[Chorus] Keep breaking me down, down, down Keep breaking me down, down, down Keep breaking me down, down, down Keep breaking me down, down, down
[Verse 2] I used to throw the party every New Year's Eve First one intoxicated, last one to leave Waking up in places that you would never believe Give me back the time, you can keep the memories
[Chorus] Keep breaking me down, down, down Keep breaking me down, down, down Keep breaking me down, down, down Keep breaking me down, down, down
[Chorus] Keep breaking me down, down, down Keep breaking me down, down, down Keep breaking me down, down, down Keep breaking me down, down, down You keep breaking me, you keep breaking me down I don't wanna, wanna go no Don't wanna go down, down, down
After signing a new record deal with Warner Bros. Record, Prince immediately dropped his latest single with “The Breakdown”
This ballad is the first of what Prince says will be a “veritable goldmine” of unreleased music, coming after the deal
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Q&A
Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning
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Who is this song about? Who is he talking to? Is this a message to Mayte?
Genius Answer
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Despite some of the annotations on this song, when the song was initially released it was interpreted to be about Prince grappling with his past behavior. After his death, people began to wonder if the song was a covert way to musically deal with his ongoing addiction issues.