If it is about someone specific?

Every book I've read said that I would meet somebody like you
Whenever I was sorry, so sorry for the things I used to do
A journal full of numbers that I used to go through
(1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7) all behind me now, all because of you

You keep breaking me, you keep breaking me down
I don't wanna walk out
Don't wanna go down, down, down

[Verse 4]
See there's a door that you can walk through
Where there used to be a wall
I don't care, it's cool as long as you catch me baby
(Catch me when I fall) If there's ever a fall
Closer to the breakdown, the closer we get

Read more: Prince - The Breakdown Ly...etroLyrics

(whispers like Westley) ...true ...love

Seems to me it is, more than anything, sung into a mirror.

It's about Irene Lockerbay, a 16-year Chinese girl (adopted) from Torquay.

I have always thought it was aimed directly to the fans

timmie said:

I have always thought it was aimed directly to the fans

Yup.

I also think there are many more songs directed at his fanbase than we might think.

His Green Flag renewal was due. *sob*

I've always figured it to be about G-O-D, although I suppose he could be singing it to a mirror. Can't see how it would be about his fans.

limoncello said:

I've always figured it to be about G-O-D, although I suppose he could be singing it to a mirror. Can't see how it would be about his fans.

these parts really make it seem like it's about God :

"Every book I've read said that I would meet somebody like you
Whenever I was sorry, so sorry for the things I used to do"

the book that he refers to here must be the bible cause as we all know he spends a lot of time reading it..

"See there's a door that you can walk through
Where there used to be a wall"

Seems like he's asking God for help or something in that quote

[Edited 10/27/14 16:44pm]

jobyjayy said:

TwiliteKid said:

jobyjayy said:

I think its about Andy Allo. Acutally I think many of the songs on the album are about Andy.Also...listed to "anotherlove" on plectrum electrum is about Andy.Seriously.

He didn't write AnotherLove, so that would be a feat. And Andy sings on The Breakdown, which cast doubt on that theory. Actually, I doubt it's about anyone real. 30 years in, I suspect most of his songs are pure fiction these days.

I agree with you jobyjayy I think a lot of the songs on AOC ar about Andy. Also, he changed some of the lyrics in AnotherLove and I got the sense it was about her (e.g. sharing our clothes and even our hair) idk could just be the romantic in me. Not sure if The Breakdown is though.

It can't be about God. Nothing on the album resembles or even comes close to Christian Rock.

Larry Graham.

jobyjayy said:

Blixical said:

Larry Graham.

I've thought the exact same thing.

TrueFunkSoldier2 said:

limoncello said:

I've always figured it to be about G-O-D, although I suppose he could be singing it to a mirror. Can't see how it would be about his fans.

these parts really make it seem like it's about God :

"Every book I've read said that I would meet somebody like you
Whenever I was sorry, so sorry for the things I used to do"

the book that he refers to here must be the bible cause as we all know he spends a lot of time reading it..

"See there's a door that you can walk through
Where there used to be a wall"

Seems like he's asking God for help or something in that quote

[Edited 10/27/14 16:44pm]

Yeah, I've wondered if this song was about God too. Only Prince knows for sure, and we know he won't tell us.

God.

SuperSoulFighter said:

It says "every book I read", so it must be about more than just the Bible. Plus, Prince wouldn't refer to God as "somebody like you". If it's about an actual person or fiction or something in between... Who knows... It reminds me a bit of the Emancipation songs like Saviour.

there are many books in the bible written by different authors

[Edited 10/29/14 11:31am]

SuperSoulFighter said:

It says "every book I read", so it must be about more than just the Bible. Plus, Prince wouldn't refer to God as "somebody like you". If it's about an actual person or fiction or something in between... Who knows... It reminds me a bit of the Emancipation songs like Saviour.

I think he's referring to God that way because the song is about losing faith

He finds out he's been in suspended animation for 45 years in "Clouds" then the song is followed by "Breakdown' where he gets pissed at God.

[Edited 10/29/14 13:31pm]

Pretty sure, it's about distorted audio recordings.

oops double post

[Edited 10/29/14 14:02pm]

FunkyD said:

TrueFunkSoldier2 said:

SuperSoulFighter said:

FunkyD said:

there are many books in the bible written by different authors

[Edited 10/29/14 11:31am]

But all of them together form one book that is the Bible. Sorry, FunkyD, not very convincing.

It ain't about God or the books of the Bible, unless the Bible has journals.

SuperSoulFighter said:

TrueFunkSoldier2 said:

I think he's referring to God that way because the song is about losing faith

He finds out he's been in suspended animation for 45 years in "Clouds" then the song is followed by "Breakdown' where he gets pissed at God.

[Edited 10/29/14 13:31pm]

Well that's your interpretation, but I don't find anything in the song, or in anything of Prince's work that he was ever "pissed at God". The song is about being materialistic and realizing there's more to life than that. The "somebody like you" could be a fantasy, a real person or an angel (like Jimi Hendrix' song Angel which has more or less the same theme) so indirectly it could be about God.

It's an interpretation..

He's writting from the perspective of a character (Prince in the future waking up from suspended animation).

He loses his way and tries to find his way back home.

Breakfast can Wait makes more sense in that context as well He wouldn't write a song about lust

normally since that's against religion

[Edited 10/31/14 5:32am]

[Edited 10/31/14 5:33am]

Aerogram said:

It ain't about God or the books of the Bible, unless the Bible has journals.

what?

the journal he brings up got nothing to do with the Bible

[Edited 10/29/14 16:45pm]