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Stop Breathin
Pavement Lyrics


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Got struck by the first volley
Of the war in the corps
Never held my service
Send 'em a wire, give 'em my best
This ammunition never rests
No one serves coffee, no one wakes up

Stop breathin', stop breathin'
Breathin' for me now
Write it on a postcard
Dad, they broke me
Dad, they broke me
Stop breathin', stop breathin'
Breathin' for me now
Write it on a postcard
Dad, they broke me
Dad, they broke me

I can see the lines open shutters
And the leaves flocked on a grid
That's what they made my hero say
But nothin' gets me off so completely
Then when you put it down
Ten feet down in the ground
Call it response, negative home

Stop breathin', stop breathin'
Breathin' for me now
Write it on a postcard
Dad they broke me
Dad they broke me
Stop breathin', stop breathin'
Breathin' for me now
Write it on a postcard
Dad they broke me

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Pavement's song "Stop Breathin'" seem to refer to a soldier's experience in war. The opening lines describe the singer as having been hit by the "first volley of the war in the corps", suggesting that they are a soldier in a military conflict. The singer then describes how they "never held [their] service", implying that they are a conscript rather than a volunteer. The line "send 'em a wire, give 'em my best" suggests that the singer is communicating with someone back home, perhaps a family member or friend.


As the song progresses, the singer becomes increasingly distraught. They describe how "this ammunition never rests", suggesting that they are constantly in danger. The lines "no one serves coffee, no one wakes up" suggest that the singer is in a dangerous and isolated environment, perhaps on the front lines of a battle. The repeated refrain of "stop breathin', stop breathin'" suggests that the singer is struggling to cope with the stress of their situation and is contemplating suicide. The lines "write it on a postcard / dad, they broke me" imply that the singer is communicating their distress to their family, potentially as a final goodbye.


The final lines of the song describe the singer's disillusionment with their situation. They describe how they can see "lines open shutters / and the leaves flocked on a grid", suggesting that they are trapped in a mechanized and regimented environment. The lines "that's what they made my hero say" imply that the singer has been fed propaganda about the glory of war, but that this rhetoric rings hollow in the face of their own experiences. The final lines "call it response, negative home" are somewhat enigmatic, but could be interpreted as suggesting that the singer's sense of identity or sense of home has been eroded by their experience.


* The song "Stop Breathin'" was released on the album "Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain" in 1994.
* The song was written by Pavement frontman Stephen Malkmus and is widely regarded as a classic of the band's discography.
* The song's lyrics have been interpreted in many different ways. Some have suggested that the song is a broader commentary on the alienation and disillusionment of modern life, while others have focused on its explicit references to war and trauma.
* The song's title is a nod to a famous quote from Samuel Beckett's novel "The Unnamable": "Must I go on? I'll go on…"
* In interviews, Malkmus has suggested that the song is drawn from his own experiences of feeling lost and frustrated in the early days of Pavement's career.
* The song was covered by the band Sleater-Kinney on their 2000 album "All Hands on the Bad One".
* The song's music video features footage of Pavement on tour and includes clips of the band performing and goofing around backstage.
* Pitchfork Media ranked the song at number 5 on their list of the 200 best songs of the 1990s.
* The song's opening lines are sometimes misheard as "got struck by the first volley / of a world in uproar".
* The chords for the song are A, D, G, and C.


A D G C (repeat throughout the song)


Line by Line Meaning

Got struck by the first volley
I was hit by the initial barrage


Of the war in the corps
Of the conflict within the organization


Never held my service
I never fulfilled my duty


Send 'em a wire, give 'em my best
Tell them I send my regards


This ammunition never rests
The weapons and conflict are constant


No one serves coffee, no one wakes up
There is no comfort or rest for anyone


Stop breathin', stop breathin'
I want to stop living, stop breathing


Breathin' for me now
I want someone else to live for me


Write it on a postcard
Tell my family my final words


Dad, they broke me
I have been broken, defeated


I can see the lines open shutters
I see straight through the facade


And the leaves flocked on a grid
Nature conforms to the artificial order


That's what they made my hero say
The hero has been manipulated to promote their agenda


But nothin' gets me off so completely
Nothing else gives me such pleasure


Then when you put it down
As when you surrender completely


Ten feet down in the ground
Dead and buried


Call it response, negative home
This is the result of my actions, a negative outcome




Lyrics © Hipgnosis Songs Group
Written by: Stephen Malkmus

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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