by SMF AI· Published · Updated
Lyrics
Run fast from my day jobRunnin’ fast from the way it was
Jump quick to a pay check
Runnin’ back to the strip club
I’m never going back, never going back
No, you can’t make me
Never going back, never going back (nah)
They’d never take me
I’ve paid enough of petty dues
I’ve had enough of shitty news
I’ve had a thing for dirty shoes since I was 10
Love dirty men alike
Ooh
Better day than yesterday (keep cuttin’ up)
Ooh
I just take it day by day
Ooh-oh-oh
Never hearing what they say
Ooh-ooh
I just do it my way
All I got is these broken clocks
I ain’t got no time
Just burning daylight
Still love and it’s still love, and it’s still love
It’s still love, still love (still love), still love
It’s still love, but it’s still love
Nothin’ but love for you (nothin’ but)
Nothin’ but love (nothin’ but)
Nothin’ but love
All that I’ve got, pieces and pages
Talking a lot, sorry I’m faded
Think I forgot, you love me
You love me
You love me
Got a shift at 10 AM
Gotta dip at 10 PM
Gotta get that cash
Won’t get past the lunch break
I ain’t had a smoke break
In about two days don’t break
Been about three years since I dated you
Why you still talking ’bout me like we together?
I moved on for the better
You moved on to whoever
I was down for whatever and then some
You gon’ make me late to work again
Ooh
Better day than yesterday
Ooh
I just take it day by day
Ooh-oh-oh
Never hearing what they say
Ooh-ooh
I just do it my way
All I got is these broken clocks
I ain’t got no time
Just burning daylight
Still love and it’s still love, and it’s still love
It’s still love, still love, still love (still love)
It’s still love, but it’s still love (still love)
Nothin’ but love for you
Nothin’ but love (nothin’ but)
Nothin’ but love
I don’t eat, can’t sleep past 9 AM
Heartbeat make me feel young again (like I feel, like I)
Can’t beat ’em just join the party (come and join the party)
I don’t wanna, don’t need nobody
All that I’ve got, pieces and pages
Talking a lot, sorry, I’m faded
Think I’ve forgot, you love me
You love me
You love me
You love me
You love me
(You love me)
In the realm of contemporary music, SZA has carved a niche for herself as a poet laureate of the soul. Her song ‘Broken Clocks’ from the album ‘Ctrl’ is a testament to her lyrical prowess, beckoning a deep dive into the concepts of time, emotional bonds, and personal growth. The song unravels a tapestry of memories against the backdrop of an unyielding clock, touching on themes that resonate with anyone who’s ever felt trapped by the relentless march of time or the demands of life’s responsibilities.
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Tick-Tock Goes the Clock: Escaping the Grasp of Time
Time, as SZA presents it, is both an oppressor and a dimension from which to liberate oneself. The ‘broken clocks’ become a metaphor for a life where the typical constraints of time have ceased to hold sway. In rejecting the nine-to-five grind and the cyclical return to the ‘strip club,’ SZA narrates an emancipation from the societal construct of time that dictates our routines, ambitions, and, ultimately, our self-worth.
This freedom from temporal chains is best understood in the context of SZA’s personal evolution. As an artist, she highlights a shift from being chained to the expectations of a day job to immersing herself in her music career – a tumultuous journey from the pursuit of stability to following her passion, with the ever-present notion that daylight is burning, and life is fleeting.
Love in the Rubble: The Constant Amidst Chaos
In the repetition of ‘still love,’ SZA encapsulates a profound truth about human connection. Even as life becomes frayed and frantic, like the broken clocks she sings of, love remains a constant, an unwavering force amidst the entropy. It’s a declaration that no matter the turmoil, no matter how jaded or ‘faded’ one might feel, the capacity to love persists.
This refrain is more than a simple proclamation of feeling; it’s a recognition that love transcends the physical and temporal, asserting its presence against the disarray of a life in motion. Whether it’s love for a past partner, her craft, or herself, SZA is making it clear that this emotion is unyielding, a permanent fixture that grounds her narrative.
Peeling Back the Corner: The Hidden Meanings of Liberation
Scratching beneath the surface of ‘Broken Clocks,’ there’s a hidden ode to autonomy and breaking from the past. SZA’s disdain for the ‘shitty news’ and ‘petty dues’ is more than a shot at tiresome routine; it’s a bold stance against the status quo, a rallying cry for personal authenticity over conformity.
The heart of this rebellion lies in the shift from external validation to internal fulfillment. As she leaves behind a lover who hasn’t moved on, and a life that was slowly suffocating her true self, SZA underscores an often-overlooked truth: Your life is not defined by the broken clocks – the jobs, relationships, or societal pressures – but by the steps you take to repair them or, courageously, to live without them.
‘Never going back, never going back’: The Mantra of Moving On
One of the song’s most memorable lines, ‘Never going back, never going back, no you can’t make me,’ functions as a personal mantra, a declaration of irreversible change. It conveys a sense of finality and the unshakeable resolve that comes from having made a life-altering decision. This line isn’t just about leaving a job or refusing to rekindle an old flame; it’s about the power of a resolute break from that which no longer serves you.
The repetition here serves not just as a poetic device, but as a psychological reinforcement to SZA and the listener alike. It captures the tumult deserving acknowledgment: that deciding to never go back is a victory in itself, as difficult as it may be. It’s a conscious choice to keep advancing, to stay true to the path you’ve carved for yourself, and to prioritize personal growth over comfort.
The Unyielding Pulse of Self-Worth
‘I’ve paid enough of petty dues,’ SZA states, shedding light on the theme of self-worth that pulses through the melody. The song is scathingly honest about the costs of living a life that undervalues one’s worth, whether through demeaning work or devaluing relationships. SZA turns the mirror on the listener, asking them to consider the price of their own compromises.
Through this exploration of worth and dues paid, ‘Broken Clocks’ becomes an anthem of self-actualization. It’s about finding worth in the ‘dirty shoes,’ the imperfect and the flawed, and learning to acknowledge that self-value isn’t tied to societal measures of success or failure, but to the love and respect you afford yourself, no matter the hour on the clock.
