This song was originally written by a guy called Peter Gutteridge. He was one of the founders of the "Dunedin Sound" a musical scene in the south of New Zealand in the early 80s. From there it was covered by "The Clean" one of the early bands of that scene (he had originally been a member of in it's early days, writing a couple of their best early songs). The Dunedin sound, and the Clean became popular on american college radio in the mid to late 80s. I guess Yo La Tengo heard that version.
Great version of a great song,
Ha oh
I was looking for a breath of life
A little touch of heavenly light
But all the choirs in my head sang no
To get a dream of life again
A little vision of the start and the end
But all the choirs in my head sang no
But I only needed one more touch
Another taste of heavenly rush
And I believe, I believe it so
And I only needed one more touch
Another taste of divine rush
And I believe, I believe it so
Whose side am I on, whose side am I?
Whose side am I on, whose side am I?
And the fever began to spread
From my heart down to my legs
But the room was so quiet oh
And although I wasn't losing my mind
It was a chorus so sublime
But the room is too quiet (oh, the fever)
I was looking for a breath of life,
A little touch of heavenly light
But all the choirs in my head sang no (I believe it)
To get a dream of life again
A little vision of the start and the end
But all the choirs in my head sang no
Ha oh
Ha oh
It's a harder way
And it's come to claim her
And I always say
We should be together
And I can't sleep alone
'Cause there's something in here
And if you are gone
I will not belong here
And I started to hear it again
But this time it wasn't the end
And the room was so quiet, oh
And my heart is a hollow plain
For the devil to dance again
And the room was too quiet, oh
I was looking for a breath of life
A little touch of heavenly light
But all the choirs in my head sang no
I was looking for a breath of life
A little touch of heavenly light
But all the choirs in my head sang no
To get a dream of life again
A little vision of the start and the end
But all the choirs in my head sang no
But I only needed one more touch
Another taste of heavenly rush
And I believe, I believe it so
And I only needed one more touch
Another taste of divine rush
And I believe, I believe it so
Whose side am I on, whose side am I?
Whose side am I on, whose side am I?
And the fever began to spread
From my heart down to my legs
But the room was so quiet oh
And although I wasn't losing my mind
It was a chorus so sublime
But the room is too quiet (oh, the fever)
I was looking for a breath of life,
A little touch of heavenly light
But all the choirs in my head sang no (I believe it)
To get a dream of life again
A little vision of the start and the end
But all the choirs in my head sang no
Ha oh
Ha oh
It's a harder way
And it's come to claim her
And I always say
We should be together
And I can't sleep alone
'Cause there's something in here
And if you are gone
I will not belong here
And I started to hear it again
But this time it wasn't the end
And the room was so quiet, oh
And my heart is a hollow plain
For the devil to dance again
And the room was too quiet, oh
I was looking for a breath of life
A little touch of heavenly light
But all the choirs in my head sang no
Lyrics submitted by Elective Amnesia, edited by loyamichelle66
Breath Of Life Lyrics as written by Isabella Janet Florentina Summers Florence Leontine Mary Welch
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
Add your thoughts
Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.
Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!
More Featured Meanings
Gentle Hour
Yo La Tengo
Yo La Tengo
Just A Little Lovin'
Dusty Springfield
Dusty Springfield
I don't think it's necessarily about sex. It's about wanting to start the day with some love and affection. Maybe a warm cuddle. I'm not alone in interpreting it that way! For example:
"'Just a Little Lovin’ is a timeless country song originally recorded by Eddy Arnold in 1954. The song, written by Eddie Miller and Jimmy Campbell, explores the delicate nuances of love and showcases Arnold’s emotive vocals. It delves into the universal theme of love and how even the smallest gesture of affection can have a profound impact on our lives." https://oldtimemusic.com/the-meaning-behind-the-song-just-a-little-lovin-by-eddy-arnold/
Magical
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
How would you describe the feeling of being in love? For Ed Sheeran, the word is “Magical.” in HIS three-minute album opener, he makes an attempt to capture the beauty and delicacy of true love with words. He describes the magic of it all over a bright Pop song produced by Aaron Dessner.
Head > Heels
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Head > Heels” is a track that aims to capture what it feels like to experience romance that exceeds expectations. Ed Sheeran dedicates his album outro to a lover who has blessed him with a unique experience that he seeks to describe through the song’s nuanced lyrics.
Page
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
There aren’t many things that’ll hurt more than giving love a chance against your better judgement only to have your heart crushed yet again. Ed Sheeran tells such a story on “Page.” On this track, he is devastated to have lost his lover and even more saddened by the feeling that he may never move on from this.
I was looking for a breath of life For a little touch of heavenly light But all the choirs in my head sang, no, oh oh To get a dream of life again A little vision of the sun in the end But all the choirs in my head sang, no, oh oh
But I needed one more touch Another taste of heavenly rush And I believe, I believe it so, oh oh oh
And I needed one more touch Another taste of divine rush And I believe, I believe it so, oh oh oh
Whose side am I on? Whose side am I? Whose side am I on? Whose side am I? And the fever began to spread From my heart down to my legs But the room is so quiet, oh oh oh
And although I was losing my mind It was a call that was so sublime But the room is too quiet, oh oh oh
I'm leaving I was looking for a breath of life A little touch of heavenly light But all the choirs in my head sang, no, oh oh I'm leaving To get a dream of life again A little vision of the sun in the end But all the choirs in my head sang, no, oh oh
[CHOIR] [And although I was losing my mind It was a call that was so sublime But the room is too quiet, oh oh oh]
It's a long way and it's come from paper And I always say, we should be together I can see the look, because this song has ended And if you are gone, I will not be long (Be long, be long, be long)
And I started to hear it again but this time it wasn't the end And the room is so quiet, oh oh oh
And my heart is a hollow place For the devil to dance again But the room is too quiet
I was looking for the breath of a life A little touch of a heavenly life But all the choirs in my head sang no, oh oh
The lyrics might be 'But all the choirs in my head saying no', but I hear it as 'sang'.