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The meaning of the lyrics of the song "Breathe" by the artist "U2"

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The song "Breathe" by U2 is a reflection on freedom, resilience, and the transcendent power of music in challenging times. The lyrical protagonist faces uncertainty and fear, symbolized by the mysterious stranger at the door and news of a virus. Despite this, he chooses life, emphasizing the ability to "breathe" – a metaphor for hope, faith, and self-expression.

The stranger's visit and his ominous message ("If you want to stay alive...") create an atmosphere of anxiety. The protagonist's refusal to let him in speaks to a resistance to fear and a desire to control his own destiny. The line "It's a better world in a modern world" sounds ambiguous, perhaps sarcastic, pointing to the contrast between declared progress and real problems.

Illness ("some new Asian virus") and the doctor's ultimatum ("You live or die. It's your choice.") highlight the fragility of life. However, the protagonist does not give up: a call from "Saint John the Operator" (possibly alluding to John Lennon and his music) fills him with energy, he runs "like free electricity."

Music becomes a salvation, a way to "breathe" in the face of adversity. The "roar... forest fire" are metaphors for chaos and fear that the protagonist overcomes through singing. He encourages listeners to join in this liberating act: "Get on the streets, Sing your heart out." Song becomes a shared act, uniting people.

The final lines confirm the transformative power of music: "I found grace in the music... And I can breathe." "Breathing" is not only a physical act but also a metaphor for life in its fullness, with its joys, sorrows, and the ability to overcome difficulties.

16th of June, 9:05, doorbell rings,

Man at the door says

"If you want to stay alive a bit longer,

There's three things I need you to know,

Three!"

Coming from a long line of travelling sales people on my mother's side

I wasn't gonna buy just anyone's cockatoo,

So why would I invite a complete stranger into my home?

Would you?

These days are better than that

These days are better than that

Every day I die again and again I'm reborn

Every day I have to find the courage

To walk out into the street

With arms out, got a love you can't defeat

Neither down or out

There's nothing you have that I need,

I can breathe, breathe now

16th of June, Chinese stocks are going up

And I'm coming down with some new Asian virus

Ju Ju man, Ju Ju man

Doc says you're fine or dying, please

9:09, St John divine on the line, my pulse is fine

When I'm running down the road like loose electricity,

Or the band in my head plays a striptease.

The roar that lies, on the other side of silence,

The forest fire that is fear so deny it

Walk out into the street,

Sing your heart out.

The people we meet,

Will not be drowned out.

There is nothing you have that I need,

I can breathe, breathe now

We are people born of sound,

The songs are in our eyes.

Born to wear them like a crown, oh.

Walk out into the sunburst street

Sing your heart out,

Sing my heart out.

I found grace inside the sound,

I found grace, it's all that I found.

And I can breathe, breathe now.

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