Breathe

Roxette's song 'Breathe' delves into the transient and often painful nature of love. The lyrics paint a vivid picture of someone who has experienced the highs and lows of a deep emotional connection. The opening lines, 'I gotta calm down, I've been awake for far too long,' suggest a state of emotional exhaustion, hinting at the toll that love has taken on the narrator. The imagery of eyes that 'look torn' and a crown that is 'fading' symbolizes the loss of strength and confidence that once came from this love, now diminished over time.

The recurring metaphor of breathing in love is central to the song. The narrator describes filling their 'lungs and veins' with love, only to feel pain as it 'slipped away like rain.' This metaphor captures the essence of love as something vital and life-sustaining, yet also fleeting and uncontrollable. The comparison to rain emphasizes the natural, inevitable dissipation of love, much like how rain eventually stops falling. The emotional journey from openness and vulnerability to pain and loss is poignantly expressed through these lines.

The song also explores the quest for understanding what love truly means. The narrator questions, 'What's love, what's really all about?' and reflects on the rarity of feeling deeply enough to cry. This introspection highlights the complexity and elusiveness of love, suggesting that it is something that can be deeply felt but not easily understood or retained. The repeated refrain of 'I breathe your love' underscores the cyclical nature of this emotional experience, where love is both a source of life and a cause of pain, ultimately slipping away despite the narrator's efforts to hold onto it.