Lambchop is an American alt-country band from Nashville, Tennessee, the cap… Read Full Bio ↴Lambchop is an American alt-country band from Nashville, Tennessee, the capital of country music. Originally called Posterchild, the band (which formed in 1986) cannot easily be classified into a genre and certainly not into that of traditional country music. The collective around frontman Kurt Wagner has a fluid membership, at times including as many 18 musicians, and is frequently associated with alternative country. Lambchop’s music combines wryly ironic lyrics that are complex in form and content with harmonious tunes and soulful background vocals. It is indebted to folk and country as much as to the smooth soul of Barry White, Curtis Mayfield or Marvin Gaye and can be seen as a fine exemplification of Kris Kristofferson’s famous line: “country music is the white man’s soul”.

Because You Are The Very Air He Breathes
Lambchop Lyrics

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Dust moves off his arms and chest
As the vent window opens in his Volkswagen
Hundreds of Impalas and station wagons
Idle at the train crossing

The puddles that surround him
Are always made from sweat
The open sore on his face reminds him

That his blood is simply temporary

The gas is blowing in the trees
One whiff has brought me to my knees
At first you practice, practice to yourself
You are the very air, you are the very air
You are the very air he breathes

His head throbs and fills
With a big machine bag
I must be the richest man
To ever stand in line at the bank

The gas is blowing in the trees
One whiff has brought me to my knees
At first you practice, practice to yourself

You are the very air, you are the very air
You are the very air he breathes

Overall Meaning

The song "Because You Are The Very Air He Breathes" by Lambchop tells a story of a man in a Volkswagen car, stuck at a train crossing with hundreds of other cars. The man is covered in dust and sweat, and has an open sore on his face, reminding him that his existence is temporary. The lyrics describe the sensory experience of the gas blowing in the trees, which is so potent that it has brought the singer to his knees. Despite this harsh reality, the chorus repeats "You are the very air he breathes", a reminder of the importance of connection and relationships in life.

There is a sense of resignation and acceptance in the lyrics, as if the singer is acknowledging that life can be difficult and painful but that there is still something fundamental about being connected to others. The image of the man in the car, surrounded by other cars, highlights the idea of being part of a larger community.

Overall, the song is a meditation on the nature of existence and the inevitability of death, but it also suggests that despite these difficult realities, there is still a sense of connection and meaning to be found in relationships with others.

Line by Line Meaning

Dust moves off his arms and chest
As the vent window opens in his Volkswagen, dust from the road is pushed off his arms and chest.

Hundreds of Impalas and station wagons idle at the train crossing
While waiting at the train crossing, he notices a large number of Impalas and station wagons parked and idling nearby.

The puddles that surround him are always made from sweat
He is often drenched in sweat, and the puddles around him are a constant reminder of this fact.

The open sore on his face reminds him that his blood is simply temporary
The sore on his face is a reminder of the impermanence of life and the fragility of the human body.

The gas is blowing in the trees
The scent of gasoline is wafting through the air, carried by the wind through the trees.

One whiff has brought me to my knees
The smell of gasoline is so strong that it causes him to physically react and fall to his knees.

At first you practice, practice to yourself
In the beginning, you may only practice or sing to yourself, without an audience or any intention of sharing your music.

You are the very air, you are the very air
Your music is an essential part of the world, like the air we breathe.

You are the very air he breathes
Your music is so important to someone that it is like the air they breathe, necessary for their existence and survival.

His head throbs and fills with a big machine bag
He experiences a headache that feels as though his head is filling up with the sounds of machinery.

I must be the richest man to ever stand in line at the bank
Despite any financial struggles or difficulties, he feels fortunate and wealthy to be alive and present in the moment.

Lyrics © SCHUBERT MUSIC PUBLISHING INC.

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