Boulevard of Broken Dreams - Green Day
I walk a lonely road
The only one that I have ever known
Don't know where it goes
But it's home to me and I walk alone
Physical: The majority of the lyrics are pretty straightfoward. The speaker is by himself, alone, walking down a road. He has no idea where this road is taking him, but it's his home and he's walking it by himself
Intellectual: From the 2nd & 3rd lines, I believe the speaker is talking about the road of life. We all walk a road, one road we've ever known because we only live one life, and I'm pretty confident no one knows where their road is headed where the road represents going through life. So the speaker is talking about how he is walking through life alone.
I walk this empty street
On the Boulevard of Broken Dreams
Where the city sleeps
And I'm the only one and I walk alone
Physical: The lyrics here are similar to the first four line except we are now introduced to the Boulevard of Broken Dreams. So the road he's walking on is specificaly the Boulevard of Broken Dreams. Its a place where the city sleeps and the speaker is the only one walking.
Intellectual: With the speaker stating he's walking on the Boulevard of Broken Dreams, the speaker is refering to a specific street, one of the many streets one walks through on the road of life. And the road the speaker is currently walking on is the Boulevard of Broken Dreams. A place that where no one will interefer with you as represented by "the city sleeps". The Boulevard of Broken Dreams represents a specific road the speaker is walking on on the road of life, and on this specific road, nothing can interfere with you. The speaker is currently at liberty to do decide whatever he wants.
I walk alone
I walk alone
I walk alone
I walk a...
Physical: Pretty straightfoward; The speaker is walking alone
Intellectual: On the Boulevard of Broken Dreams, the speaker is in true solitude. Being in true solitude allows the speaker to organize things, see things without outside intereference, decide things for himself, truly discover who he is and what he wants.
My shadow's the only one that walks beside me
My shallow heart's the only thing that's beating
Sometimes I wish someone out there will find me
'Til then I walk alone
Physical: Here we have a more in depth description of how the speaker is alone and wishes to be found. On the road it's just him, his shadow, and shallow heart.
Intellectual: the interesting things are the shallow heart & the speaker sometimes wishing he'll be found. The Boulevard of Broken Dreams isn't a pleasent place. It's a point in the speakers life where he's been forced to reconsider things and what he decides from reconsidering may lead to some "broken dreams." He may decide to discontinue certain things. He must decide this stuff by himself. It's hard to do things by yourself, sohe wishes someone could find him, find that he's going through this time in his life where decidions need to be made. But until then he must do this on his own.
Ah-ah, Ah-ah, Ah-ah, Aaah-ah,
Ah-ah, Ah-ah, Ah-ah
Physical: the speaker is um, chanting?
Intellectual: The tone in which the speaker sings this "chant" suggests frustration; frustration form being on this road of Boulevard of Broken Dreams.
I'm walking down the line
That divides me somewhere in my mind
On the border line
Of the edge and where I walk alone
Physical: The speaker is talking once more about the road he's on. The road divides his thoughts. He walks on this division, this border.
Intellectual: More reference to the Boulevard of Broken Dreams being a peculiar place; A place where the speaker is is confused, unsure of himself "divided"
Read between the lines
What's fucked up when everything's alright
Check my vital signs
To know I'm still alive and I walk alone
Physical: The speaker is walking alone, has been alone for so long, he needs to check his vital signs to make sure he's still alive.
Intellectual: Here the speaker is saying he needs to look deeper into his situation in order to see what's right & what's wrong. He's been alone on this road for so long, he needs to double check that he's still alive.
I walk alone
I walk alone
I walk alone
I walk a...
Physical: Pretty straightfoward again; The speaker is walking alone
Intellectual: On the Boulevard of Broken Dreams, the speaker is in true solitude. Being in true solitude allows the speaker to organize things, see things without outside intereference, decide things for himself, truly discover who he is and what he wants. (same as last)
My shadow's the only one that walks beside me
My shallow heart's the only thing that's beating
Sometimes I wish someone out there will find me
'Til then I walk alone
Physical: Here we have a more in depth description of how the speaker is alone and wishes to be found. On the road it's just him, his shadow, and shallow heart.
Intellectual: the interesting things are the shallow heart & the speaker sometimes wishing he'll be found. The Boulevard of Broken Dreams isn't a pleasent place. It's a point in the speakers life where he's been forced to reconsider things and what he decides from reconsidering may lead to some "broken dreams." He may decide to discontinue certain things. He must decide this stuff by himself. It's hard to do things by yourself, sohe wishes someone could find him, find that he's going through this time in his life where decidions need to be made. But until then he must do this on his own.
Ah-ah, Ah-ah, Ah-ah, Aaah-ah,
Ah-ah, Ah-ah, Ah-ah
Physical: the speaker is um, chanting?
Intellectual: The tone in which the speaker sings this "chant" suggests frustration; frustration form being on this road of Boulevard of Broken Dreams.
I walk alone
I walk a...
Physical: Pretty straightfoward again; The speaker is walking alone
Intellectual: On the Boulevard of Broken Dreams, the speaker is in true solitude. Being in true solitude allows the speaker to organize things, see things without outside intereference, decide things for himself, truly discover who he is and what he wants. (same as last)
I walk this empty street
On the Boulevard of Broken Dreams
Where the city sleeps
And I'm the only one and I walk a...
Physical: The lyrics here are similar to the first four line except we are now introduced to the Boulevard of Broken Dreams. So the road he's walking on is specificaly the Boulevard of Broken Dreams. Its a place where the city sleeps and the speaker is the only one walking.
Intellectual: With the speaker stating he's walking on the Boulevard of Broken Dreams, the speaker is refering to a specific street, one of the many streets one walks through on the road of life. And the road the speaker is currently walking on is the Boulevard of Broken Dreams. A place that where no one will interefer with you as represented by "the city sleeps". The Boulevard of Broken Dreams represents a specific road the speaker is walking on on the road of life, and on this specific road, nothing can interfere with you. The speaker is currently at liberty to do decide whatever he wants.
My shadow's the only one that walks beside me
My shallow heart's the only thing that's beating
Sometimes I wish someone out there will find me
'Til then I walk alone...
Physical: Here we have a more in depth description of how the speaker is alone and wishes to be found. On the road it's just him, his shadow, and shallow heart.
Intellectual: the interesting things are the shallow heart & the speaker sometimes wishing he'll be found. The Boulevard of Broken Dreams isn't a pleasent place. It's a point in the speakers life where he's been forced to reconsider things and what he decides from reconsidering may lead to some "broken dreams." He may decide to discontinue certain things. He must decide this stuff by himself. It's hard to do things by yourself, sohe wishes someone could find him, find that he's going through this time in his life where decidions need to be made. But until then he must do this on his own.
Conclusion:
The speaker is on the road of life that everyone travels on. He's on a specific road at this point in his life, the specific road being the Boulevard of Broken Dreams. The speaker is on this specific road because he's reached a point in his life where he needs to reconsider things going on, his life, make some decisions. The decisions he makes may be life altering, he may decide to disconintinue going after certain dreams, hence, the Boulevard of Broken Dreams.
