One Last Breath — a Lyrical Analysis
^^sung by a man who seems to have everything together, but behind the scenes his life is completely spinning out of control.
Creed was very successful in terms of album sales — their second album “Human Clay” is one of the best selling albums in all of music history. But they never got much credit from the music snobs of the world. I plan on writing a separate blog post about this, but in my opinion part of the reason why Creed had a lot of haters is that the music is serious, uplifting, and inspirational, and it is delivered by a masculine lead singer, who, to many, seemed like a mismatch for his line of work (that is, the frontman for what is very nearly a Christian rock band).
Creed’s third album was called Weathered. This is a reference to point in the band’s existence where intense pressures from the suit and ties at the record company, being the butt of many jokes in popular culture, and being defeated by the victory of rockstardom combined to wear out lead singer Scott Stapp. The song One Last Breath I believe is a real reflection of his mental state at the time. Let’s take a look:
Please come now, I think I’m falling
I’m holding on to all I think is safe
It seems I found the road to nowhere
And I’m trying to escape
I yelled back when I heard thunder
But I’m down to one last breath
And with it let me say
Let me say
Analysis: This paints the picture of a man who is calling out for help. He’s just barely holding on. The road he’s been going down in life has not brought him anywhere. Red flashing lights are starting to go off in his life, and he doesn’t feel like he has the energy to save himself, nor is anyone nearby to hear his pleas.
Hold me now, I’m six feet from the edge and I’m thinking
Maybe six feet ain’t so far down
Analysis: He is very close to his demise, and he’s starting to come to terms with it.
I’m looking down, now that it’s over
Reflecting on all of my mistakes
I thought I found the road to somewhere
Somewhere in His grace
I cried out, heaven save me
But I’m down to one last breath
And with it let me say
Let me say
Analysis: He feels like his life is over already, and he is looking back on the things he did wrong. It feels like he found a way out (and a way for God to forgive him), but it turned out to be an illusion.
[chorus repeats x2]
Sad eyes follow me
But I still believe there’s something left for me
So please come stay with me
’Cause I still believe there’s something left for you and me
[chorus repeats]
Analysis: Sadness follows him in life no matter what he does. But he still feels a glimmer of hope. He invites somebody (God?) to re-join him, because he still thinks there’s something left in his life. (He could be referencing a romantic partner or friend here, but given the band’s context it is most likely an allusion to God.)
Verdict: This is a song about someone who feels like they’ve traveled too far down a bad road in life, and the last thing for this person to do is to cry out for help.
