James Newman (born James Richard Newman in Yorkshire) is an English singer-… Read Full Bio ↴James Newman (born James Richard Newman in Yorkshire) is an English singer-songwriter based in London. He is the brother of pop musician John Newman. At the 2014 Brit Awards, Newman won the Brit Award for British Single of the Year as a co-writer of "Waiting All Night". Newman was supposed to represent the United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest 2020 with the song "My Last Breath", before it was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He instead represented the United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest 2021 with the song "Embers", which ended on a 26th and last place with nul points in the grand final. He describes he music as being heavily influenced by Detroit soul/Tamla-Motown, with a modern twist.

My Last Breath
James Newman Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Some people let go
Some people let love slip away, yeah
But I'm gonna hold on
When no one believes, I'll keep the faith

And I know that we're in trouble
But I swear that we'll survive

If we were deep sea divers
And no one came to find us
If you had nothing left
I'd give you my last breath (oh oh oh, oh, oh)
I'd give you my last breath (oh oh oh, oh, oh)

We all need a lifeline
Someone to call when we're alone, hmm, yeah
It's all good in the good times
But I'll still be there when it all goes wrong
Yes, I will

If we were deep sea divers
And no one came to find us
If you had nothing left
I'd give you my last breath (oh oh oh, oh, oh)
I'd give you my last breath (oh oh oh, oh, oh)

And I know that we're in trouble
But I swear that we'll survive

If we were deep sea divers
And no one came to find us
If you had nothing left
I'd give you my last breath (oh oh oh, oh, oh)

I'd give you my last breath (oh oh oh, oh, oh)
I'd give you my last breath

Overall Meaning

In "My Last Breath," James Newman sings about the undeniable strength of his love and loyalty, even in the face of overwhelming obstacles. He recognizes that life can be unpredictable, and that relationships are not always smooth sailing. People allow love to slip away or they simply let go. But Newman is determined to hold on, even when no one else believes in his relationship. He vows to keep the faith, refusing to give up on his love.

The chorus brings this message home with its powerful imagery. Newman compares his relationship to being deep-sea divers lost in the briny depths. They are alone and cut off from the rest of the world, but he promises that he will be there to keep his partner alive, even if it means sacrificing his own life. The words "I'd give you my last breath" are repeated twice, emphasizing the depth of his devotion and the lengths he is willing to go to keep his love alive.

Despite the difficulties, and even acknowledging that they are in trouble, Newman remains confident that they will make it through. He swears that they will survive, their bond too strong to be broken. Through the power of his love and the strength of his commitment, Newman demonstrates the true meaning of devotion.

Line by Line Meaning

Some people let go
There are some people who give up easily

Some people let love slip away, yeah
Some people lose their chance at love because they don't hold on tight enough

But I'm gonna hold on
But I am determined to hold on to what's important

When no one believes, I'll keep the faith
Even when others don't believe, I will maintain my faith and optimism

And I know that we're in trouble
I recognize that we are facing difficult times

But I swear that we'll survive
But I promise that we will make it through

If we were deep sea divers
If we were in a situation where we were trapped and unable to communicate with others

And no one came to find us
And no one is coming to our rescue

If you had nothing left
If you were completely without hope or resources

I'd give you my last breath (oh oh oh, oh, oh)
I would give everything that I have left to help you survive

We all need a lifeline
We all need someone to help us in times of need

Someone to call when we're alone, hmm, yeah
Someone to reach out to when we feel isolated and vulnerable

It's all good in the good times
Everything seems great when times are good

But I'll still be there when it all goes wrong
But I will remain by your side even when things get difficult

Yes, I will
I am committed to supporting you

I'd give you my last breath
I am willing to sacrifice everything for you

I'd give you my last breath
I will do anything to ensure that you survive

And I know that we're in trouble
I am aware of our current challenges

But I swear that we'll survive
But I promise that we will overcome these obstacles

If we were deep sea divers
If we were in a desperate situation with no hope of rescue

And no one came to find us
And we were completely alone

If you had nothing left
If you had lost all hope

I'd give you my last breath (oh oh oh, oh, oh)
I would give my all to keep you alive

I'd give you my last breath (oh oh oh, oh, oh)
I am willing to do whatever it takes to ensure your survival

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Adam Argyle, Edward Drewett, Iain Farquharson, James Newman

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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