Air
Hair [Original Broadway Cast] Lyrics
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Hello carbon monoxide
The air, the air is everywhere
Breathe deep, while you sleep, breathe deep
Bless you alcohol bloodstream,
Save me nicotine lungsteen
Incense, incense is in the air
Cataclysmic, cataplasm
Fall out atomic orgasm
Vapor and fume at the stone of my tomb
Breathe like a solemn perfume
Eating at the stone of my tomb
Welcome sulfur dioxide,
Hello carbon monoxide
The air, the air is everywhere
Breathe deep, while you sleep, breathe deep
The song "Air" by the Original Broadway Cast of the musical Hair is a commentary on the constant and unconscious exposure of humans to pollutants in the air. The lyrics are crafted in a way that highlights the irony of the fact that people are constantly inhaling harmful substances without being aware of it. The first verse of the song is an ode to two of the most common chemicals found in polluted air (sulfur dioxide and carbon monoxide) and presents them in a way that seems to welcome them. The second verse celebrates the presence of alcohol and nicotine in the bloodstream, two similarly harmful substances that people are often addicted to.
The third and final verse is arguably the most impactful because it describes the effects of nuclear fallout and other dangerous chemicals in the air. The word choices - "cataclysmic," "atomic orgasm," and "vapor and fume" - are vivid and disturbing. The imagery builds to the point where the air is now "eating at the stone of my tomb," suggesting that the pollutants in the air are killing the person singing the song. The final reminder to "breathe deep" adds to the irony of the song, as it implies that humans have no choice but to inhale these harmful substances.
Line by Line Meaning
Welcome sulfur dioxide,
Greetings to the toxic gas called sulfur dioxide
Hello carbon monoxide
Good day to the poisonous gas known as carbon monoxide
The air, the air is everywhere
The environment is filled with the atmosphere, the air that surrounds us
Breathe deep, while you sleep, breathe deep
Take in a deep breath of air, even while you sleep, to allow it to saturate your lungs
Bless you alcohol bloodstream,
May the alcohol present in your bloodstream bless you
Save me nicotine lungsteen
Preserve me with the nicotine present in my lungs
Incense, incense is in the air
The smell of incense is present within the atmosphere surrounding us
Breathe deep, while you sleep, breathe deep
Take deep breaths even while sleeping, to allow incense aromatics to penetrate your nostrils
Cataclysmic, cataplasm
Intense, drastic effects seen from a healing or medical substance
Fall out atomic orgasm
The radioactive fallout that comes from an atomic explosion is orgasmic in its powerful impact
Vapor and fume at the stone of my tomb
In the moments after death, gaseous vapors and fumes arise from the decaying body within the tomb
Breathe like a solemn perfume
Inhale the scent of the funeral incense like it's a solemn fragrance
Eating at the stone of my tomb
The gaseous vapours and fumes from my tomb are slowly disintegrating the stone structure it was made from
Welcome sulfur dioxide,
Greetings to the toxic gas called sulfur dioxide
Hello carbon monoxide
Good day to the poisonous gas known as carbon monoxide
The air, the air is everywhere
The environment is filled with the atmosphere, the air that surrounds us
Breathe deep, while you sleep, breathe deep
Take in a deep breath of air, even while you sleep, to allow it to saturate your lungs
Contributed by Nora F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@P00katube
Still listening to this song in 2023, especially with the smoke from the wildfires from Canada moving to the Northeastern USA
@fantastic-brainrot
Omg same 😂😂
@mariekatherine5238
I remember singing this as a fourth grader in a school Spring Concert in 1971.
@Joseph-ax999
I love this song!!
@mca1218
Still the best version...de-de-deep!!
@IAmNoeyes
Original cast is best cast.
@tomcedergren2032
If only people had listened and heard
@michaelfranklin4276
Earth day 1970. This version of this song and Donovan's Celia of the Seals are the birth of Green Peace in my memory.
@lizzieball3795
And the founder of Greenpeace says that climate change is a big hoax. He he is on twitter.
@jimrebr
The Air song has been playing in my brain all week, because the brown air from all the Wildfires on the West Coast is so horrible…