Cope lived in Houston, Texas during his high school years and attended the High School for the Performing and Visual Arts. He has been closely associated with the music of Especially for Youth (EFY), with seven EFY albums having songs he composed. He also has served as an LDS missionary in Switzerland and France from 1980-1982. He currently resides in Salt Lake City, Utah and serves as an LDS Bishop.
Breathe In Me
Kenneth Cope Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I'm alive
With the power of your holiness
You breathe in me
And you revive
Feelings in my soul
That I have laid to rest
So breathe in me
I need you now
I've never felt so dead within
So breathe in me
Maybe somehow
You can breathe new life in me again
I used to be so sensitive
To the light that leads
To where you are
Now I've acquired these calluses
With the darkness of
A cold and jaded heart
REPEAT CHORUS
The song Breathe In Me by Kenneth Cope is a reflection on feeling a sense of spiritual emptiness and the desire to feel alive once again. The opening lyrics "You breathe in me, and I'm alive with the power of your holiness" suggest that the divine presence of God is what brings life to the singer's soul. The act of breathing is a powerful metaphor for the presence of God, and the emphasis on the word "revive" in the following line reinforces the idea that the singer was once alive but has since lost that sense of vitality.
The chorus is a plea to God to breathe new life into the singer's soul, with the repeated line "So breathe in me, I need you now." This line highlights the urgency of the singer's need for divine intervention, and the word "now" reinforces the sense that time is running out. The second half of the chorus, "Maybe somehow, you can breathe new life in me again," acknowledges the singer's uncertainty about whether God will answer their prayer, but also suggests a glimmer of hope that it might be possible.
The second verse of the song reflects on how the singer's spiritual sensitivity has been dulled over time, with the metaphor of calluses on the skin suggesting a hardening of the heart. The final lines of the verse, "A cold and jaded heart," suggest that the singer has become disconnected from the spiritual source of life and is struggling to find a way back.
Overall, the song is a powerful reflection on the experience of spiritual emptiness and the desire to be renewed by a divine presence. The repeated chorus emphasizes the urgency of the singer's need, while the metaphor of breathing reinforces the idea that divine presence is essential for spiritual vitality.
Line by Line Meaning
You breathe in me
Through divine intervention, you infuse me with your life-giving force.
And I'm alive
Thanks to your power, I am conscious, aware and active—no longer idle or inert.
With the power of your holiness
By virtue of your virtuousness and purity, you fill me with strength and fortitude.
You breathe in me
Inhaling your good will inevitably results in me feeling refreshed and invigorated.
And you revive
Your presence awakens dormant emotions inside of me, emotions I had long forgotten or repressed.
Feelings in my soul
Your presence has a profound effect on my innermost self, rejuvenating me emotionally and spiritually.
That I have laid to rest
I had long abandoned these dormant emotions, burying them deep inside me, until your presence awoke them.
So breathe in me
I implore you, please, infuse me with your life-giving force again.
I need you now
In this moment, I cannot go on without your divine intervention.
I've never felt so dead within
I am engulfed by a sense of emptiness I have never experienced before.
Maybe somehow
I am not sure how, but perhaps you can find a way to help me.
You can breathe new life in me again
Your divine intervention has the power to revive me, even after I have lost all hope.
I used to be so sensitive
There was a time when I was very receptive to your influence.
To the light that leads
To the beacon of hope that guides me towards a better life.
To where you are
Towards the direction in which your presence is most strongly felt.
Now I've acquired these calluses
Over time, I have developed these tough and unyielding emotional barriers.
With the darkness of
Under the shadow of
A cold and jaded heart
An unfeeling and cynical persona.
REPEAT CHORUS
See previous explanation of the chorus.
Writer(s): WAYNE KIRKPATRICK, MICHAEL W. SMITH
Contributed by Anthony D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.