This Fragile Breath
Todd Agnew Lyrics

The lyrics to Todd Agnew's song "This Fragile Breath" express the songwriter's deep desire to offer praise and worship to his faith's deity, but also convey his sense of inadequacy and humility in the face of that deity's vast power and majesty. The opening verses reveal the songwriter's futile search for a fitting song or poem to dedicate to his deity, as no human music or writing can compare to the glory of that deity. The chorus repeats the theme of the deity's awesome power, and contrasts it with the songwriter's "fragile breath," which is all he has to offer as an expression of faith and devotion. The final plea for the deity to "speak" to the songwriter is a symbol of his longing to hear and understand more of the divine nature.

The image of the deity's voice as thunder and lightning and the accompanying earthquake imagery recall the biblical portrayal of God's voice in the book of Exodus, when God spoke to Moses from the burning bush and later from the mountaintop. The idea that human words and music are inadequate to praise God is also a common theme in many religious traditions that emphasize the ineffable nature of the divine. The song's use of the first-person perspective, with the songwriter addressing his deity directly, adds to the intimate, personal quality of the expression of faith.