I'm Still Breathing

I personally think this song might be about wanting to try commiting suicide/dying because of the unability to deal with negative emotions a person has when the relationship comes to the end and in order to get the attention from a person who seems not to care anymore.

"I leave the gas on, walk the alleys in the dark sleep with candles burning, I leave the door unlocked I'm weaving a rope and, running all the red lights did I get your attention cause I'm sending all the signs"

She might be doing these things to die, not to die, only getting close to dying, to get someone's attention. She thinks that the person she turns to doesn't care for her, so she's trying to get his attention by doing all those risky things.

There's "your favorite shade of black, you best prepare a speech" And it should be "PICK your favourite shade of black, you best prepare a speech". And this line means that she's expecting a funeral of herself and tells the person she was turning to before what to do during this ceremony, including saying "something funny", "something sweet" but not mentioning about loving her, because that would make her wish she hadn't died.

"Cause I'm still breathing And we've been dead for a while this sickness has no cure we're going down for sure"

I'm not sure about the chorus. I think the first two lines mean that she's struggling to tell that person that it's not too late (she's still breathing) to turn things over, to make up what's been broken. But if that's what is means, then it's weird that she said "this sickness has no cure (...) because that means there's no hope, and that it IS too late. That's why I'm not sure about it.

Oh, and I think it is "already lost a grip on this abandoned ship" instead of "already lost a grip best abandoned ship".

"Maybe I was too pale, mabye I was too fat maybe you had better, better luck in the sack no formal education and I swore way to much but I swear you didn't care cause we were in love"

These lines, for me, show that the reason for her despair is the ending or broken relationship. The person she's turning to for attention is her boyfriend most probably. She is wondering what made him stop loving her (or stop paying attention), she guesses it was her imperfection. Still, she thought it was alright for him as he loved her.

"So as I write this letter and shed my last tear its all for the better than we END this year (it's end, not had) lets close this chapter, say one last prayer but don't say that you loved me"

She tells about writing a goodbye letter and this is what the form of this song is. She "sheds her last tears" because she's expecting death. She is somehow glad that it's over, probably she's had enough of all these doubts. She repeats "don't say that you loved me" because if she finds out he loved her though, she might find her death was pointless. Find out on the other side, of course, after she dies.

I think it's a very beautiful song. I wish it could be a single. It is so deep and so different from the singles she's been releasing.

So, Reevys, we see the meaning of this song in a quite similar way :) So for me you're not wrong :)

I know I've wrote a lot, so thank you to everyone who managed to read it :)

I think this song is about a girl who is in a failing relationship, and is about to end it because she is ignored or taken for granted by her boyfriend, or possibly even cheated on.

The first half of the first verse is her getting his attention. The second half of the first verse is her talking about the break up fight they're most probably gonna have ("Say something funny, say something sweet" is most probably meaning the point in the fight when the guy tries to get the girl to calm down by making jokes or complimenting her).

The second verse is her trying to figure out the reasons her boyfriend is being more and more hostile and reclusive.

And the chorus is her saying that there relationship is doomed, and i's best they end it now before it becomes much worse, such as her killing (as hinted at by the various suicidal activities mentioned in the first verse).

That's what I take it to mean. I may be totally wrong however.

I think that is someone who was in this great relationship, happy and fun, like when you are a teenager and you fall in love. It was a long relationship and it was fading, he quit paying attention to her. She was waving red flags that she wanted it to keep going and for him to keep saying that "I love you baby" but then she realized that everything would go on with out with she doesn't HAVE to be with him. That things are fading from that passsionate, deep, colorful relationship to two people calling themselves a couple with light, dull, former feelings lingering in their heads and not their hearts. And not s suicidal girl, who just has given up on life because her relationship was ending.

This is clearly about suicide Pick your favorite Shade of black (you typically wear black to a wake/funeral)

You'd best Prepare a speech (make the euilogy) Say something funny Say something sweet (at the funeral) But don't say That you loved me (shes so upset because he doesn't love her so shes basically like dont pretend)

I reckon it's like...the feelings you have when you suddenly realise a relationship is coming to an end because of the other person, and you can't control the situation because it's not you that's the problem. I think it's about coming to terms with it, that she doesn't necessarily want to die but you do feel like that sometimes. And she wants to get over it and move on. Reminds me of when I broke up with my ex, whether or not it's what she means I think it's easy to relate to. Amazing song, gives me chills. Love the live version.

I'd have to agree with xheyqtx to a cetrain extent. I think it's more about a proverbial suicide, not literally about self-harm.

She wants the other's attention so does rash things that are uncharacteristic of her because she's desperate: she sees that the relationship is at it's ultimate low and she either wants for him to wake up and realise it too or for him to try fix it with her.

'Say something funny, say something sweet But don't say that you loved me...'

It feels like (for me anyway) that she's asking for him to say something sentimental about her at the funeral (in the speech he's preparing, since that's what she was hinting at earlier in the verse).

This song seems to be about the dieing relationship she may have and shes helping kill it and she dosn't want him to feel bad about it.

I don't think that looking for deeper meanings and messages behind makes sense. These lyrics are more about emotions than facts and I think that's the only message.

I mostly agree with shaunah, but my interpretation of chorus is quite different.

"Cause I'm still breathing And we've been dead for a while"

First, IMO there should be "though/but we've been dead". For me the girl is quite surprised with the fact that she's still breathing, because their relationship has died, and she didn't expect she could survive this. It seems that she have never thought about it this way: for her this love was all her world and it was normal that when it ends, her life will end too.

"This sickness has no cure we're going down for sure already lost a grip best abandoned ship"

First, IMO there should be "best abandon ship". She is realizing that there is no hope for this love, that she cannot save it, there isn't anything between them anymore. Their ship is going down, so they have to abandon it.

I guess the whole song was written after breaking up and it's trying to show how the girl cannot live with it normally. It's not TRULY about commiting suicide, more about the way she doesn't care about her life anymore, like it has lost all meaning. She is talking about that in the first verse - she isn't going to kill herself with premeditation, but just die. If she will keep on doing all the things she is talking about, it's for sure gonna happen. And above all of this, she is still trying to get his attention, because he doesn't care anymore, and she still loves him. She knows it's not gonna work, she realizes he won't come back, there is no help, but without him life makes no sense.

The whole song is just one big WARNING sign.

And, one more thing: "say something funny, say something sweet but don't say that you loved me" "lets close this chapter, say one last prayer but don't say that you loved me"

shaunah says that the girl is afraid of these words, because they would make her death stupid and meaningless. For me she doesn't want her ex-boyfriend to say it, because she knows it's not true. Like she's trying to say: I don't believe you anymore, you never loved me, so stop lying and don't pretend now.

That's what I think about this song, very beautiful song. I'd never thought that Katy can write thing like this.

Love, aitch

PS. I'm very sorry for my English, but I'm still learning ;)

gooooooosebumpssssss. has anyone seen her shit-quality video of this on youtube? its amazing.

i saw that video too. way better than the studio version; it really didn't do her much justice. she sounds so much better live :]