When You Break It All Down
Unveiling the Heart's Arithmetic: When Breakdowns Lead to You
Lyrics
When You Break It All Down
Introduction: Title of the song, "When You Break It All Down."
Words & music by Eric Stuart
Credits: Written by Eric Stuart.
Standing in an open doorway
Describes a person standing in an open doorway, symbolizing a moment of decision or transition.
Doorways can deceive in more ways
Highlights the deceptive nature of doorways and the various ways they can mislead.
Ways you can’t believe can lock you out
Suggests that unexpected and unbelievable circumstances can exclude or hinder someone.
I’ve been on a search for something
Expresses a quest for something meaningful.
Something that can come from nothing
Acknowledges the potential for meaningful things to arise from seemingly nothing.
Nothing you can say can stop me now
Asserts determination against any opposition or discouragement.
(When you break it all down), down, down,
Repeated chorus emphasizing the idea that everything, when broken down, leads to a significant person ("you").
it adds up to you
-(When you break it all down), down, down,
-it adds up to you
-(When your love comes around)
Describes the positive impact of love, bringing a sense of completeness and recovery from losses.
there’s a sweet soft sound
-Everything that’s lost has now been found
-(When you break it all down), down, down,
Reiterates that breaking things down reveals their connection to the significant person ("you").
it adds up to you
-Stranded by those fractured feelings
Portrays a sense of being stranded by complicated emotions.
Feeling it’s a time for healing
Recognizes the need for healing during challenging times.
Healing one receives not self-prescribed
Stresses the importance of healing received rather than self-prescribed.
I’ve been on the road to ruin
Acknowledges a journey toward ruin and the challenges faced.
Ruin is my great undoing
Identifies ruin as a significant undoing or downfall.
Doing all I can just to survive
Expresses the struggle for survival despite difficulties.
(When you break it all down), down, down,
Reiteration of the chorus, emphasizing the connection to the significant person ("you") when breaking things down.
it adds up to you
-(When you break it all down), down, down,
-it adds up to you
-(When your love comes around)
-there’s a sweet soft sound
-Everything that’s lost has now been found
-(When you break it all down), down, down,
-it adds up to you
-I’ve seen my world falling to pieces
Describes witnessing one's world falling apart.
Broken apart, the lines and the creases
Portrays a sorrowful tale of a storybook that has been damaged and burned.
A sorrowful tale, a storybook charred and burned
Reflects on a painful and charred experience.
Freed these chain, sprung this cage is
Announces freedom from chains and a release from a metaphorical cage.
A heart that can mend with words from the sages
Highlights the healing power of words from wise individuals (sages).
A wise man can say there’s something that’s still left to learn
Recognizes the ongoing potential for learning and growth.
(When you break it all down), down, down,
Chorus repetition with slight variation, emphasizing the idea that breaking things down leads to the significant person ("you").
it adds up to you
-(When you break it all down), down, down,
-it adds up to you
-(When your love comes around)
-there’s a sweet soft sound
-Everything that’s lost has now been found
-(When you break it all down), down, down,
-it adds up to you
-(When you break it all down), it adds up to you
Final chorus emphasizing the cumulative significance of breaking things down to the person ("you").
(When you break it all down), it adds up to you
-When you break it all down
Concluding the song by reiterating the central theme of breaking things down to reveal their connection to the significant person ("you").
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