After spending a week in a coma, Smith left the hospital to begin the arduous tasks of regaining her memory, rehabilitating her pianist hand, and rebuilding her life. A year later, Juniper Lane reconnected to explore the possibility of their own recovery and found that the drive and dynamic they once possessed was unchanged. It soon became apparent that instead of picking up where they left off, Juniper Lane was back as an even more inspired and motivated version of themselves.
Juniper Lane has mastered that which eludes so many musical acts: the ability to produce a diverse range of well-crafted songs while putting forth an unmistakably signature sound. With the recent national commercial success of bands that straddle the line between indie and mainstream rock (Death Cab for Cutie, Snow Patrol), it seems the music industry has finally caught up to Juniper Lane.
Upon returning to the Washington, D.C. and Baltimore music scenes, the band's impressive live show was met with sold-out crowds and fans soon started clamoring for a new album. The band's latest project is the record Wake From Yourself, throughout which Smith delves into the complications of rediscovering one's direction when faced with life-altering experiences: whether they be falling in love, breaking away from a painful past, or even coming out of a coma. Wake From Yourself is clearly the work of an enormously talented quartet.
The band added a fifth member (John Athayde) in June of 2008, and then opened for Coldplay at the Verizon Center in Washington DC on August 3, 2008. They are currently working on a new album with Ted Comerford and four of the songs have been mixed by Michael Brauer (Coldplay, John Mayer, Mute Math). Will Champion of Coldplay recommended the band to Michael (http://twitter.com/mhb850/status/1226881936).
Juniper Lane has toured extensively on the East Coast, including shows at colleges, clubs, and venues such as the 9:30 Club, Recher Theatre, and DC's 99.1 WHFStival, as well as performing in-studio for commercial radio and on live television. The band's incredible song-writing has afforded them the opportunity to work with such industry professionals as producer Ted Comerford (Zox, Army of Me), Joe Zook (Remy Zero, Liz Phair, Anna Nalick), Paul David Hager (American Hi-Fi, Hoobastank, Tracey Bonham), and Mitch Easter (R.E.M., Wilco, Suzanne Vega).
Catch My Breath
Juniper Lane Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Just to keep you in the shallows
Still it seems you're drifting farther
The undertow is pulling harder
I hold you here but still you falter
Patterns are too hard to alter
I cannot simply let the tide
I turn to call to you, but you
Have fallen under and out of reach
I can't seem to catch my breath at all
I reach out to hold you, but you
Keep slipping under, just out of reach
And I can't seem to catch my breath
at all
Is every time that I exhale
One breath closer 'til I fail?
We only float until we sink,
And are we closer than we think?
You fight against me and the tide
Wanting neither as your guide
I'll try to steer you toward the shore
The same way I have done before
I turn to call to you, but you
Have fallen under just out of reach
I can't seem to catch my breath
I reach out to hold you, but you
Keep slipping under, just out of reach
I can't seem to catch my breath
at all
I have tried to reach you
I have tried to breathe for you
If only I could bend without breaking
If only you'd accept without taking
If only I could speak without shouting
If only you could hear without doubting
If only I could breathe without air
If only you would follow me there
I've tried
The lyrics to Juniper Lane's "Catch My Breath" describe the struggle of trying to hold onto someone who is drifting away. The singer is trying to keep their loved one in the "shallows," but despite their efforts, they continue to drift away further and further. The metaphor of being pulled under by an undertow represents the struggles in maintaining a relationship in the face of external pressures.
The singer feels responsible for their loved one's drifting, feeling that they have not been able to alter the pattern of their behavior. The line "patterns are too hard to alter" suggests that the situation has been repeating itself for some time, and the singer is helpless to break free from it. Despite their efforts to hold onto their loved one, they are unable to do so, as their loved one slips under and out of reach.
The lyrics express frustration and helplessness in the face of these circumstances. They suggest that perhaps the singer is holding onto hope that they can still save the relationship, but at the same time, they are afraid of failing. Every breath they take feels like a step closer to "failing" - losing the person they care about. The final lines express a longing for things to be different, a desire to be able to "bend without breaking" and communicate without shouting, to find a way to be together without the stresses and pressures that are tearing them apart.
Line by Line Meaning
At every turn I try to follow
I attempt to stay near you, to keep you safe.
Just to keep you in the shallows
I try my best to keep you away from danger.
Still it seems you're drifting farther
Despite my efforts, you keep moving away from safety.
The undertow is pulling harder
The unseen forces are dragging us both to harm's way.
I hold you here but still you falter
Though I keep you close, you still struggle.
Patterns are too hard to alter
It's difficult to change things once they are set.
I cannot simply let the tide
I can't just let us be swept away by fate.
Drag us under side by side
To sink together would be tragic.
I turn to call to you, but you
I reach out to you, hoping to get your attention.
Have fallen under and out of reach
You have slipped away and I can no longer help you.
I can't seem to catch my breath at all
I am overwhelmed and struggling to keep going.
Is every time that I exhale
Every breath I take feels like it brings us closer to doom.
One breath closer 'til I fail?
Each exhale could be the last before it all falls apart.
We only float until we sink,
We are only safe as long as we stay afloat.
And are we closer than we think?
Is the danger we face lurking just around the corner?
You fight against me and the tide
You resist my attempts to help, and the situation keeps getting worse.
Wanting neither as your guide
You reject both me and the forces that could keep us safe.
I'll try to steer you toward the shore
I will still do my best to pull us both to safety.
The same way I have done before
I will use the same strategies I have used in the past to keep us safe.
I have tried to reach you
I have attempted to help you stay safe.
I have tried to breathe for you
I have done everything I can to keep us both afloat.
If only I could bend without breaking
If only I could endure all of this pain without it breaking me down.
If only you'd accept without taking
If only you could take my help without putting yourself in harm's way.
If only I could speak without shouting
If only I could communicate my intentions without fear and frustration in my voice.
If only you could hear without doubting
If only you could trust me enough to listen to what I'm saying.
If only I could breathe without air
If only I could keep fighting against the odds and stay alive indefinitely.
If only you would follow me there
If only you could trust me enough to follow me to safety.
I've tried to catch you, but you slip away
I'll still keep trying to help you, but the danger keeps pulling you away.
And I can't seem to catch my breath, I can't seem to stay.
Despite my efforts, I feel overcome by the danger of this situation.
Contributed by Jacob M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.