Released: 1973
‘Breathe’ by Pink Floyd is a deep dive into the human experience, exploring themes of life, ambition, and the pursuit of success. It’s a song that encourages listeners to live fully, but also warns of the dangers of relentless ambition.
The song starts with ‘Breathe, breathe in the air, Don’t be afraid to care’. This is a call to be present, to experience life, and to not shy away from emotions. ‘Leave, but don’t leave me’ speaks to the desire for connection and companionship, even as we each follow our own paths.
‘Look around choose your own ground’ is a push for individuality and personal choice. The lines ‘For long you live and high you fly, And smiles you’ll give and tears you’ll cry, And all you touch and all you see, Is all your life will ever be’ remind us that our lives are defined by our experiences and actions.
‘Run, rabbit, run, Dig that hole, forget the sun’ is a critique of the rat race, of losing sight of what’s important in the pursuit of success. ‘And when at last the work is done, Don’t sit down it’s time to dig another one’ comments on the never-ending cycle of work and ambition.
The final lines ‘For long you live and high you fly, But only if you ride the tide, And balanced on the biggest wave, You race towards an early grave’ serve as a warning. They suggest that while ambition can lead to great heights, it can also lead to risk and potentially hasten our downfall.
