longer having valid reasons to assist
Now suddenly you're asking for it back
The person is now seeking help again
Could you tell me, where'd you get the nerve?
Questioning the audacity of seeking help after the past actions
Yeah, you could say you miss all that we had
Acknowledging the person's claim of missing the past relationship
But I don't really care how bad it hurts
Expressing indifference to the person's emotional pain
When you broke me first
Reiterating the emotional impact of being broken
You broke me first
Repeating the acknowledgment of being broken
Took a while, was in denial when I first heard
Initial denial and hurt upon learning about the person's quick move on
That you moved on quicker than I could've ever, you know that hurt
The pain of realizing the person moved on faster than expected
Swear for a while I would stare at my phone just to see your name
A period of longing for the person, now replaced by uncertainty
But now that it's there, I don't really know what to say
Confusion and inability to express feelings now that the person is present
I know you, you're like this
Repeating the pattern of seeking help when things go wrong
When shit don't go your way you needed me to fix it
Similar behavior between the person and the singer
And like me, I did
The singer helped in the past but is now unable to
But I ran out of every reason
No longer having valid reasons to assist
Now suddenly you're asking for it back
The person is now seeking help again
Could you tell me, where'd you get the nerve?
Questioning the audacity of seeking help after the past actions
Yeah, you could say you miss all that we had
Acknowledging the person's claim of missing the past relationship
But I don't really care how bad it hurts
Expressing indifference to the person's emotional pain
When you broke me first
Reiterating the emotional impact of being broken
You broke me first
Repeating the acknowledgment of being broken
What did you think would happen?
Raising questions about the person's expectations
What did you think would happen?
Repeatedly questioning the person's assumptions
I'll never let you have it
Firm refusal to let the person back into the singer's life
What did you think would happen?
Continued questioning of the person's expectations
Now suddenly you're asking for it back
The person is seeking help again
Could you tell me, where'd you get the nerve?
Questioning the audacity of seeking help after the past actions
Yeah, you could say you miss all that we had
Acknowledging the person's claim of missing the past relationship
But I don't really care how bad it hurts
Expressing indifference to the person's emotional pain
When you broke me first
Reiterating the emotional impact of being broken
You broke me first
Repeating the acknowledgment of being broken
(You broke me first)
Repeating the emotional impact of being broken
You broke me first, ah
Final confirmation of being broken by the person
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