Baker's stark and soulful music is said to evoke names like Bon Iver, Daughter, and Natalie Prass. Her first album, Sprained Ankle, was released in 2015, followed by the 2017 release of Turn Out The Lights. Her third album, Little Oblivions, was released in 2021.
Baker honed her music skills while playing in her high school band, Forrister, with whom she continued to perform while attending college. After writing a batch of songs that didn't seem to fit the group's more rock-oriented vibe, Baker headed to Matthew E. White's Spacebomb Studios in Richmond, Virginia to begin recording what would eventually become her solo debut, 2015's Sprained Ankle. Originally released by Smith 7 in 2014, it was reissued by 6131 Records in 2015, it reached number 23 on the Billboard Heatseekers Albums chart and led to an invitation to join the Matador Records roster. With a more expansive sound and equally intimate lyrics, the self-produced follow-up, 2017's Turn Out the Lights, was recorded at Ardent Studios in Memphis. It landed on the Billboard 200, peaking at number 78.
She then joined fellow indie singer/songwriters Phoebe Bridgers and Lucy Dacus in the trio Boygenius. Together they issued their eponymous EP in late 2018, also on Matador. Bridgers and Dacus appear on the track, "Favor," from Baker's third solo set, 2021's Little Oblivions that was self-produced and recorded in Memphis.
In 2023, boygenius announced their reformation and their upcoming debut album, ‘the record,’ which Baker and the band wrote and co-produced.
Sour Breath
Julien Baker Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Free from the weight of my dirt poor health
New drugs to fix all my missing cells
Didn't bring it up, cause I've done so well this week
And I thought that if I tried a little bit harder you'd change your mind
I've still got nowhere to be, and I don't do too well; nobody's worried
When nobody's worried about me
Plywood boards joined at your breast
Splinter in my arm where you rest your head
Checking my watch till you come to bed
Kiss me goodnight with your sour breath
Breaks on my face like a wave of emptiness
And when I talk just taste regret
You're everything I want and I'm all you dread
Watch the poison leak from your pores
Think all the liquor's gonna keep you warm
Burn everything down to prove you could
Leave me inside in a body made of wood
In a body made of wood
Oh, the harder I swim, the faster I sink
The harder I swim, the faster I sink
The harder I swim, the faster I sink
The harder I swim, the faster I sink
The harder I swim, the faster I sink
The harder I swim, the faster I sink
The harder I swim, the faster I sink
The harder I swim, the faster I sink
In Julien Baker's song "Sour Breath," the singer talks about her relationship and how it's affected by her mental and physical health. In the first few lines, she acknowledges that she knows her partner does better when she's not around because of her "dirt poor health." She goes on to mention that she's taking new drugs to fix her "missing cells," but she didn't bring it up because she's been doing well without them. She's still struggling, but nobody seems to notice or worry about her.
The second verse talks about the house she built in the middle of her partner's chest. It's a metaphor for how she's become a burden to her partner, and she feels like a splinter in their arm whenever they rest their head on her. She's anxious for them to come to bed so they can kiss her goodnight, even if their breath is sour from drinking. However, every time she talks, she feels regretful, and her partner dreads being with her. She feels like everything her partner wants, but also all that they dread.
The chorus repeats the line "the harder I swim, the faster I sink" several times. It's a metaphor for how the singer feels like she's constantly struggling to keep her head above water, but she keeps sinking deeper. She's trying to make things work with her partner, but her mental health and anxiety keep getting in the way.
Line by Line Meaning
I know you do better when you're by yourself
I understand that you are happier alone without the weight of my problems on you
Free from the weight of my dirt poor health
You don't have to worry about dealing with my constant health issues
New drugs to fix all my missing cells
I have started taking new medications to compensate for the deficiencies in my body
Didn't bring it up, cause I've done so well this week
I haven't mentioned my struggles because I've been doing better lately
And I thought that if I tried a little bit harder you'd change your mind
I believed that if I just put more effort into our relationship, you would want to stay with me
I've still got nowhere to be, and I don't do too well; nobody's worried
I have nothing going on in my life, and I'm not doing well, but nobody seems concerned or cares
When nobody's worried about me
It's hard to feel important or valued when no one seems concerned about my well-being
But I shouldn't have built a house in the middle of your chest
I realize now that I put too much of my emotional baggage and expectations onto you
Plywood boards joined at your breast
Our connection is artificial and fragile, like flimsy plywood boards joining your chest
Splinter in my arm where you rest your head
Being close to you is causing me pain and discomfort, represented metaphorically by a splinter in my arm
Checking my watch till you come to bed
I can't wait for you to come to bed and hold me, but I'm also anxious and restless as I wait
Kiss me goodnight with your sour breath
Even your kisses feel unpleasant and sour to me, indicating how disconnected and unhappy we are
Breaks on my face like a wave of emptiness
Your affection towards me feels hollow and empty, instead of comforting or fulfilling
And when I talk just taste regret
Everything I say now feels like a mistake or a burden, and I regret bringing it up
You're everything I want and I'm all you dread
I crave your affection and love, but I also recognize that I am causing you anxiety and dread by being with you
Watch the poison leak from your pores
I observe how your flaws and negative aspects are affecting our relationship, like a poisonous substance seeping out of your pores
Think all the liquor's gonna keep you warm
You're trying to numb your own feelings and emotions with alcohol, thinking it will provide comfort or warmth
Burn everything down to prove you could
You're willing to destroy everything, including our relationship, to prove a point or demonstrate your own power
Leave me inside in a body made of wood
You're leaving me trapped and immovable within my own emotions, symbolized by a body made of wood
The harder I swim, the faster I sink
No matter how hard I try to keep our relationship afloat, I feel like I am sinking deeper and deeper instead
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Julien Baker
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@edgepixel8467
@ Oliver B Perez
That's pretty easy:
IF
1. You're serious about this wish of yours
2. You have a similar amount of talent
THEN
3. Just suffer as much as she did
There. You're all set. You can thank me when you get there.
@TheLounette
I know you do better when you're by yourself
Free from the weight of my dirt poor health
New drugs to fix all my missing cells
Didn't bring it up, cause I've done so well this week
And I thought that if I tried a little bit harder you'd change your mind
I've still got nowhere to be, and I don't do too well; nobody's worried
When nobody's worried about me
[Verse 2]
But I shouldn't have built a house in the middle of your chest
Plywood boards joined at your breast
Splinter in my arm where you rest your head
Checking my watch till you come to bed
Kiss me goodnight with your sour breath
Breaks on my face like a wave of emptiness
And when I talk just taste regret
You're everything I want and I'm all you dread
[Bridge]
Watch the poison leak from your pores
Think all the liquor's gonna keep you warm
Burn everything down to prove you could
Leave me inside in a body made of wood
In a body made of wood
[Chorus]
Oh, the harder I swim, the faster I sink
The harder I swim, the faster I sink
The harder I swim, the faster I sink
The harder I swim, the faster I sink
The harder I swim, the faster I sink
The harder I swim, the faster I sink
The harder I swim, the faster I sink
The harder I swim, the faster I sink
@sukygill9998
The harder I swim, the faster I sink.
This has been me the past 4years.
@user-xl5nn6nu6h
Same
@Unearthlywhales
This might sound dumb but... one of my favorite things about this performance is hearing her stomp pedals. Makes me feel like I am actually in the room.
@vinukigajadeera2667
wooohw thx for making me notice thattt
@zachjollimore4339
yeah you just said exactly why i prefer her live videos over the studio versions. you can hear her in the room, her lyrics are so personal, we just listen for those personal lil nods, and she is a musicians favourite
@WittenmyerMusic
This song breaks my fucking heart everytime i hear it....
@oliverbperez7686
Some day I hope I compose something as beautiful as this. She has become one of my favorite lyricists and songwriters of today.
@edgepixel8467
@ Oliver B Perez
That's pretty easy:
IF
1. You're serious about this wish of yours
2. You have a similar amount of talent
THEN
3. Just suffer as much as she did
There. You're all set. You can thank me when you get there.
@sarahpartridge4424
Yes and yes and then yes and yes. yes. She is amazing
@Sapperman89
The original is amazing. I see why TDWP were inspired to make a cover!!!