Joined: Tue Nov 30, 2004 4:02 am Posts: 44183 Location: New York Gender: Male
Breath vs. Leash
Breath
Oh, tonight began with anything Shaft of a light. A warm breath and a scream Tamper if you like between the doors Can't expect to go out, to go out with anything, anything more
Oh reach the door A breath and a scream Oh reach the door And I’m not allowed to hear Life ain't what it's worth A breath and a scream Oh, reach the door
All these reaching hands out grabbing things. Grabbing me Day in day out accumulating I suggest you step out on your porch. Run away my son. See it all. Oh see the world.
Oh reach the door A breath and a scream Oh reach the door And I’m not allowed to hear Life ain't what it's worth A breath and a scream Oh, reach the door
Come. Here it comes. There it goes. When it comes. Where it goes. Where it comes. Can't see through the fake Come. Here it comes. There it goes. Grasp what you can. Don't you know there's something inside your hand
If I knew where it was I would take you there There's much more than this…
Leash
Troubled souls unite, we got ourselves tonight I am fuel, you are friends, we got the means to make amends I am lost, I'm no guide, but I'm by your side I am right by your side...
Young lover I stand It was their idea, I proved to be a man Take my fucking hand It was their idea, I proved to be a man
Will myself to find a home, a home within myself We will find a way, we will find our place
Drop the leash, drop the leash... Get outta' my fuckin' face Drop the leash, drop the leash... Get outta' my fuckin' face Drop the leash, drop the leash... Get outta' my fuckin' face Drop the leash, drop the leash
_________________ "Better the occasional faults of a Government that lives in a spirit of charity than the consistent omissions of a Government frozen in the ice of its own indifference."--FDR
Joined: Tue Nov 30, 2004 4:02 am Posts: 44183 Location: New York Gender: Male
Even though Leash appeared on Vs. I believe these two songs were written around the same time (Leash was the first song to make vs. that was played live at any rate) and they both deal with the same basic idea. They are both ‘seize the day’ anthems, but there are two twists, and they are important ones. Each song starts with an individual looking for something important in their lives, something to grab on to, and each songs ends with a defiant assertion of individual worth. But in both cases there is never really an answer. What has meaning and value in life is the search for meaning and value. As long as you’re looking it’s enough. You never need an answer, provided that you don’t search alone. There is an element of solidarity missing in other songs in this vein. You’ll likely never find the answer, and the answer may not even exist, but as long as we look together, as long as we’re connected by ties of love and affection, we’re going to be okay. In both cases the lyrics are a little clunky. Neither one of these are a masterpiece, but they each contain an absolutely perfect line that encapsulates not only what the songs are about, but really what their entire catalogue is about.
Breath first. Musically it is a fantastic anathematic song. From the opening chords you know it is a song that is thinking big thoughts, and if it wasn’t there to propel the song along it wouldn’t be nearly as good. It conveys the sentiments that Eddie’s lyrics sometimes stumble over. The song mostly revolves around the image of a person running out of their house one chilly night (which is how we know the breath was warm), stepping out onto their porch, and illuminated by the light from inside the house, they throw their head back and just scream against the world, the grasping materialism, the way in which we value possessions more than life and experience (remember this song was written in 90 or 91 and is almost certainly a response to growing up in the 80’s and its values of greed and bigness). And with that primal scream comes a moment of freedom and possibility. It’s tenuous, and the person is almost surprised they caught it, but if they look there is a thread they’re hanging on to. A sense of hope and opportunity. And the person doesn’t know what will come of it. No one does. But they’re not alone. It’s probably not a thread they’re holding onto after all. It is likely another hand—a friend or a lover, but someone who understands the way they feel and who also wants to discover something more. They don’t know what they’re going to find, but they know that if they look together, they’ll find that there is much more than this. Breath closes with what may be my favorite lyric in their entire catalogue, and then the music kicks in and propels the song on towards…something. But something important, and ultimately someplace better than where we were when we started.
Leash is just as self-consciously anathematic, but there is more anger in it, both in the lyrics, and in the way the music snarls while Breath soars. It is more of a call to arms than Breath, which is a more intimate song despite its grandeur. Leash demands to be heard in a group when you can feed off of the energy of the people around you. That’s what the first verse is about. Being with a group of people who share your passion, and needing to do something, some way to make the world a better place. Even Flow is someone who is homeless but in an important way almost every song from the Ten sessions is about being homeless—lacking a place of warmth and security from which you can ground the rest of your life. Leash is about getting fed up with that and demanding a home. We can find it in ourselves, as long as we look together. That’s why I was so excited when they resurrected Leash this tour. If you haven’t had the chance to see it there is just this crazy infectious energy you get from the song, and being able to sing trouble souls unite with 12,000 other people. It’s got a bit of a revival quality to it. And just like that crucial line in Breath, “I am lost, I am no guide, but I am by your side, I am right by your side†sums up what the bands entire catalogue is about. It’s a declaration of mutual aid and affection, of solidarity through music. And if you aren’t going to stand with us then get out of the way (drop the leash and get out of my fucking face). The same sentiment is expressed with a little more maturity (and quite possibly even more anger) in Not For You, but Eddie was a better writer then.
It is the second verse where the song falls apart a bit for me. I’m not really sure what is going on there, besides the fact that liner notes allude to getting someone pregnant. The song gets back on track with the ‘will myself to find a home’ lyrics, but it still derails the song.
On both the music and lyrics Breath takes it. I like more individual lyrics from Leash, but Breath coheres together better as a whole. Musically I think I like Leash a bit more from start to finish, but the ending of Breath is just so fantastic that it gets the nod there too.
_________________ "Better the occasional faults of a Government that lives in a spirit of charity than the consistent omissions of a Government frozen in the ice of its own indifference."--FDR
Breath, no doubt about it.. Leash is way over rated imo.
edit: Breath is over rated too actually, but yet still the better song. The bridge is one of my fav ones of any PJ song.
Come. Here it comes. There it goes. When it comes. Where it goes. Where it comes. Can't see through the fake Come. Here it comes. There it goes. Grasp what you can. Don't you know there's something inside your hand
lyrically its good, not great, but the Eddie's delivery is magnificent.
Last edited by conoalias on Tue Sep 26, 2006 2:19 pm, edited 3 times in total.
Joined: Wed May 24, 2006 5:23 pm Posts: 12793 Location: Tours, FR Gender: Male
Though I like Breath, I'm not totally crazy about it like some people are. And Even if Leash is not one of my favorites songs either, I like its anger and energy, so I'll go with Leash. Maybe because I could feel this song's power live, unlike Breath.
_________________ There has never been a silence like this before
Joined: Sat Mar 25, 2006 8:26 pm Posts: 736 Location: Sussex by the sea
Both awsome songs but I voted for Leash.
The main reason is the first two lines, it really pulls me in and hits home with me.
Its like when you have taken all you can and are at rock bottom, but then you realise that you can make a difference, and are going to, such powerfull lyrics.
The line in Breath
'Run away my son. See it all. Oh see the world.'
Also deserves mention, so inspirational, every time I hear it I think I have got to live life to the full.
_________________ I Am Free - I Am Trapped My LastFM
Reading '06, Katowice '07, Wembley '07, Copenhagen '07, London O2 '09, London '10, Arras '10
Joined: Tue Apr 11, 2006 10:53 pm Posts: 21098 Location: where do you think?
Garden of Stone wrote:
Quote:
If I knew where it was I would take you there There's much more than this…
I'm close to getting goose bumps even just reading these lyrics.
that's the kicker right there... and i love the solo.
prior to this tour, i would have said breath in a heartbeat, but seeing leash live and rediscovering it, it is quite powerful live. still, on the anthemic quality of the music, the line quoted above, and the outro solo, it gets my vote.
_________________ it's saturday night... i have no date, a 2 liter bottle of shasta, and my all-rush mix tape. let's rock.
Joined: Tue Nov 30, 2004 4:02 am Posts: 44183 Location: New York Gender: Male
BadMusic wrote:
Though I like Breath, I'm not totally crazy about it like some people are. And Even if Leash is not one of my favorites songs either, I like its anger and energy, so I'll go with Leash. Maybe because I could feel this song's power live, unlike Breath.
I've always been disappointed in Breath live, and I don't understand why they can't nail it. Leash on the other hand was suprisingly awesome. I can't believe it aged as well as it did
_________________ "Better the occasional faults of a Government that lives in a spirit of charity than the consistent omissions of a Government frozen in the ice of its own indifference."--FDR
Joined: Sun Mar 26, 2006 8:04 pm Posts: 5300 Location: upstate NY Gender: Male
Never actually liked Breath. My vote goes to Leash, which is in my opinion a really good song, and extremely exciting for when you need to get pumped up. It makes me 'seize the day' I guess, so yea, definitely Leash.
Joined: Wed May 24, 2006 5:23 pm Posts: 12793 Location: Tours, FR Gender: Male
conoalias wrote:
Breath, no doubt about it.. Leash is way over rated imo.
edit: Breath is over rated too actually, but yet still the better song. The bridge is one of my fav ones of any PJ song.
Come. Here it comes. There it goes. When it comes. Where it goes. Where it comes. Can't see through the fake Come. Here it comes. There it goes. Grasp what you can. Don't you know there's something inside your hand
lyrically its good, not great, but the Eddie's delivery is magnificent.
Right, I love this part of this song
_________________ There has never been a silence like this before
_________________ GO LEAFS GO GO LEAFS GO GO LEAFS GO
GO LEAFS GO GO LEAFS GO GO LEAFS GO
GO LEAFS GO GO LEAFS GO GO LEAFS GO
GO LEAFS GO GO LEAFS GO GO LEAFS GO
GO LEAFS GO GO LEAFS GO GO LEAFS GO
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