Breathe lyrics meaning?

[Abbi]

Hi,
I'm italian. I need some help to understand the meaning of Breathe lyrics.

First: what is the cockatoo? I know it's a kind of parrot, but may it be a slang word? Or do Bono really talks about buying a parrot?

Do anyone have some idea why the character is justifying himself about buying a cockatoo and let a stranger in his home like it's a matter of life or death?

Last thing: in "walk out into the street with arms out" what is the exact meaning of "arms out"? He goes out with a sleeveless t-shirt? Or does he have some problem with his arms? (I though this since the lyrics talk clearly of a desease)

Sorry if some of my questions may sound silly to an english-speaking
Thank you very much!
Ciao!!!
Andrea

 

[Mr. V]

hahaha it's alright

i've never heard it used before, but when bono says 'i wasn't going to buy just anyone's cockatoo', it means he's not going to buy just anyone's bullshit.

and the arms out thing - as in arms outstretched.

 

[vaz02]

Arms out as in FREE. Not handcuffed imo.

 

[UAME]

Cockatoo is the bird, but I think it is slang invented by Bono for this song. I, too, think it means something similar to the slang phrases "crock of shit" or "load of bull". Another slang phrase in English is simply, "I'm not buying it", which means "You're not fooling me" or "I don't believe what you're saying."

"Arms out" = arms extended (like ready to give a hug) to embrace the day

OR:

during worship, many people extend their arms and lift their hands toward heaven as if reaching toward God

Either way, there's no problem and it's not figurative language: He's saying he's stretching out his arms.

 

[BEVERLY56]

I find the cockatoo line very amusing!

 

[walkon274]

This song IMHO is about being saved or born again. I finally sat down to read the lyrics and I think it's obvious.

I found grace, it's all that I found, and I can breathe, breathe now.

 

[debjeopardy]

I agree with the being saved interpretation. "Everyday I die again and again, and again I'm reborn" very definitely refers to failed attempts to follow Christ and, through grace, getting another chance--being reborn. I love Bono's open references to struggles with faith.

 

[EdgeVox]

The only question I had was about the "3 Things I need you to know"

Does that kinda go away?

 

[rihannsu]

The only question I had was about the "3 Things I need you to know"

Does that kinda go away?

I'm thinking that the guy at the door is one of those door to door evangelists and the three things are the holy trinity. The "not gonna buy just anyone's cockatoo" line seems to me a reference to the idea that the door to door approach is no way to "sell" God. The rest of the song is showing that he's already found God and doesn't need their version of him.

Dana

 

[greety]

^^ I think you put that very eloquent

I think the "anybody's cockatoo" is significant too, if you buy one at a young age, you train it and it obeys you, but however buying someone else's bird is something different.
Because you can't just re-train a bird/cockatoo.
And parrots have a tremedous memory ,so getting someone else's parrot in your house means trouble. No matter how you try to get to train this bird, it won't listen to you. (so don't try to get Bono to believe in another God, it will fail)

 

[Abbi]

Thank you very much for your replies, very interesting and smart.

If I can say my simple point of view about the "three things" I thought that they may be just

1) (I'm) Coming from a long line...
2) I wasn’t gonna buy...
3) why would I invite...

So if, as you rightly said, the man is speaking to a door to door seller or preacher, these are three things he has to know before go on with his speech. That is :"No way, you can stop it. I know your tricks and not gonna buy (or listen) anything from you"

Thank so much again for your help
Hope you don't mind if I will leave some other post like this to clarify me some other NLOTH lyrics meaning

Ciao!
Andrea

 

[jcroach]

Thank you very much for your replies, very interesting and smart.

If I can say my simple point of view about the "three things" I thought that they may be just

1) (I'm) Coming from a long line...
2) I wasn’t gonna buy...
3) why would I invite...

So if, as you rightly said, the man is speaking to a door to door seller or preacher, these are three things he has to know before go on with his speech. That is :"No way, you can stop it. I know your tricks and not gonna buy (or listen) anything from you"

Thank so much again for your help
Hope you don't mind if I will leave some other post like this to clarify me some other NLOTH lyrics meaning

Ciao!
Andrea

I love this forum! you all gave me a completely new insight into this song!

 

[U2DMfan]

The "three things" still doesn't really make sense to me.

Sounds like the salesman was telling the narrator of the song, there was three things the narrator needed to know. Right? It was a sales pitch.

Then the narrator says incredulously "Three?!??" as if to disbelieve such simplicity.

Coming from a line of salesman, the narrator wasn't going to buy anyone's cockatoo, so why would the narrator invite a stranger into his home?

He never addresses the sales pitch, the "three things" the salesman told him.

 

[ltcf]

The "three things" still doesn't really make sense to me.

Sounds like the salesman was telling the narrator of the song, there was three things the narrator needed to know. Right? It was a sales pitch.

Then the narrator says incredulously "Three?!??" as if to disbelieve such simplicity.

Coming from a line of salesman, the narrator wasn't going to buy anyone's cockatoo, so why would the narrator invite a stranger into his home?

He never addresses the sales pitch, the "three things" the salesman told him.

This seems most logical.

I wonder if he meant by "coming from a long line of traveling sales people on my mother's side" = my mother's side of the family is religious fanatics and/or preachers.

 

[EmitFlesti]

The "three things" still doesn't really make sense to me.

Sounds like the salesman was telling the narrator of the song, there was three things the narrator needed to know. Right? It was a sales pitch.

Then the narrator says incredulously "Three?!??" as if to disbelieve such simplicity.

Coming from a line of salesman, the narrator wasn't going to buy anyone's cockatoo, so why would the narrator invite a stranger into his home?

He never addresses the sales pitch, the "three things" the salesman told him.

Though it's not clear from the way the official lyrics are printed, I think the people speaking change from "Three" to "Coming from..."

The narrator (the guy answering the door) of the song is speaking of a salesman who comes to his door and tells him there are three things he (the guy answering the door) needs to know to stay alive a bit longer (i.e. to be saved). The guy at the door is doing his sales pitch...he launches into the pitch "three..." But, the guy answering the door cuts him off and tells, him, "Coming from a long line of travelling sales people (i.e. knowing this door-to-door salesman BS myself), why should I buy your line of crap (i.e "your cockatoo"). The "three things" the guy at the door anounces are never actually spelled out because he's cut off by the guy answering the door with the "Coming from..." line.

 

[greety]

This seems most logical.

I wonder if he meant by "coming from a long line of traveling sales people on my mother's side" = my mother's side of the family is religious fanatics and/or preachers.

Don't know how he means it in the song, but Bono has stated more than once that he is indeed coming from a long line of salesmen on his mother's side and that he is also selling his songs from door to door (concert to concert)

 

[powerhour24]

To me its very much the message of hope in the album's more bleak reflection. Both personally being saved, and of course hope for our society, "These days are better than that". Its an interesting lyrics device he uses to demonstrate though, although for better or worse the delivery during the first verse is so reminiscent of R.E.M.'s "Departure".

 

[Irvine511]

i think the lyrics are expressing the idea that "god" can't be bought or sold, but it's found in tiny moments of transcendence, or, in the miracle of simply being alive ("i can breathe"). it's quite anti-evangelical and it makes the spiritual intensely personal, and thusly universal.

 

[U2DMfan]

Though it's not clear from the way the official lyrics are printed, I think the people speaking change from "Three" to "Coming from..."

The narrator (the guy answering the door) of the song is speaking of a salesman who comes to his door and tells him there are three things he (the guy answering the door) needs to know to stay alive a bit longer (i.e. to be saved). The guy at the door is doing his sales pitch...he launches into the pitch "three..." But, the guy answering the door cuts him off and tells, him, "Coming from a long line of travelling sales people (i.e. knowing this door-to-door salesman BS myself), why should I buy your line of crap (i.e "your cockatoo"). The "three things" the guy at the door anounces are never actually spelled out because he's cut off by the guy answering the door with the "Coming from..." line.

Works for me.

 

[powerhour24]

Actually to me, not just because it sounds like Departure, this lyric really is U2 meets R.E.M.

 

[JCOSTER]

I think the 3 things are the Trinity
The salesman at the door, trying to sell him some new age religion
Courgage to walk out on the street and say that you believe
Your arms out welcoming maybe the Trinity or God

Got a love you can’t defeat
Neither down nor out
There’s nothing you have that I need
I can breathe
Breathe now

^ I have Gods love the salesman has nothing that he needs. Its a relief he can breathe.


[Walk out into the street
Sing your heart out/I]

Walk out on the street and profess your love for God tell everyone you meet.

 

[wad2k]

I'm still working my own interpretation of this song but the first part is obviously a reference to the Jehovah's Witnesses. I'll have to remember to have this song playing in the background when they storm my neighborhood this spring and I answer the door.

 

[allisonk]

Actually, Bono has family members that were door to door salesmen....Check out U2 by U2....

 

[Stand Up Comedy]

Breath Lyrics

The greatest thing about U2 lyrics is it's really up to you as to what you get out of them. I believe the 16th of June is a very important date in history:

"The Soweto uprising or Soweto riots were a series of clashes in Soweto, South Africa on June 16, 1976 between black youths and the South African authorities. The riots grew out of protests against the policies of the National Party government and its apartheid regime. June 16 is now celebrated in South Africa as Youth Day."

On this day, children marched the streets and sang songs on their way to the school to protest their lack of education from the government.

There is an underlying theme in many of U2's songs for me, and "Breath" is a continuation of this message. Through music and songs, U2, people facing oppression, you and I, can and will uphold our faith, regardless of the difficulty we're facing or evil oppressing us. The songs represent faith.

"I will sing, sing a new song" from 40
"The songs are in your eyes" from Miracle Drug

U2 knows they've been blessed with an incredible talent and they choose to use this talent for good instead of evil. That's why they are the greatest band ever.

 

[powerhour24]

I'm wondering if the 16th of june has more to do with when the songs were composed/take place, remember the concept of the songs all taking place within 24 hours.

 

[EdgeVox]

I read somewhere that this song was written on July 18th but Bono couldn't figure out how to fit his story into the lyrics which makes sense with the "Walk out into the streets; got a love you can't defeat" Me-against the world concept of the song.

All of this makes this song extra special to me because that's my birthday.

Still not sold on any of the "3 things I want you to know" btw
I kinda wish that wouldn't just disappear as a lyrical device

 

[wad2k]

I'm still working my own interpretation of this song but the first part is obviously a reference to the Jehovah's Witnesses. I'll have to remember to have this song playing in the background when they storm my neighborhood this spring and I answer the door.

I didnt know the Jehovah's feel the way they do about U2.. or atleast the one on songmeanings dot net.. search "breathe" on that site and scroll down to a user named Theresa1.. wow I sure hope she doesnt show up at my door!

 

[dylanfree]

Any way you decipher the lyrics it is still a brilliant example of top notch songwriting.
One of Bono's best ever along with Cedars IMO....

I agree with the Holy Trinity idea for the "3 things" line - makes perfect sense to me!

 

[adypole]

I see it quite simply as: live your life! I can breathe: I can live! walk out into a sunburst street! it's a beautiful world! I don't need anything because I can breathe! I'm alive! I won't take your bullshit, your cockatoo, because I'm fine as I am, I'm breathing man! every day I die again, but I'm reborn! every day is a new day, a new phase, a beautiful day! I found grace....


What a ismple but beautiful interpretation! It's not so deep as pleasent.

 

[dan_smee]

The greatest thing about U2 lyrics is it's really up to you as to what you get out of them. I believe the 16th of June is a very important date in history:

"The Soweto uprising or Soweto riots were a series of clashes in Soweto, South Africa on June 16, 1976 between black youths and the South African authorities. The riots grew out of protests against the policies of the National Party government and its apartheid regime. June 16 is now celebrated in South Africa as Youth Day."

On this day, children marched the streets and sang songs on their way to the school to protest their lack of education from the government.

There is an underlying theme in many of U2's songs for me, and "Breath" is a continuation of this message. Through music and songs, U2, people facing oppression, you and I, can and will uphold our faith, regardless of the difficulty we're facing or evil oppressing us. The songs represent faith.

"I will sing, sing a new song" from 40
"The songs are in your eyes" from Miracle Drug

U2 knows they've been blessed with an incredible talent and they choose to use this talent for good instead of evil. That's why they are the greatest band ever.

I mentioned the Soweto uprising after the beach clips came out. I think, especially given the early version of the song was dedicated to Nelson Mandella, it is fairly certain they originally had this in mind.

Walk out into the streets, with arms out, not knowing defeat (or got a love you can;t defeat) neither down or out etc... its all very relevant