I'm Breaking Down

**I'm Breaking Down** is the seventh song in act one of Falsettos. It follows This Had Better Come to a Stop, and is followed by Please Come to Our House/Jason's Therapy.

## I'm Breaking Down

### Albums

Falsettos (2016 Broadway Cast Recording)In Trousers

## Lyrics

[TRINA]

I'd like to be a princess on a throne

To have a country I can call my own

And a king

Who's lusty and requires a fling

With a female thing

Great, men will be men

Let me turn on the gas

I caught them in the den with

Marvin stuck in Whizzer's ass

Oh sure, I'm sure, he's sure he did his best

I mean he meant to be what he was not

The things he was are things which I forgot

He's a queen

I'm a queen

Where is my crown?

I'm breaking down

I'm breaking down

My life is shitty

And my kid seems like an idiot to me

I mean that's sick

I mean he's great

It's me who is the matter

Talking madder

Than the maddest hatter

If I repeat one more word

I swear I'll lose my brain

Oh, what else should I explain?

Oh, yes it's true

I can cry on cue

But so can you

I'm breaking down

I'm breaking down

Down, down

You ask me "Is it fun to cry over nothing?"

It is, I'm breaking down

Now let's consider what I might do next

I hate admitting I've become perplexed

I'm bereaved

I've cried, I've shook, I've yelled, I've heaved

I have been deceived

As enemies go

Whizzer is not so bad

It's just he's so damn happy

That it makes me so damn mad

I want to hate him but I really can't

It's like a nightmare how this all proceeds

I hope that Whizzer don't fulfill his needs

Don't is wrong

Sing along

What was the noun?

I'm breaking down

I'm breaking down

I'll soon redecorate these stalls

I'd like some padding on the walls

And also pills

I wanna sleep

Sure, things'll probably worsen

But it's not like I'm some healthy person

I've rethought my talks with Marv

And one fact does emerge

I think I like his shrink

So that is why I might turn to drink

I'm on the brink

Of breaking down

I'm breaking down

Down, down

I only want to love a man who can love me....

Or like me...

Or help me...

Help me!

Marvin was never mine

He took his meetings in the boys' latrine

I used to cry

He'd make a scene

I'd rather die

Than dry-clean

Marvin's wedding gown

I'm breaking down

I'm breaking down

It's so upsetting when you've found

That what's rectangular is round

I mean it stinks

I mean he's queer

And me, I'm just a freak

Who needs it maybe every other week

I've rethought the fun we've had

And one fact does emerge:

I've played the foolish clown

The almost virgin who sings this dirge

Is on the verge

Of breaking down

I'm breaking down

Down, down

The only thing that's breaking up is my family

The only thing that's breaking up is my family

But me, I'm breaking down

## Trivia

* William Finn himself says that he prefers it if people read the line "I caught them in the den with Marvin grabbing Whizzer's ass" as "I caught them in the den with Marvin stuck in Whizzer's ass." As such, I have changed the lyrics to honor his wishes. The actual line sung is "I caught them in the den with Marvin grabbing Whizzer's ass", unfortunately. Sorry to everyone who's misled because I put the wrong lyrics but it's what William Finn himself would've wanted.
* In the actual performance, between "It is, I'm breaking down" and "Now let's consider what I might do next", Trina says "Ahaha! No, I don't have time for a breakdown now! I have to get back to my banana carrot surprise. Okay, this isn't my first bris. Just the tip!" She grabs a banana and chops the tip off with a knife, before screaming "WHAT THE HELL!!!" and chopping the banana into little tiny pieces. Using context clues, the banana symbolizes Marvin's dick.
* Latrine is another term for bathroom. He had sex with other men in the boy's latrine.
* In the proshot of Falsettos, after the first "the only thing that's breaking up is my family," Trina stuffs a piece of the banana she chopped up earlier into her mouth, and proceeds to belt with a mouth full of banana. Is there anything Queen Trina can't do?