Try Not To Breathe

This song touched me, a long time ago, when I first heard it at my dad's house. It was only this year when he gave me his extra copy of Automatic For The Peope that I realized what the song was called. It had been haunting me for a long time.

Unlike most of the people who have already set down what they think this song is about, I do not see the speaker as being a woman- maybe because the singer is a male, I don't know. What I do know is that I do not see the song as being about suicide either. It's about someone dying of old age, lying on their deathebed, telling their family not to worry when they die because "I have lived a full life, I have seen things that you will never see." Basically, it's his/her time, and though the family is sad, they know he's content to die, which comforts them a bit.

The song could be about suicide... But I think it's more about someone's willingness to die in general. That they've lived a full life, so don't be sad when they die, they're ready anyway.

I don't think this song is about suicide at all. I think it's just about someone with a terminal illness coming to grips with the fact that they are going to die. They don't want other people to see them suffering, but they don't have the will to do themselves in either, hence the promise to simply 'try not to breathe'.

I agree with Jeema in that I never thought this song was about suicide, just the acceptance of death.

"I have seen things that you will never see": I don't interpret this as terrible things, necessarily. To me this just reflects that since the speaker is older than the people she is addressing, she has lived parts of history that they will only read about and has had experiences that are no longer possible for the current generations because things have changed.

For some reason I also pictured the speaker as a woman; no idea why.

I think the person is trying to rationalize killing themselves by saying that they have lived a full life and have seen terrible things, but they still are uneasy about actually doing something so drastic (why do you shiver).

ncc, small correction if I may, Cobain actually did killed himself 2 years after the release of 'Automatic' 10.92. michael did write a song about him; it was on the follow up 'monster' one that's called 'let me in' if I can remember well. and not that it matters so much to relate those 2 events together I beleive but Kurt killed himself on April 5th 94. and adding to that regarding the humanity and beauty that vehiculates rem's music I don't think any song by this band could ever get a reasonably sone person to commit suicide.... so anyway this is a beautiful track, the melodies, and the words but as far as the things I've read here they seem pretty restricted in their analysis, just wanting to to see a song being about this r that. what''s the point? to me even if it could be just as plain and simple ( pointless) versions like those are just a lil too litteral making straight depictions and simplifying the all thing to some chosen subject couldn't be the best way to look at a piece of 'poetical' lyrics. even more so when it comes to lyrics like those. espacially when you know Stipe usual tricky type of lyrics and used to play with many emotional images through words. it's always easier then it seems, many lines taken apart and isolated from the rest may give this or that hint, but plain deduction to decide this is about suicide instead of trying to get the emotion behind, just a human thought, the desire to leave before the decay. to not make suffer anyne you love. (everybody hurts) to reach for something beyond, and leave all pain and disapointements behind.

Suicide? Old people? Hmmmm...this song is very special for me, because it's a remembering spell. I was abused long time ago and blocked it out, completely repressed good and bad memories from the time. This song is a reflection, a song to be sung to the Self, not to somebody else. Like most awesome poets, Stipe sings to himself occassionally, and in doing so he asks the listener to become the singer and sing to their Self as well.

I think this song is from the POV of someone who is already dead, and speaking back to their survivors not to worry about them.

It can be taken in so many ways - its completley different meanings for me, i mean its so blatently about suicide, but maybe not neccessarily about elderly people. I dunno, it reminds me of someone close 2 me (the shivers bit) for some reason, of romantic love. God knows why.

about suicide? ok, there are elements of that yes. he's SCREAMING, telling everyone that he's seen something others will not. we're too afraid to look/question. sigh. if he/she chooses to die now, then REMEMBER what you see now in my eyes. i 'know'. btw, if you are considering suicide, please read the lyrics to 'everybody hurts' first, ok? put that damn bottle/gun/knive down now. :)