"I'd rather write something where my eyes are forward, not so much internal. I hope it makes people happy and creates a difference in some way, just by people recognizing themselves in the song." - Billie Joe (Rolling Stone, Aug. 11, 2016)
"A junkie on the verge of death, a gambler about to lose everything and a wounded soldier on the front lines are all characters in a slow-building, unsettling track. 'That was a very heavy song,' says Armstrong. 'Sometimes I run away from being too heavy. But sometimes it just comes out that way.' The chorus, 'I'm still breathing on my own' alludes to the fact that 'at some point, we're all going to have to be on life support,' says Armstrong. 'As time goes on, your thoughts get darker.'' (Track by Track Guide, Rolling Stone)
Lyrics
I'm like a child looking off in the horizon
I'm like an ambulance that's turning on the sirens
Oh, I'm still alive
I'm like a soldier coming home for the first time
I dodged a bullet and I walked across a landmine
Oh, I'm still alive
Am I bleeding
Am I bleeding from the storm?
Just shine a light into the wreckage
So far away away
Cause I'm still breathing
Cause I'm still breathing on my own
My head's above the rain and roses
Making my way away
Cause I'm still breathing
Cause I'm still breathing on my own
My head's above the rain and roses
Making my way away
My way to you
I'm like a junkie tying off for the last time
I'm like a loser that's betting on his last dime
Oh, I'm still alive
I'm like a son that was raised without a father
I'm like a mother barely keeping it together
Oh, I'm still alive
Am I bleeding
Am I bleeding from the storm?
Just shine a light into the wreckage
So far away away
Cause I'm still breathing
Cause I'm still breathing on my own
My head's above the rain and roses
Making my way away away
Cause I'm still breathing
Cause I'm still breathing on my own
My head's above the rain and roses
Making my way away away
As I walked out on the ledge
Are you scared to death to live
I've been running all my life
Just to find a home that's for the restless
And the truth that's in the message
Making my way away away
Cause I'm still breathing
Cause I'm still breathing on my own
My head's above the rain and roses
Making my way away
Cause I'm still breathing
Cause I'm still breathing on my own
My head's above the rain and roses
Making my way away
Cause I'm still breathing
Cause I'm still breathing on my own
My head's above the rain and roses
Making my way away
My way to you
Live Performances
"Still Breathing" has been played 82 times live:
Sep 18, 2021 - Las Vegas, NV, USA at Life Is Beautiful, Downtown Las Vegas Events Center
Sep 06, 2021 - Seattle, WA, USA at Hella Mega Tour, T-Mobile Park
Sep 03, 2021 - Los Angeles, CA, USA at Hella Mega Tour, Dodger Stadium
Sep 01, 2021 - Milwaukee, WI, USA at Summerfest, American Family Insurance Amphitheater
Aug 27, 2021 - San Francisco, CA, USA at Hella Mega Tour, Oracle Park
Aug 25, 2021 - Commerce City, CO, USA at Hella Mega Tour, DICK'S Sporting Goods Park
Aug 23, 2021 - Minneapolis, MN, USA at Hella Mega Tour, Target Field
Aug 20, 2021 - Philadelphia, PA, USA at Hella Mega Tour, Citizens Bank Park
Aug 19, 2021 - Pittsburgh, PA, USA at Hella Mega Tour, PNC Park
Aug 17, 2021 - Columbus, OH, USA at Hella Mega Tour, Historic Crew Stadium
Aug 15, 2021 - Chicago, IL, USA at Hella Mega Tour, Wrigley Field
Aug 13, 2021 - Hershey, PA, USA at Hella Mega Tour, Hersheypark Stadium
Aug 10, 2021 - Detroit, MI, USA at Hella Mega Tour, Comerica Park
Aug 08, 2021 - Washington, DC, USA at Hella Mega Tour, Nationals Park
Aug 05, 2021 - Boston, MA, USA at Hella Mega Tour, Fenway Park
Aug 04, 2021 - New York, NY, USA at Hella Mega Tour, Citi Field
Aug 01, 2021 - Miami Beach, FL, USA at Hella Mega Tour, Hard Rock Stadium
Jul 29, 2021 - Houston, TX, USA at Hella Mega Tour, Minute Maid Park
Jul 29, 2021 - Jacksonville, FL, USA at Hella Mega Tour, TIAA Bank Field
Jul 27, 2021 - Atlanta, GA, USA at Hella Mega Tour, Truist Park
Jul 24, 2021 - Dallas, TX, USA at Hella Mega Tour, Globe Life Field