I love gangster movies, especially the classic old black and white ones like James Cagney in the movie “White Heat” or “Public Enemy” have something that the modern gangster movies don’t.

People back at the time of the American gangster spoke different, they had different values, whenever you see a modern movie set in those times, they also carry the modern values into them.

“Breaking Out” is a based on a fictional man who admires this way of life and imagines that being a gangster is the only way to break out of the poverty trap.

Verse 1
Breaking the rules is all he ever done
and they say he’s never going to change.
He escaped from the system that chained his family,
he’s never going to stop until they gun him down.

Verse 2 
Just like a movie, like the one they White Heat,
on top of the world until he falls.
Won’t be a victim of society,
he’s going to win, he’s going to take it all.

Chorus
He’s breaking out, trying to find a way,
he’s reaching out, got to have his way.
Never going to be a victim, he don’t live that way.
never going to burn out until he dies.

Verse 3 
He remembers the graveyard, he remembers all the names,
so many names that were forgot.
He watched his father work to an early grave,
he remembers his mother crying as he died.

Chorus
He’s breaking out, trying to find a way,
he’s reaching out, got to have his way.
Never going to be a victim, he don’t live that way.
never going to burn out until he dies.

Mid
He never gives an inch, always takes a mile,
never trusts a man with a crocodile smile.
He always plays it cool, watches every step,
keeping out of trouble, he’s one step ahead.
He’s heading for the top, never going to stop,
never work and die like his dear old man.
He never trusts a woman, never trusts a man,
they always will betray you, you got to understand.

Chorus
He’s breaking out, trying to find a way,
he’s reaching out, got to have his way.
Never going to be a victim, he don’t live that way.
never going to burn out until he dies.

(c) 1988 Words & Music by John Robert Hunter

RECORDING NOTES

This version is the best recording of the song to date. It contains an additional mid section that was not in the original 1988 version and like most of the 404 album “Foreign Land”, the recordings were lifted directly from our original 8 Track recordings it features Karen Wood, Tony Stewart and Paul Lynagh on backing vocals who were in our live band.

Only Tony came down to record his bass lines at the recording studio and I wish that he had been more involved with those sessions. Geoff Dugmore is playing cymbals on this track as Rupert Hine wanted to keep it to the original demo. I would have rather had the whole thing live utilising Geoff talent completely especially if I could have had Roy Bittan playing the piano with Clarence Clemons on sax or maybe Jules Holland 🙂