Red Hot Chili Peppers – Breaking the Girl

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I am a man
Cut from the know
Rarely do friends
Come and then go
She was a girl
Soft but estranged
We were the two
Our lives rearranged
Feeling so good that day
A feeling of love that day

Chorus:
Twisting and turning
Your feelings are burning
You’re breaking the girl
She meant you no harm
Think you’re so clever
But now you must sever
You’re breaking the girl
He loves no one else

Raised by my dad
Girl of the day
He was my man
That was the way
She was the girl
Left alone
Feeling the need
To make me her home
I don’t know what, when or why
The twilight of love had arrived

Chorusx2

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Lyrics submitted by dsfire, edited by Mellow_Harsher

Track duration: 04:55


Breaking the Girl song meanings
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132 Comments

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  • -1
    Lyric Correction:"Soft but estranged" should be "so full of strength." It took me over 3 years to realize this... I guess the first phrase just sounds cooler. haha
    Flag D7Kon May 14, 2012   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I've always seen this as a song about falling in love with your father's girlfriend.
    Flag sunshipballoonson December 15, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:When Anthony was 12 he lost his virginity to his dad's 18 year old girlfriend, or so the rumor goes. This song isn't about a player referencing himself in the third person, its about his father and how he treated a young naive girl.
    Flag Tunes24on January 22, 2011   Link
  • 0
    Song Meaning:When Anthony was 12 years old he lost his virginity to his fathers 18 year old girlfriend, or so the rumor goes. This song is not about a player referencing himself in the third person, its a song about his father and how he treated a young naive girl.
    Flag Tunes24on January 22, 2011   Link
  • +1
    My Interpretation:I think this song was written shortly after AK's break-up with Carmen Hawk.
    Flag feminist92on September 23, 2010   Link
  • -1
    General Comment:Well it Sounds like its about a guy that has good game... he finds this virgin girl... and for her she thinks he is the one... for him he knows she isnt... but he wants to take her anyway, so he plays the game. Just to say he's the one that piped it first. After laying the pipe he wants to get rid of her but she thinks he's the one still (happens alot... i too 'broke A GIRL')!!

    Enjoy my synopsis!!
    Flag songDEFINERon September 04, 2010   Link
    • 6 Replies
  • +1
    My Interpretation:The reason I love music is because it has the ability to mean different things to different people. In fact the same song can have multiple meanings to me.

    I think this song is about a guy who fell in love with his brother's girlfriend before his brother started dating her, but couldn't be with her (though she loved him too) because the brother had always been in love with her and he knew her first. Then she got with the brother because she knew it would be the closest she would ever get to the man she truly loved and belonged with.

    It sounds fucked up but I try not to judge, you know?
    Flag EstrangedRayRayon May 19, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:when i first read the lyrics, i thought it was just about him being a player and leading this girl on so he could sleep with her. but looking at the lyrics a bit closer, to me its clear that he and this girl fell in love (We were the two, Our lives rearranged,
    Feeling so good that day, A feeling of love that day) but he screwed up the relationship(I don't know what, when or why, The twilight of love had arrived). she didn't do anything wrong, he just stopped caring(she meant you no harm) and he thought that since he stopped caring that he could get away with hurting her, but cant for whatever reason and has to deal with the pain and guilt of hurting her(Think you're so clever, But now you must sever, You're breaking the girl)

    who knows. i'm probably wrong...but thats how i took the lyrics.
    Flag allygrace711on April 04, 2010   Link
    • 1 Reply
  • 0
    My Interpretation:i agree with rhpcbek, after reading scar tissue (anthony's auto biography) alot of his songs are much more clear. Im pretty sure this song is about when he lost his virginity for his 11th (or 12th?) birthday to his dad's 18 year old girlfriend Kimberly. instead of it being about HIM being the player, i think he is referring to his dad being the player. it might also be about how anthony being a somewhat innocent middle schooler (got into hard drugs by age 13) fell in love with this girl who was his first sexual experience, he says "i dont know what when or why" and in his book he describes the experience as a little confusing (he did not expect his dad to let him) but extreamly enjoyable.
    Flag DancingAsAnIndianon February 12, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I kinda have a different twist for what the song means. Its about 1 dude (maybe Keidis) and 2 chicks. The first verse is about the guy and girl #1 losing their virginity to each other, and their different reactions. They both had strong feelings for each other, but then the guy just wanted to have sex where the girl actually felt love. Then the second verse speaks of how his dad is a player, and thus enters girl #2, who may or may not be a virgin, and he has sex with her. And in the mold of his father, after having sex with this second girl, he completely loses touch with any "love" feelings that may have remained, and begins to act like his father.
    Flag LiveForever3on January 08, 2010   Link

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