Lyrics: Breathe

Grace Rao in Flour Baby

We wrote the song “Breathe” for the end credits of Flour Baby, a short film that we’ve been working on, which premiered in Pittsburgh last week before screening in the Napa Valley Film Festival.

It presented a particular challenge lyrically, because we wanted it to be specific to the character’s situation in the film, but didn’t want it to be so specific that you needed to know exactly what the film was about in order to appreciate the song.

We like to think that what we came up with works pretty well in the film while still managing to stand on its own.  Interestingly enough, if you watch the film (which you’ll be able to do soon on www.flourbaby.com), the song may take on a completely different meaning than it does out of context.

We were fortunate enough to have the uber-talented Laura Osnes debut the song for us at Birdland this summer, and even more fortunate to have her record it for the film.  We hope to make that recording available in the near future.  In the meantime, here’s the live version…

Lyrics after the jump.

Breathe

Help me, it’s happening again.
I wake up gasping for air.
I’m reaching for something
That’s no longer there.

Dreaming of pathways back to then.
Knowing that it will never be.
And it’s suffocating me.
If I could just breathe,
All I need to do
Is simply exhale
And let go of you.

But I don’t dare breathe
Instead I sink down
I hold tight to you
And let myself drown.

Catch me, I’m sinking far too fast.
Pulled by a darkness deep inside
And I surrender to the tide.

If I could just breathe,
All I need to do
Is simply exhale
And let go of you.

But I don’t dare breathe
Instead I sink down
I hold tight to you
And let myself drown.

The scars fade away, and the bruises all heal.
I hang on to the hurt cause I can’t help but feel
The pain is the only proof that you were real.

Hold me, as I fall through the void.
Wrapped up in its empty embrace.
Alone with my memories,
And infinite space.
Dreams of something I destroyed.
Dreams that I know cannot come true.
Dreams of a lifetime with you.

If I can just breathe,
Then I can move on.
I’ll simply exhale
And you’ll be gone.

But I cannot breathe.
I’ll never let go.
The pain is the only thing I know…

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