Supertramp – Breakfast in America

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Send "Breakfast in America" Ringtone to Cell

Take a look at my girlfriend
She's the only one I got
Not much of a girlfriend
Never seem to get a lot

Take a jumbo across the water
Like to see America
See the girls in California
I'm hoping it's going to come true
But there's not a lot I can do

Could we have kippers for breakfast
Mummy dear, Mummy dear
They got to have 'em in Texas
Cos everyone's a millionaire

I'm a winner, I'm a sinner
Do you want my autograph
I'm a loser, what a joker
I'm playing my jokes upon you
While there's nothing better to do

Don't you look at my girlfriend
She's the only one I got
Not much of a girlfriend
Never seem to get a lot

Take a jumbo cross the water
Like to see America
See the girls in California
I'm hoping it's going to come true
But there's not a lot I can do

Send "Breakfast in America" Ringtone to Cell


Lyrics submitted by bugophant

Track duration: 02:39

"Breakfast in America" as written by Richard Davies, Roger Hodgson

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group

Lyrics powered by LyricFind


Breakfast in America song meanings
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29 Comments

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  • 0
    General Comment:Roger Hodgson wrote the song when he was teenager, long before Dallas came on the air. Rich Texas Billionaires were already big stereotype overseas long before that show ever existed. Some of his band mates wanted him to rewrite the song, but Hodson thought it captured a teenage innocence that made the song unique. It's simply the musings of a teen wanting to take a jumbo jet to visit America. It think that was the whole point of the scene looking out the Airliner's window, on the album cover. Some people read way too much into songs, even when the writer has already explained the meaning.
    Flag Daveisteron April 10, 2013   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:You are all a bunch of lunatics. Read the lyrics, they are self explanatory. The ONLY part of the song that might give you any reason to give question is the kippers for breakfast part. Kippers are NOT a delicacy. Kippers are the real life version of red herring. Think about it. The child is way off from reality with his request for a proverbial red herring, just like the rest of the song. Want this, want that, it has little meaning in the big picture. We just want. But its all a read herring. Like the girlfriend, take a look at her, never seem to get alot, but she's the only one I got, etc. Its all wonderful but not as wonderful as it seems.

    The people asking about the "jumbo" reference; Dolts, it means "jumbo jet"...."took a jumbo across the water, like to see America" How would you go across the water to see America? Obviously not from anywhere close by, has to go ACROSS THE WATER to get here. What else would it be? JUMBO what? Think of all the words ever used in conjunction and tell me what else it could possibly be..."JUMBO"- what? Hmmm, goes across the water to America.....Hmmmm, Jumbo.... Jumbo Boat? Jumbo Submarine? Jumbo Balloon? Jumbo Slingshot? Jumbo Spacecraft? What could it possibly be that is considered jumbo that is used to go across the water to the USA from abroad? Oh, JUMBO F*UCKING JET is a commonly used phrase, could it possibly be that? No, let me ask a dopey question on this website. What are you freaking 105 years old? Get a clue.
    Flag JoeFubietzeon July 29, 2011   Link
    • 1 Reply
  • +1
    General Comment:I would say the author of this song WAS talking about gaining status by coming to the ideal "America." I think often America is used by songwriters to figuratively describe an ideal place, real or imaginary, much like most do with the idea of "paradise." It has been a popular theme to illustrate that you have arrived by describing the amenities you have received. In this case the author focuses on his immediate company "take a look at my girlfriend" to check the status of his progress. He indirectly admits the situation is not entirely ideal, but is an overall improvement. He also takes a second to illustrate the fickle nature of fame, success, and the source of his talents.

    Even the melody seems to wander with uncertainty; as if you were on a tightrope, just trying to keep from falling from one side (satisfaction) to the other (depravity).
    Flag thewoodson June 11, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:kippers are awful. are they actually expensive? can't imagine why anyone would pay.
    Flag foreverdroneon February 15, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I absolutely love this song! And it is possibly the only song that has a good remix of it.
    Flag marooandcheon October 10, 2010   Link
  • 0
    Song Meaning:I am not sure about the jumbo part but I think they means a jumbo jet and so they probably want to take a jumbo jet to America.
    Then the part about kippers for breakfast: There used to be this TV show called Dallas and it was about these people in Dallas and they were all millionaires. And kippers are probably some delicacy and really hard to get so the guy is saying that they should have there kippers in Texas because if you have never been to America and you saw the show Dallas you would think that everyone was a millionaire.
    Flag marooandcheon October 08, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Personal opinion, darling, but advertising another band probably isn't the best thing to be doing.

    Anyhow, sounds like somebody wanting to immigrate. Nothing really to keep them there. Only it's given a more cynical tone, and it appears to be more of a pisstake of America being the land of dreams.

    Nice Piano intro too, btw.
    Flag Sinrothon October 07, 2008   Link
    • 1 Reply
  • 0
    General Comment:stabwound, you should really hear some more Fall Out Boy. you can't possibly judge Patrick on just "Dance Dance". try "I've Got a Dark Alley and A Bad Idea..." from the same album. Or check out the sweet harmonies on "Golden" from their latest. Or the amazing acapella opening of "Grand Theft Autumn/Where Is Your Boy Tonight" from Take This To Your Grave. Then you'll see how incredible Patrick Stump's voice is. A-fucking-mazing.
    Flag bouncehoperon September 05, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Judging only from Dance Dance, I'd have to say Patrick Stump is a terrible, terrible singer. There's no reason I would like a rap song that samples it just because it has the same lyrics.

    As for the song meaning, British kid wants to move to America because he thinks it's so great, but doesn't really know anything about it.
    Flag Stabwound666on August 18, 2008   Link
  • +3
    General Comment:I've always liked the oom-pah beat and the old music-hall feel of the song; if the lyrics weren't originally sarcastic, the silliness of the music makes it come across as such. It's someone dreaming of an America where all the men are rich billionaires, and the women are all 'California girls'.

    And since it seems to be a game with prog-rockers to play connect-the-dots with the songs, think on this:
    Pair it up with "Gone Hollywood", you've got the portrait of a man who's come to America with the dreams of making it big in USA only to end up at his wit's end, stuck in this dumb motel next to the Taco Bell without a hope in hell of making it here.

    And string it with "Child of Vision", and it's can be an outsider-on-the-inside's concept of what America truly is--it's not seen as paradise because it's perfect, it's seen as a paradise because it's got the best salesmen around who can sell it as such.
    Flag ProfessorKnowItAllon August 15, 2008   Link

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