Broken Home Lyrics

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About

Genius Annotation

“Broken Home” is a power ballad about the emotional impact a disintegrating marriage has on a couple’s teen daughter.

It’s the 12th track on the deluxe version of 5 Seconds of Summer’s 2015 album Sounds Good Feels Good.

The song was co-written with Joel and Benji Madden of Good Charlotte.

In an interview with Fuse, producer John Feldmann revealed that the song’s theme caused some debate about the song’s authenticity.

Other than Ashton, the three guys have parents who are still together. Ashton has never met his father. Ashton really connected into the theme. “We’re saying something with this song, it’s going to connect with the audience, at least 50% of our audience come from broken homes. We’re actually taking a stand.” The other guys are loyal and family-driven and sweet, so they were like, “What are our parents going to think about us singing about a broken home when we don’t come from broken homes? How authentic is it?” It was a two-month debate.

Q&A

Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning

Translations
Genius Answer
What did the writers and producer say about this track?
Genius Answer

In a 2015 interview with Fuse producer John Feldmann said:

That was probably the last song we wrote. Benji came in–he’s had a lot of adversity in his life, with his parents splitting up and the alcoholic father and the co-dependent mother. He came up with the idea of writing a song about a broken home.

Other than Ashton, the three guys have parents who are still together. Ashton has never met his father. Ashton really connected into the theme. “We’re saying something with this song, it’s going to connect with the audience, at least 50% of our audience come from broken homes. We’re actually taking a stand.” The other guys are loyal and family-driven and sweet, so they were like, “What are our parents going to think about us singing about a broken home when we don’t come from broken homes? How authentic is it?” It was a two-month debate.

This is a song, maybe more than any other on this album, that is going to help kids. Michael and I wrote the bridge together, facing each other, McCartney-Lennon style. I get goosebumps whenever Luke comes in on the second chorus.

Writers Zakk Cervini and Matt Pauling also said:

Zakk: This is my favorite song that they’ve ever done. The first chorus is all Calum singing, and in the second chorus when Luke sings up an octave that just gives me the chills. I’ve cried multiple times listening to this song.

Something like 50 percent of marriages end in divorce these days. This song is just such a powerful thing for kids to listen to if their parents are going through something. If you’re going through something, it shows that other people are going through it to and you’re not alone. I also think that guitar riff is definitely something kids are going to want to learn.

Matt: We took a trip to London and we recorded strings with the London Symphony Orchestra on a few songs on the record, and this is one where they just started playing the strings and everyone got chills. It was an incredible moment for everybody.

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