air
Jonelle Allen Lyrics


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Welcome! sulphur dioxide
Hello! carbon monoxide
The air, the air
Is everywhere

Breath deep, while you sleep
Breath deep
Bless you, alcohol bloodstream
Save me, nicotine lung steam

Incense, incense
Is in the air
Breath deep, while you sleep
Breath deep

Cataclysmic ectoplasm
Fallout atomic orgasm
Vapor and fume
At the stone of my tomb
Breathing like a sullen perfume
Eating at the stone of my tomb

Welcome! sulphur dioxide
Hello! carbon monoxide
The air, the air
Is everywhere

Breath deep, while you sleep
Breath deep





Deep, deep, deep, cough cough

Overall Meaning

From the lyrics of the song "Air," one can garner a commentary on the state of pollution in the environment. The opening lines, "Welcome! sulphur dioxide, Hello! carbon monoxide, The air, the air, Is everywhere," set the tone for what is to follow. The first stanza goes on to describe the inhalation of polluted air and the imperative to breathe deep despite the contamination. The second stanza goes on to catalog various pollutants present in the environment, including mentions of alcohol and nicotine.


The final stanza brings together the themes of pollution and death. The line "Vapor and fume at the stone of my tomb" brings to mind the image of a grave surrounded by smoke and smog. The fact that the vapor is "breathing like a sullen perfume" suggests a kind of dark beauty to the destruction caused by pollution. The final line of the song, "Deep, deep, deep, cough cough," juxtaposes the imperative to breathe deep with coughing, the body's natural response to breathing in substances that are toxic to the respiratory system.


Line by Line Meaning

Welcome! sulphur dioxide
Greetings to the toxic gas released from burning fossil fuels


Hello! carbon monoxide
Salutation to the odorless, colorless gas produced by burning gasoline: a silent killer


The air, the air
The most important element of our environment that covers everything above the planet surface


Is everywhere
Oxygen, nitrogen, and other gases make up the atmosphere surrounding us


Breath deep, while you sleep
Inhale the air as much as possible while lying down to replenish your corporeal body


Bless you, alcohol bloodstream
Honor the alcohol molecules that passed into the bloodstream through the lungs


Save me, nicotine lung steam
Rescue me from the addictive tobacco smoke infiltrating my lungs


Incense, incense
Fragrant smoke rising from a censer burnt in worship or to conceal unpleasant smells


Is in the air
The smoke floats in the atmosphere and spreads around


Cataclysmic ectoplasm
Violent and disastrous ghostly substance


Fallout atomic orgasm
Radioactive particles produced by an atomic bomb explosion


Vapor and fume
Gaseous state of water or other volatile substances; often toxic


At the stone of my tomb
Around the place of my burial, where my remains are laid


Breathing like a sullen perfume
The harmful fumes linger in the air and are inhaled like a depressing aroma


Eating at the stone of my tomb
The poisonous air corrodes the inscriptions on the gravestone


Deep, deep, deep, cough cough
Inhale the air with force, deeper and deeper until you have a sudden, reflexive clearance of the airways and lungs




Lyrics © DistroKid, BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Capitol CMG Publishing
Written by: Galt MacDermot, Gerome Ragni, James Rado

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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