The Bitter Ingredients Behind Supertramp’s Delicious Breakfast in America Album
Popular music has had a number of phenomenal songwriting partners, though none of them are as well known as the tandem of John Lennon and Paul McCartney. Most of them, like the main combination behind many of The Beatles’ best songs, end up breaking up due to built-up tension.
It happened to Johnny Marr and Steven Morrissey of The Smiths in the late 1980s, and they’ve been estranged ever since. Although Chris Difford and Glenn Tilbrook were eventually reunited, the two murdered composers on Squeeze spent several years at odds.
In most cases, friction between the song rewriting team cannot be easily detected from the songs themselves. Tea let it be “Two of Us” from the album gave us a hint that the Beatles frontmen were done with each other, but the lyrics’ sweet nostalgia barely hinted at bitterness.
However, the collaboration of the songwriting pair Supertramp couldn’t have been clearer than on the group’s biggest album, breakfast in america. Every song on that album, including huge hits like “The Logical Song,” “Goodbye Stranger,” and “Take the Long Way Home,” points to the tension between Rick Davies and Roger Hodgson.
While similar tension sparked by two divorces within Fleetwood Mac (Lindsay Buckingham-Stevie Nicks, John and Christine McVie) resulted in the multi-platinum award rumors album, the songs came after the breakups. Supertramp’s big release, on the other hand, predated his demise, despite the obvious animosity between his two leaders.
In previous interviews, Roger Hodgson has clearly hinted that the songs on Breakfast in America serve as dogs from one of the lyricists to the other. This back and forth is apparent simply by examining just the first line or two of each of the album’s songs.
gone hollywood
The opening line here, sung by Rick Davies, sums up his attitude towards his songwriting partner and his band: “It’s just heartbreaking, I should have known I’d be disappointed.”
the logical song
The opening to this enduring classic is “When I was young, it seemed like life was so wonderful, a miracle, it was beautiful, magical,” and focuses on a happier past and a feared present.
goodbye unknown
“It was early morning yesterday, I was up before dawn and really enjoyed my stay, just moving on though,” Rick Davies sings in an obvious desire to be free of Hodgson.
Oh honey
This song opens with a direct accusation from Davies, who says “Will you ever change your mind? I’ve felt abandoned, like a shadow in your light.”
take the long way home
On this single, Hodgson turns to Davies and opines, “So you think you’re a Romeo, playing a part in a picture show.”
sir is mine
“I know there’s a reason I need to be alone, I need to find a quiet place to call my own,” Hodgson sings, obviously longing for a break from the group.
Just another nervous wreck
Davies simply says, “I feel so lonely now,” which is yet another plea to part ways with his collaborator.
casual conversation
Here Davies notes his frustration with Hodgson, stating that “No matter what he says, you never listen anyway, you just don’t know what you’re looking for.”
child of vision
The last track in breakfast in america it begins with the most direct message, when Hodgson asks, “Well, who do you think you’re kidding? You say you’re having fun, but you’re busy going nowhere.”
