He is the first drummer to unseat Buddy Rich in the Down Beat music polls.
Cobham has played and recorded with hundreds of top musicians, including Miles Davis, Freddie Hubbard, Larry Coryell, and Horace Silver; and is famous for his explosive, fast, spectacular playing.
He has been sampled, most famously by Massive Attack in their tune “Safe from Harm”, centered on the beat and bassline of Cobham’s “Stratus”, from his debut album Spectrum, as well as on Souls of Mischief’s “93 Til Infinity” from the song “Heather” on his album “Crosswinds.”
Fans of Cobham’s should check out the “Spectrum” lp featuring Tommy Bolin (of Deep Purple, James Gang and Zephyr fame) on lead guitar.
Let Me Breathe
Billy Cobham Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
With not having
Stop, stop it
Could I put my hands up
And ask that you stop
Do I need to be in love
I'm lost when it's just me
You happy enough to stay
Return the words, the looks
I give you like they're falling out of me
Seconds change
And at the end
Your face is inerasable
True, I need to be in love
I'm lost when it's just me
With only a hope to make
You happy enough
Do I need to be in love
What is there otherwise from loving
Just takes a face
To make everything else erase
Stop, stop it
Could I put my hands up
And ask that you stop
The lyrics to Billy Cobham's song Let Me Breathe seemingly reflect a sense of desperation and confusion felt by the songwriter. The songwriter seems to be overwhelmed by the feeling of falling in love and the idea of having to rely on another person to make them happy. They express self-doubt by questioning whether or not they need to be in love to be happy, feeling lost when left alone with their thoughts. In a way, they seem to struggle with accepting their dependence on another person's love to bring significance to their life.
The lyrics suggest a desire for the songwriter to take a step back from the intensity of their feelings and regain some autonomy. This may be seen in the lines "Stop, stop it / Could I put my hands up / And ask that you stop" where the writer seems to be pleading with their own emotions to calm down, or also directing it towards the object of their affection, asking them to stop reeling them in. The lyrics continue, "Return the words, the looks /I give you like they're falling out of me /Seconds change /And at the end /Your face is inerasable," where they seem to be saying they are giving too much too soon and regretting it afterward.
Overall, Let Me Breathe seems to be a heartfelt song about the challenges of finding balance in love and preserving a sense of self-identity.
Line by Line Meaning
Turning into something I can't cope
Becoming something that I am unable to handle
With not having
Without possessing or experiencing
Stop, stop it
Request to halt or desist from an action
Could I put my hands up
Am I able to surrender or give up
And ask that you stop
And request for you to discontinue
Do I need to be in love
Is it necessary to be enamored with someone
I'm lost when it's just me
I feel adrift when alone
With only a hope to make
Having nothing but the desire to accomplish
You happy enough to stay
Keeping you contented to remain with me
Return the words, the looks
Give back the statements and gazes
I give you like they're falling out of me
That I bestow openly and effortlessly
Seconds change
The events pass quickly
And at the end
Ultimately
Your face is inerasable
Your image is unforgettable
True, I need to be in love
It is true that I require affection
What is there otherwise from loving
What other option is there besides loving
Just takes a face
It only requires a countenance
To make everything else erase
To eliminate everything else
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ANNA-LYNNE WILLIAMS, JOHN MICHAEL WILLIAMS, MATT BROWN, MATTHEW EMERSON BROWN, ROSS SIMONINI, ROSS DAVENPORT SIMONINI
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
STYLE UNPOSTED
ragazzi...dove siete finitiiiii.....questo è il groove e la voce angelica che manca al panorama italiano! vi amo! mi fate diventare 14 enne ascoltandovi....God Bless You 💕💕💕💕
36index
For all of you who thought that Billy couldn't lay down a seriously calm groove, well.........here it is........he's grooving so smooth, he sounds like a drum machine/metronome
funklover24
Awesome track. Billy lays it down and Novecento is filling it. ❤👍🙏
Favored by God Creative Monique Alderman
I love this song. I love these musicians and music. Check out "WE SHOULD ALL UNITE." God bless you Dora. God you bless Nicolosi family, Billy Cobham. This is sooo smooth and funky. Awesome.
Virginia Marrazzo
Magnifico pezzo💖💖💖💖💖💖💖
Livio Zarantonello
Pezzo straordinario.Bravi Novecento. Billy you are the greatest drummer.
Coro Blu e New Domodossola
ho i brividi e mi viene voglia di piangere per i suoni, per la delicatezza, dalla bellezza del groove...
Waldir Locões
Hi Lino, I´m from Brazil (and of italian origin) and became a Novecento fan as from I heard `I want you more´ with Eumir Deodato, brazilian like me and one of my idols. I appreciate the sound of your band and would suggest that you make longer participations with your jazz guitar. Ciao!
RAFFAELE CORONGIU
Il pezzo è stupendo. I Novecento bravissimi. Musica di alta classe. Big
Enrico Giorgi
Siete i numeri uno in Italia. Giustezza infinita 👏👏👏👏