Original members Kyle Even and David Schmitt started the project in 2007, they didn't anticipate that their “just for fun” intent would explode into an internationally sought-after duo within just a couple of years. The story of Breathe Carolina is a modern day music fairytale, about two friends who recorded tracks on Mac program GarageBand at home in Denver, Colorado, put them on to MySpace and rapidly gained a huge online following.
The duo's self-released debut EP Gossip hit iTunes in 2007, and after a phenomenal response, they released their debut album "It’s Classy, Not Classic" in 2008. The album entered the Billboard Top 200 at #186. Their genre-clashing blend of crowd-pleasing pop, rock and electronica was a hit, and no longer confined to the bedroom – Breathe Carolina were a global force ready to be heard.
After signing with Fearless Records in 2009, their album Hello Fascination took their music to a bigger, brighter and more blistering dimension. Recorded with the stellar production team of Mike Green (Paramore, The Higher, Set Your Goals) and Matt Squire (Taking Back Sunday, 3OH!3, Panic At The Disco), their sound became re-defined with the addition of live instruments and hooky pop choruses. The album debuted at #43 on the Billboard Top 200, at #5 on the Independent Chart and #2 on the Electronic Chart. The title track “Hello Fascination” was featured on MTV’s The City and received placement on NBC’s Sunday Night Football. It even became the featured track on NBC’s The Jay Leno Show promos.
The duo followed up their second UK headline tour of the year with a whole summer on Vans Warped Tour 2010, followed by a direct support slot to Mayday Parade on the Fearless Friends Tour in Fall 2010.
2011 has been quite the year for the band, as "Blackout"'s steady ascension up the Top 40 single chart, embraced by fans across the nation as their new party anthem, has made them one of the only independent acts taking on the pop goliaths at Top 40. 'Hell Is What You Make It' debuted at #2 on the Billboard Electronic Chart, with The NY Times calling the album "one of the best pure pop albums of the year". A performance on Jimmy Kimmel Live, main playlist rotation across all MTV networks for video "Blackout" and an Artist Of The Week slot on MTV's PUSH program fueled the genre-blending duo's success story.
Starting out in a bedroom in the suburbs of the Mile High City, Breathe Carolina was one of the first bands to start making waves via social networks. They truly came into their own on Fearless Records-released sophomore full-length Hello Fascination. A step to a brave next level, the album entered the Billboard Top 200 at #43, and went on to sell over 60,000 copies in the U.S. alone. Their juxtaposition of hardcore guts and pop glory found a happy niche between both rock and pop fans, the album's title track landing placements on the promos for NBC's Jay Leno Show, 30 Rock and Monday Night Football, MTV's The Hills and The City.
With national radio dates with fellow Top 40 acts including Flo-Rida, Selena Gomez, Kreayshawn, Hot Chelle Rae, Cobra Starship and The Fray sees the band ending 2011 on an all time high.
Tripped and Fell in Portland
Breathe Carolina Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Our lips are wide as oceans
I sold my eyes for emerald dimes
The edges blur, the walls are bending)
You bite like you don't have any teeth to break my skin
I feel like she's on fire
And every room is another world I'm walking in
I tripped and fell so deep I can't come down
How did you run into a door that's wide open
Get a hold of yourself
I tripped and fell so deep I can't come down
(Our hands are melting maps
Balancing on a fence
The change made no sense
The edges stir, the walls are dancing)
I steal everything just to give it back again
Trust me I'm a liar
And all the words I bought, they aren't worth anything.
We couldn't get much higher
I tripped and fell so deep I can't come down
How did you run into a door that's wide open
Get a hold of yourself
I tripped and fell so deep I can't come down
(Brace yourself
There's no way out
We left our minds behind
Climbing the blinds
Fabricating time, till we come back to life)
I tripped and fell so deep
I tripped and fell so deep I can't come down
How did you run into a door that's wide open
Get a hold of yourself
I tripped and fell so deep I can't come down
(Into a door that's wide open
Get a hold of yourself)
I tripped and fell so deep I can't come down
Please forgive me
I don't wanna hurt anymore
My heart is broken
Can I take you home
Open yourself up to me and surrender
Can I take you home
Lock out the world and stay here forever
The lyrics of "Tripped And Fell In Portland" by Breathe Carolina talk about the intoxicating feeling of being in love and the confusion and uncertainty that comes with it. The first stanza describes the passion and intensity of the lovers, and how they are so enraptured that the world around them seems to bend and blur. The singer describes the sensation of being bitten by their partner, as if they are so caught up in the moment that they forget their own strength or boundaries. The chorus speaks to the idea of falling so deeply in love that you feel you can never return to the world as it was before, and how it can be scary but also exhilarating to let go.
The second stanza continues the theme of the lovers being lost in each other, and how the singer is willing to do anything to please their partner. They describe themselves as a liar, willing to steal and cheat for the sake of keeping their loved one happy. This stanza, like the first, ends with the idea of reaching a high that feels impossible to come down from. The bridge of the song takes a darker turn, with the singer seeming to question their sanity and sense of reality. They describe the feeling of being trapped in their own mind, and how the passion they feel may not be entirely real or healthy. The song ends with a plea for forgiveness and a desire to create a safe space for both partners to be together and forget the outside world.
Line by Line Meaning
The secret's out
We have revealed something previously hidden
Our lips are wide as oceans
We are speaking very openly
I sold my eyes for emerald dimes
I made a foolish decision for a small reward
The edges blur, the walls are bending
We are experiencing a distorted reality
You bite like you don't have any teeth to break my skin
Your words are hurtful, but they do not physically harm me
I feel like she's on fire
I am strongly drawn to her
And every room is another world I'm walking in
Every environment feels unfamiliar
We couldn't get much higher
We cannot feel any better than we do now
I tripped and fell so deep I can't come down
I have fallen head over heels and cannot escape
How did you run into a door that's wide open
How did you miss something so obvious
Get a hold of yourself
Collect yourself and regain control
Our hands are melting maps
We are experiencing a sense of disorientation and confusion
Balancing on a fence
We are on the edge of a decision or situation
The change made no sense
The recent shift in circumstances is confusing or illogical
The edges stir, the walls are dancing
Our perceptions of reality are shifting
I steal everything just to give it back again
I take risks to get what I want, but then return it
Trust me I'm a liar
I am not trustworthy, even if I say otherwise
And all the words I bought, they aren't worth anything.
The promises I made hold no value
Brace yourself
Prepare for what is coming
There's no way out
We are trapped in our current situation
We left our minds behind
We are not thinking clearly
Climbing the blinds
We are trying to escape via unconventional means
Fabricating time, till we come back to life
We are trying to distract ourselves until we feel better again
Please forgive me
I am asking for forgiveness
I don't wanna hurt anymore
I am tired of feeling pain
My heart is broken
I am emotionally hurting
Can I take you home
I want to be close to you
Open yourself up to me and surrender
Let me in and trust me
Lock out the world and stay here forever
Stay with me and ignore everything else
Contributed by Alexander A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.