Broken Piano Lyrics
[Produced By Rich Costey]
As I walked out one morning fair
I found myself drawn thoughtlessly
Back to the place we used to live
And you still do, now without me
Around the back, away from the road
Behind the bins, beneath your window
I found the hulk, a rusting bulk
Of a shattered old piano
Someone had torn out some of the keys
With cruel care, not thoughtlessly
In such a way that one could only play
Minor melodies
[Chorus]
So I sat down in my sadness, beneath your window
And I played sad songs on the minor keys of a broken piano
A sinner amongst saved men, on the banks of the muddy Thames
As I have wandered through this city
Like a child lost in the London fog
From Highgate Hill, down to the river
Then washed downstream past the Isle of Dogs
As I walked out one morning fair
I found myself drawn thoughtlessly
Back to the place we used to live
And you still do, now without me
Around the back, away from the road
Behind the bins, beneath your window
I found the hulk, a rusting bulk
Of a shattered old piano
Someone had torn out some of the keys
With cruel care, not thoughtlessly
In such a way that one could only play
Minor melodies
[Chorus]
So I sat down in my sadness, beneath your window
And I played sad songs on the minor keys of a broken piano
A sinner amongst saved men, on the banks of the muddy Thames
As I have wandered through this city
Like a child lost in the London fog
From Highgate Hill, down to the river
Then washed downstream past the Isle of Dogs
Had time enough to think upon
The question of what kind of songs
That you would choose to listen to
Now that I am gone
And as I float beneath that bridge
Just down the road from where you live
I've often thought I might have caught
Your voice upon the wind
But as I stroked those broken keys
You did not join in harmony
[Chorus]
[Outro]
On the banks of the muddy Thames
On the banks of the muddy Thames
The question of what kind of songs
That you would choose to listen to
Now that I am gone
And as I float beneath that bridge
Just down the road from where you live
I've often thought I might have caught
Your voice upon the wind
But as I stroked those broken keys
You did not join in harmony
[Chorus]
[Outro]
On the banks of the muddy Thames
On the banks of the muddy Thames
About
Genius Annotation
A rare surrealistic fantasy from the usually pretty grounded Frank Turner, “Broken Piano” caps off 2013’s Tape Deck Heart. The song builds to an anthemic, English crescendo of “on the banks of the Muddy Thames,” defying, somewhat, Frank’s original intent of letting TDH be a record free from Englishness. Oh well.
The song can be understood on two levels. Superficially, it is about a man struggling to come to terms with a romantic break-up. It’s also a continuation of the story of the Fisher King, and thus relates to England’s fall from some past greatness. It leads directly into “Angel Islington”, the opening track on Frank’s 2015 album.
Q&A
Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning
- 1.Recovery
- 2.Losing Days
- 5.Good & Gone
- 10.Anymore
- 11.Oh Brother
- 12.Broken Piano
- 15.Tattoos
- 16.Time Machine
- 17.Undeveloped Film
- 18.Cowboy Chords
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