Outside
Gets inside
Through her skin
I've been out before
But this time it's much safer in

Last night in the sky
Such a bright light
My radar send me danger
But my instincts tell me to keep

Breathing
(Out, in, out, in, out, in)
Breathing
Breathing my mother in
Breathing my beloved in
Breathing
Breathing her nicotine
Breathing
Breathing the fall-out in
Out in, out in, out in, out in

We've lost our chance
We're the first and the last, ooh
After the blast
Chips of plutonium
Are twinkling in every lung

I love my
Beloved, ooh
All and everywhere
Only the fools blew it
You and me
Knew life itself is

Breathing
(Out, in, out, in, out, in)
Breathing
Breathing my mother in
Breathing my beloved in
Breathing
Breathing her nicotine
Breathing
Breathing the fall-out in
Out in, out in, out in, out in
Out in, out in, out in, out
(Out, out, out)

(What are we going to do without)
Ooh please!
(What are we going to do without)
Let me breathe!
(What are we going to do without)
Ooh, breath in
(We are all going to die without)
Leave me something to breathe!
(What are we going to do without)
Oh, leave me something to breathe!
(We are all going to die without)
Oh, God, please leave us something to breathe!
(What are we going to do without)
Oh, life is


Lyrics submitted by weezerific:cutlery

Breathing Lyrics as written by Kate Bush

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

Lyrics powered by LyricFind

Breathing song meanings
Add Your Thoughts

6 Comments

sort form View by:
  • +6
    Song Meaning

    I actually spoke to Kate Bush about this song. She was doing a rare signing at the Virgin Megastore in London and she signed my copy of this song.

    Breathing is written from the perspective of a baby in the womb waiting to be born into a polluted world.

    I specifically asked her about the line "I've been out before, but this time it's much safer in", and whether this implied the baby was conceived in a test tube. While she liked this suggestion, she said that she was actually referring to reincarnation and the baby's recollection of a previous life.

    So there. Glad to clear that up!

    ha72exon April 05, 2012   Link
  • +3
    General Comment

    I think this is about the total reliant relationship an unborn baby has with it's mother AND the relationship we all have with those in power. The backdrop is nuclear war and having such a bomb go off. Instead of dying immediately - the pregnant woman here is in the fallout zone and it is the radiation that will eventually (probably fairlly quickly) kill her.

    The woman has no choice but to breathe in the deadly air and thus she will kill herself and her baby. The baby is totally reliant on her. Similarly those in power are the mother to the rest of us. We are, in effect the baby, who are totally reliant on them for our survival. And like the mother - they have unwittingly killed us - their baby. We can presume that no democratic country would purposefully kill it's population - but can assume it could get caught up in a nuclear war which they were partially responsible for and thus sealing the fate of it's people.

    However Kate sees herself (the Mother), her baby and us - as being different from those in power. They - and the ones who they are fighting the nuclear way - are the fools. She begs for clean air and sanity but it's too late. The powers have caused Mutually Assured Destruction upon themselves. Therefore their people and themselves will die - along with the mother and unborn child.

    Instead they should realised that we all - us and our percieved enemies breathe and rely on the same air. Similarly this could be updated to climate change. If you only think about yourself and not think about the bigger picture or the damage your actions will cause - then you may bring about your own destruction.

    GaffaUKon February 24, 2007   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    i think this song is about a mother and her child hiding in a bomb shelter, thats what most of the lines indicates. Its a very sad song i think..As if you know they're both gonna die and u feel what they feel in the last moments of their lives. It had a strong effect on me. But the picture rikku got , about a baby in its mothers womb is also interesting..this is what i love about kates songs. They often let u get your own ideas

    R4CH3Lon January 04, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    I think that this song can be related to a lot of things, whatever you want it to mean, like every song. However, if you want to look at the basics it's obviously about nuclear war and bombs. Kate Bush is saying that people quite often seem to forget that to live you need to breathe, and you cannot breathe without air. Also, people like you, me, her and her beloved know that all you need to do is breathe, but we are not the ones in control. Sounds obvious, but. :)

    blue_monday68on March 20, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    it's interesting to turn up the volume when it goes quiet in the middle, listen to what the guy is saying. All about the after effects of atomic warfare. clever

    superpants1on April 15, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    I think this song is about a baby in its mother's womb - 'outside gets inside through her skin' & 'breathing my mother in'. It paints a truly tragic picture of a baby that doesn't want to be born because of a nuclear explosion outside. Also, the 'only the fools blew it, you and me knew life itself is breathing' refers to the fact that its often children and recent mothers/pregant women who see life in its most simplest form - surviving and breathing. Either way, its a fantastic song and one of the first of Kate's I ever heard.

    rikkuon November 07, 2006   Link

Add your thoughts

Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.

Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!

More Featured Meanings

Album art
Standing On The Edge Of Summer
Thursday
In regards to the meaning of this song: Before a live performance on the EP Five Stories Falling, Geoff states “It’s about the last time I went to visit my grandmother in Columbus, and I saw that she was dying and it was the last time I was going to see her. It is about realizing how young you are, but how quickly you can go.” That’s the thing about Geoff and his sublime poetry, you think it’s about one thing, but really it’s about something entirely different. But the lyrics are still universal and omnipresent, ubiquitous, even. So relatable. That’s one thing I love about this band. I also love their live performances, raw energy and Geoff’s beautiful, imperfectly perfect vocals. His voice soothes my aching soul.
Album art
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
"Fast car" is kind of a continuation of Bruce Springsteen's "Born to Run." It has all the clawing your way to a better life, but in this case the protagonist never makes it with her love; in fact she is dragged back down by him. There is still an amazing amount of hope and will in the lyrics; and the lyrics themselve rank and easy five. If only music was stronger it would be one of those great radio songs that you hear once a week 20 years after it was released. The imagery is almost tear-jerking ("City lights lay out before us", "Speeds so fast felt like I was drunk"), and the idea of starting from nothing and just driving and working and denigrating yourself for a chance at being just above poverty, then losing in the end is just painful and inspiring at the same time.
Album art
Son Şansın - Şarkı Sözleri
Hayalperest
This song seemingly tackles the methods of deception those who manipulate others use to get victims to follow their demands, as well as diverting attention away from important issues. They'll also use it as a means to convince people to hate or kill others by pretending acts of terrorism were committed by the enemy when the acts themselves were done by the masters of control to promote discrimination and hate. It also reinforces the idea that these manipulative forces operate in various locations, infiltrating everyday life without detection, and propagate any and everywhere. In general, it highlights the danger of hidden agendas, manipulation, and distraction, serving as a critique of those who exploit chaos and confusion to control and gain power, depicting a cautionary tale against falling into their traps. It encourages us to question the narratives presented to us and remain vigilant against manipulation in various parts of society.
Album art
Amazing
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran tells a story of unsuccessfully trying to feel “Amazing.” This track is about the being weighed down by emotional stress despite valiant attempts to find some positivity in the situation. This track was written by Ed Sheeran from the perspective of his friend. From the track, we see this person fall deeper into the negative thoughts and slide further down the path of mental torment with every lyric.
Album art
Plastic Bag
Ed Sheeran
“Plastic Bag” is a song about searching for an escape from personal problems and hoping to find it in the lively atmosphere of a Saturday night party. Ed Sheeran tells the story of his friend and the myriad of troubles he is going through. Unable to find any solutions, this friend seeks a last resort in a party and the vanity that comes with it. “I overthink and have trouble sleepin’ / All purpose gone and don’t have a reason / And there’s no doctor to stop this bleedin’ / So I left home and jumped in the deep end,” Ed Sheeran sings in verse one. He continues by adding that this person is feeling the weight of having disappointed his father and doesn’t have any friends to rely on in this difficult moment. In the second verse, Ed sings about the role of grief in his friend’s plight and his dwindling faith in prayer. “Saturday night is givin’ me a reason to rely on the strobe lights / The lifeline of a promise in a shot glass, and I’ll take that / If you’re givin’ out love from a plastic bag,” Ed sings on the chorus, as his friend turns to new vices in hopes of feeling better.