Take a look at these hands
Take a look at these hands
The hand speaks, the hand of a government man
Well I'm a tumbler born under punches, I'm so thin
All I want is to breathe
(I'm too thin)
Won't you breathe with me?
Find a little space, so we move in-between
(In-between it)
And keep one step ahead, of yourself
Don't you miss it, don't you miss it
Some of you people just about missed it
Last time to make plans
And I'm a tumbler, I'm a government man
Never seen anything like that before
Falling bodies tumble 'cross the floor
(Well I'm a tumbler)
When you get to where you wanna be
(Thank you! Thank you!)
When you get to where you wanna be
(Well, don't even mention it)
Oh, take a look at these hands, they're passing in-between us
Take a look at these hands
Take a look at these hands, you don't have to mention it
No thanks, I'm a government man
And the heat goes on and the heat goes on
And the heat goes on and the heat goes on
And the heat goes on where the hand has been
And the heat goes on and the heat goes on
And the heat goes on
(I got time)
And the heat goes on
And the heat goes on and the heat goes on
And the heat goes on, where the hand has been
And the heat goes on and the heat goes on
I'm not a drowning man
And I'm not a burning building! I'm a tumbler
Drowning cannot hurt a man
Fire cannot hurt a man, not the government man
All I want is to breathe
(Thank you, thank you)
Won't you breathe with me?
Find a little space so we move in-between
(I'm so thin)
And keep one step ahead of yourself
(I'm catching up with myself)
All I want is to breathe
Won't you breathe with me?
(Hands of a government man)
Find a little space so we move in-between
And keep one step ahead of yourself
(Don't you miss it! Don't you miss it!)
All I want is to breathe
Won't you breathe with me?
Take a look at these hands
The hand speaks, the hand of a government man
Well I'm a tumbler born under punches, I'm so thin
All I want is to breathe
(I'm too thin)
Won't you breathe with me?
Find a little space, so we move in-between
(In-between it)
And keep one step ahead, of yourself
Don't you miss it, don't you miss it
Some of you people just about missed it
Last time to make plans
And I'm a tumbler, I'm a government man
Never seen anything like that before
Falling bodies tumble 'cross the floor
(Well I'm a tumbler)
When you get to where you wanna be
(Thank you! Thank you!)
When you get to where you wanna be
(Well, don't even mention it)
Oh, take a look at these hands, they're passing in-between us
Take a look at these hands
Take a look at these hands, you don't have to mention it
No thanks, I'm a government man
And the heat goes on and the heat goes on
And the heat goes on and the heat goes on
And the heat goes on where the hand has been
And the heat goes on and the heat goes on
And the heat goes on
(I got time)
And the heat goes on
And the heat goes on and the heat goes on
And the heat goes on, where the hand has been
And the heat goes on and the heat goes on
I'm not a drowning man
And I'm not a burning building! I'm a tumbler
Drowning cannot hurt a man
Fire cannot hurt a man, not the government man
All I want is to breathe
(Thank you, thank you)
Won't you breathe with me?
Find a little space so we move in-between
(I'm so thin)
And keep one step ahead of yourself
(I'm catching up with myself)
All I want is to breathe
Won't you breathe with me?
(Hands of a government man)
Find a little space so we move in-between
And keep one step ahead of yourself
(Don't you miss it! Don't you miss it!)
All I want is to breathe
Won't you breathe with me?
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Byrne has said in interviews this song is about paranoia, and not just government paranoia, but painting a government worker of some sort -- feeling paranoid and out of place. You are peering into this character's head, hearing his stream of consciousness thoughts.