Break Bread With Me is a song recorded by Mike Peters appeared on Time 1981 – 2021 CD / EP. This Song started out originally as True Life on The Alarm – In The Poppy Fields Sessions, but has been recorded anew for the Time 1981 – 2021 CD. Earlier acoustic and electric demos of the song were released as part of the mikpeters.rise.demos CD in 1999 and the Rise Deluxe box set release in 2010
“This original lyric version of ‘Break Bread With Me;’ predates the eventual Poppy Fields Bond recording as ‘True Life’ by a few years.” states Mike Peters. “I originally wrote it for an Alarm reunion that almost happened in 1994/5. As I say in the Fifth Time “‘Uncertain, turbulent times, nearly turned me around, but it wasn’t meant to be” – Mike Peters January 2021
2021 Time 1981-2021 recording
Running length 4:05
Written by Peters/Jones
Musicians & Credits
Mike Peters, Vocals, Acoustic Guitar, Harmonica, Tambourine, Shaker
Recorded & Mixed by Mark Warden
Produced by Mike Peters
Engineered by Aled Hughes @ Sain Recordiau Cyf
On the 6th January 2021 a video premiere of Break Bread With Me for the of Time 1981-2021 was released
“Uncertain, turbulent times
Nearly turned me around
But it wasn’t meant to be
I wrote thinking of a different future
A different outcome
Than the one I now inhabit
True life had touched me
Click the image for the video on the official The Alarm youtube channel
And so I walked
In the spirit intended
Forward, the past unsafe
The future uncertain
By remembering who I was
I knew what I had to become ………”
This video for Break Bread With Me was filmed and directed by Andy Labrow at Sain Studios, North Wales, as Mike Peters recorded songs with powerful spoken word insights into Alarm History
Alternative studio/session recording information
1995 Acoustic Demo (includes audio file)
1997 Electric Demo (includes audio file)
18th December 1995: rise.demos acoustic version
Running length 2:57
Musicians & Credits
Mike Peters – Vocals, Acoustic Guitar, Harmonica
Recorded at KCXX Radio Station, San Berhardino, California, USA
Recorded by Anton Sousa
Appears on mikepeters.rise.demos
Appears on Mike Peters Rise – Deluxe Box set
The first acoustic recording of a song that I considered for Rise right up until the final recording session – Mike Peters 30/03/1999
February/March 1997: rise.demos acoustic version
Running length 4:50
Musicians & Credits
Mike Peters – Vocals, Acoustic Guitar
Chris Lewis – Guitar
Owen Thomas – Drums
Richard Llewellyn – Bass
Recorded at in a Farmhouse, West Wales
Appears on mikepeters.rise.demos
When is an album finished and where does the next one begin? Who knows this may be the start of a whole new Mike Peters record … – Mike Peters 30/03/1999
Album appearances & discography for studio/session versions
All the following are Worldwide releases except where stated
(v) 1999: Mike Peters – mikepeters.rise.demos
Released on CD by The Twenty First Century Recording Company, catalogue number 21C007
Disc 1 1995 acoustic recording
Disc 2 1997 electric recording 
(v) 2010: Mike Peters – m rise [deluxe edition]
Released on CD by The Twenty First Century Recording Company, catalogue number 21C053
Disc 2 1995 acoustic recording
(v) January 2021: Mike Peters – // Time // 1981-2021
Released on CD by The Twenty First Century Recording Company, catalogue number 21C116
2020 recording
Lyrics ~ Break Bread With Me ~ Time 1981-2021 recording
Narration – The Fifth Time
“Uncertain, turbulent times
Nearly turned me around
But it wasn’t meant to be
I wrote thinking of a different future
A different outcome
Than the one I now inhabit
True life had touched me …
I, I’ll take what is offered
In the spirit intended
Message received
I, I’m trying to say the right words
Give all the right answers
Don’t look at me that way
I made my mistakes
All in good faith
Time after time
Day after day
Break bread
Break bread with me brother
from one love to another
Break bread here with me
Time, time breaks up the distance
I cannot remember what drove us apart
I, I can’t say I’m sorry
No I can not justify
I won’t even try
I can not take back
Or remake the past
I can not undo
What I’ve done to you
Break bread
Break bread with me brother
From one love to another
Break bread here with me
We can’t go back
From now on we only go forward
The past is unsafe
The future is strangely uncertain
Let’s talk about tomorrow
When we lived through today
Break bread
Break bread with me brother
From one love to another
Break bread here with me
Narration – The Sixth Time
And so I walked
In the spirit intended
Forward, the past unsafe
The future uncertain
By remembering who I was
I knew what I had to become ………”
Lyrics ~ Break Bread With Me ~ 1995 acoustic demo
I, I’ll take what is offered
In the spirit intended
A message received
I, I’m trying to say the right words
In all the right actions
Don’t look at me that way
I can not take back
I can not undo
I can not remake
I can not undo
Hey, hey now
Break bread
Break bread with me brother
True love sees no colour
Break bread here with me
With me, with me
Break bread here with me
I, Time breaks up the distance
I can not remember what drove us apart
I, I can’t say I’m sorry
No I can not justify
I won’t even try
I can not take back
I can not remake
I can not look back
On this hard time
Hey, hey now
Break bread
Break bread with me brother
True love sees no colour
Break bread here with me
Break bread
Break bread with me brother
True love sees no colour
Break bread here with me
With me, with me
Break bread here with me
Lyrics ~ Break Bread With Me ~ 1997 electric demo
I, I’ll take what is offered
In the spirit intended
Message received
I, I’m trying to say the right words
Give all the right answers
Don’t look at me that way
I made my mistakes
All in good faith
I’m flesh and blood
Is that understood
Hey, hey now
Break bread
Break bread with me brother
True love sees no colour
Break bread here with me
With me, with me
Break bread here with me
Time, time breaks down the distance
I can not remember what drove us apart
I, I can’t say I’m sorry
No I can not justify
I won’t even try
I can not take back
Or remake the past
I can not undo
What I done to you
Hey, hey now
Break bread
Break bread with me brother
True love sees no colour
Break bread here with me ~
With me, with me
Break bread here with me
We can’t go back
From now on we only go forward
The past is unsafe
The future is strangely uncertain
Let’s talk about tomorrow
When we live through today
Break bread
Break bread with me brother
True love sees no colour
Break bread here with me
Break bread
Break bread with me brother
True love sees no colour
(page updated 03/09/2024)