“Breathe” – often titled “Breathe (In the Air)” – was released as the second track of Pink Floyd’s 1973 masterpiece ‘The Dark Side of the Moon’. The lyrics of the song were written by the band’s primary lyricist Roger Waters. But what do they mean? In this article, we will dive into the meaning behind Pink Floyd’s “Breathe”.
The Meaning Behind the Song
Being the first proper song on The Dark Side of the Moon – which is an album about the human experience – “Breathe” represents birth. The album’s overture “Speak to Me” features a (mother’s) heartbeat, and the start of “Breathe” marks being born.
The song’s lyrics can be interpreted as a parent/elderly person giving life advice to a newborn. They mainly address the urgency to take control of your life and choose your own destiny. Otherwise, you will fall into the trap of wasting your time by following meaningless endeavors.
“The lyrics are an exhortation directed mainly at myself, but also at anybody else who cares to listen. It’s about trying to be true to one’s path,” Roger Waters said about the song.
Read more: The Meaning Behind Pink Floyd’s “The Dark Side of the Moon”
The song was lyrically inspired by Roger Waters’ 1970 track “Breathe” (same title, different song), which appears on the soundtrack of the film The Body. Roger Waters composed the soundtrack in collaboration with musician Ron Geesin. The opening lyrics of both songs are exactly the same.
In a track-by-track breakdown of Roger Water’s 2023 redux of The Dark Side of the Moon, he said about the song: “You take that first breath and what’s the first thing you do? You express feelings about the fact that you’re no longer in that certain place that you were in in the beginning. So, the song ‘Breathe’, which is the first real song, is an admonition to that newborn by me, the old bloke, that it’s important to grasp that, as far as we know, you only get one go at this, this being alive business.”
The Origin Behind the Song
“Breathe” originated in 1971 during The Dark Side of the Moon’s first rehearsal sessions at Decca Studios, Broadhurst Gardens, in London. “It began in a little rehearsal room in London,” David Gilmour reflected on the album’s origin. “We had quite a few pieces of music, some of which were left over from previous things.”
Read more: The Story Behind “Wish You Were Here” by Pink Floyd
Musically, the song was possibly inspired by Neil Young’s “Down by the River”. Young released the song on his 1969 album Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere and the verses of both songs follow the same progression.
The Legacy of “Breathe”
“Breathe” was released on The Dark Side of the Moon in March 1973. Together with “Speak to Me” (the two tracks are often bundled together), the song functions as the album’s opener. The original vinyl version of the album titles the song as “Breathe”. But later CD versions of the album titled the song “Breathe in the Air”. Nowadays, “Breathe (In the Air)” is often used as the song’s title.
The Dark Side of the Moon would eventually become one of the best-selling albums ever, with over 45 million copies sold worldwide. Its first proper track, “Breathe”, is characteristic of the album’s sound and an integral part of one of the greatest albums ever released.
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