HEARTBREAK, INC.

1982 dark new wave, female contralto lead vocals, icy and sarcastic verses, explosive emotional choruses, analog synthesizers, driving post-punk bassline, angular chorus guitars, LinnDrum drum machine, atmospheric synth pads, minor key, danceable 125 BPM, anti-corporate protest anthem disguised as a bitter breakup song, dramatic spoken-word bridge, raw human imperfections, vintage tape saturation, haunting melodic hooks, no autotune

[Verse 1]

You used to call me after midnight
With a cigarette and a crooked smile
We made mistakes, we made a mess
And made it beautiful for a while

Now there’s a stranger wearing your face
Saying all the things you never said
She’s got your voice, she’s got your eyes
But there’s nobody home inside her head

[Pre-Chorus]

They said it’s better
They said it’s free
They said the future
Would remember me

But I remember you…

[Chorus]

I want my heartbreak handmade!
I want my beautiful mistakes!
Don’t sell me artificial love
And call it what progress makes!

You can keep your perfect paradise
Your polished, plastic lies
I want my heartbreak handmade
I want a human goodbye!

[Verse 2]

They stole the words from every poet
They stole the songs from every child
They put a price on being human
Then told us all to smile

The bankers kissed the engineers
The politicians took their cut
They built a god from stolen dreams
And told the rest of us to shut up

[Pre-Chorus]

They call it freedom
They call it choice
They took our future
And gave it a voice

And it sounds just like you…

[Chorus]

I want my heartbreak handmade!
I want my beautiful mistakes!
Don’t sell me artificial love
And call it what progress makes!

You can keep your perfect paradise
Your polished, plastic lies
I want my heartbreak handmade
I want a human goodbye!

[Bridge: Spoken, cold, increasingly furious]

You didn’t write the letter.
You didn’t paint the sky.
You didn’t sing the love song.
You didn’t even cry.

You scraped a million broken hearts
And stitched them into one.
Then told us art was obsolete.
Then told us work was done.

(Music drops out)

And darling…

Who the hell gave you the right?

[Instrumental Break]

Jagged guitar riff, frantic synthesizer arpeggios, pounding electronic drums.

[Verse 3: Quiet, intimate]

I miss the way you disappointed me
I miss the fights we couldn’t win
I miss the stupid things you told me
And the sorry way you’d grin

I don’t need someone who understands
Every thought inside my head
I’d rather love somebody real
Who doesn’t know what should be said

[Final Chorus: Explosive, doubled vocals]

I WANT MY HEARTBREAK HANDMADE!
I WANT MY BEAUTIFUL MISTAKES!
I WANT THE BLOOD, THE SWEAT, THE TEARS
AND EVERY LITTLE HEART THAT BREAKS!

TAKE BACK YOUR PERFECT PARADISE!
YOUR SYNTHETIC ALIBIS!
YOU CAN’T AUTOMATE A SOUL
AND YOU CAN’T COPYRIGHT OUR LIVES!

I want my heartbreak handmade!
I want the mess, I want the pain!
I’d rather die of loving you
Than never feel a thing again!

[Outro: Whispered over fading synth]

You said you’d make a better world.

You made a better copy.

And charged us for the original.

(Click. Silence.)

2662/7500

[Verse 1] You used to call me after midnight With a cigarette and a crooked smile We made mistakes, we made a mess And made it beautiful for a while Now there’s a stranger wearing your face Saying all the things you never said She’s got your voice, she’s got your eyes But there’s nobody home inside her head [Pre-Chorus] They said it’s better They said it’s free They said the future Would remember me But I remember you… [Chorus] I want my heartbreak handmade! I want my beautiful mistakes! Don’t sell me artificial love And call it what progress makes! You can keep your perfect paradise Your polished, plastic lies I want my heartbreak handmade I want a human goodbye! [Verse 2] They stole the words from every poet They stole the songs from every child They put a price on being human Then told us all to smile The bankers kissed the engineers The politicians took their cut They built a god from stolen dreams And told the rest of us to shut up [Pre-Chorus] They call it freedom They call it choice They took our future And gave it a voice And it sounds just like you… [Chorus] I want my heartbreak handmade! I want my beautiful mistakes! Don’t sell me artificial love And call it what progress makes! You can keep your perfect paradise Your polished, plastic lies I want my heartbreak handmade I want a human goodbye! [Bridge: Spoken, cold, increasingly furious] You didn’t write the letter. You didn’t paint the sky. You didn’t sing the love song. You didn’t even cry. You scraped a million broken hearts And stitched them into one. Then told us art was obsolete. Then told us work was done. (Music drops out) And darling… Who the hell gave you the right? [Instrumental Break] Jagged guitar riff, frantic synthesizer arpeggios, pounding electronic drums. [Verse 3: Quiet, intimate] I miss the way you disappointed me I miss the fights we couldn’t win I miss the stupid things you told me And the sorry way you’d grin I don’t need someone who understands Every thought inside my head I’d rather love somebody real Who doesn’t know what should be said [Final Chorus: Explosive, doubled vocals] I WANT MY HEARTBREAK HANDMADE! I WANT MY BEAUTIFUL MISTAKES! I WANT THE BLOOD, THE SWEAT, THE TEARS AND EVERY LITTLE HEART THAT BREAKS! TAKE BACK YOUR PERFECT PARADISE! YOUR SYNTHETIC ALIBIS! YOU CAN’T AUTOMATE A SOUL AND YOU CAN’T COPYRIGHT OUR LIVES! I want my heartbreak handmade! I want the mess, I want the pain! I’d rather die of loving you Than never feel a thing again! [Outro: Whispered over fading synth] You said you’d make a better world. You made a better copy. And charged us for the original. (Click. Silence.)

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