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Broken Clocks by Sza Lyrics Meaning – Unraveling Time, Love, and Liberation

Alexander Ross • • 8 min read
Broken Clocks by Sza Lyrics Meaning – Unraveling Time, Love, and Liberation

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You can view the lyrics, alternate interprations and sheet music for SZA's Broken Clocks at Lyrics.org.

Lyrics

Run fast from my day job
Runnin’ 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)

Full Lyrics

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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This anthem of self-preservation and defiance tracks a journey from the constraints of a past life to the freedom of self-reliance and self-love. Through a blend of R&B soul and confessional verses, SZA weaves a narrative of breaking free, not just from a day job or a past relationship, but from the shackles of external expectations. Let’s delve into the intricate layers that make ‘Broken Clocks’ a resonant dialogue between the artist and the listener.

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.

Alexander Ross
Author

Alexander Ross

Alexander Ross has covered the video game industry for a decade, writing deep dives on game design, esports tournaments, VR developments, and gaming culture.