"Shortly after releasing "As a Dog Returns" in 2010, Victor rejoined Pentagram for a two-year album & tour stint. Upon departing Pentagram, he founded a new project, Victor Griffin's In-Graved."
Breath of Life
Place Of Skulls Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Grasping for your life so completely
I let you down many times too often
Without you the tides of hope have broken
Will you pass my way again
And cleanse this broken heart, heart of sin
Make straight the crooked path I'd chosen
Restore to me Lord the joy of your salvation
Please don't take your Holy Spirit away
These broken bones can't take another night
For you alone are the Breath of Life
Can't bear to think of your sacrifice
To hurt you more when I denied
Don't want to lose you again, no not ever
Turn these grains of sand to stone forever
Will you pass my way again
Mercy undeserved, light again my days
Apart from you, only hopelessness abound
Give me strength to live and be found
The lyrics of Place of Skulls' song "Breath of Life" depict a person struggling in the waves of despair, seeking to hold on to the one thing that can give them life - their faith in God. The singer is acutely aware of their shortcomings and how they have let down their higher power time and time again. The tides of hope have broken and the storm inside them rages. They know that they need to be cleansed and have their crooked path made straight. They call out for the Lord to restore the joy of their salvation and not to take the Holy Spirit away. Their broken bones cannot take another night and they acknowledge that only God can truly sustain them.
The song is a deeply personal plea for spiritual restoration and forgiveness. The singer recognizes the weight of their mistakes and desires to turn away from their sinful ways. They call out for the mercy that they know they do not deserve but need desperately. The images of the waves and the storm bring to mind the struggles of life, which can all too easily overwhelm us. But in the face of these struggles, the singer finds hope in their belief in a higher power. God is the breath of life that sustains them in the midst of their trials.
Line by Line Meaning
Tossed by the waves, am I sinking
I feel lost and overwhelmed, like I'm drowning in my problems
Grasping for your life so completely
I am holding onto you and relying on you completely for my salvation
I let you down many times too often
I have repeatedly disappointed and failed you
Without you the tides of hope have broken
I can't find hope or healing without you, and my life is in chaos
Will you pass my way again
I am asking God to return and show me mercy
And cleanse this broken heart, heart of sin
I need God to forgive my sins and heal my broken heart
Make straight the crooked path I'd chosen
I realize that my choices have led me down a dark path, and I need God to guide me back to the right one
And calm the storm inside
I am asking God to bring peace to my troubled mind and heart
Restore to me Lord the joy of your salvation
I want to feel the joy and hope that come from knowing God and being saved by him
Please don't take your Holy Spirit away
I am afraid of losing my connection with God and his guidance and comfort
These broken bones can't take another night
I am at the end of my strength and resilience, and need God to intervene
For you alone are the Breath of Life
I recognize that God is the only source of true life, breath and hope
Can't bear to think of your sacrifice
I feel overwhelming guilt and pain when I think about the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross
To hurt you more when I denied
I am ashamed of having denied God in the past and contributed to his pain
Don't want to lose you again, no not ever
I am determined to cling to God and never let go, no matter what happens
Turn these grains of sand to stone forever
I want my faith to be strong and unshakable, like stone, rather than fragile like sand
Mercy undeserved, light again my days
I am asking God for unmerited mercy and grace, and to bring light and hope back into my life
Apart from you, only hopelessness abound
I realize that I am lost and hopeless without God, and need him to save me
Give me strength to live and be found
I am asking God for the strength to keep going and to be found by him
Contributed by London L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.