Red – Breathe Into Me

Red is an American rock band that formed in 2002.  They released seven albums, including:

• End of Silence (2006)
• Innocence & Instinct (2009)
• Until We Have Faces (2011)
• Release the Panic (2013)
• Of Beauty and Rage (2015)
• Gone (2017)
• Declaration (2020)

They won 6 Dove awards, including Rock Recorded Song of the Year (2007, 2009, and 2011) and Rock Album of the Year (2010, 2013, and 2015).

Also, check out my review of Perfect Life.

Lyrics can be found at https://genius.com/Red-breathe-into-me-lyrics.

Note to new users: This is a different kind of review site!  Read About the Berean Test and Evaluation Criteria prior to reading this review.

1. What message does the song communicate?

Red feels lost.  They forsook “you”‘s council, rushing away from “you” into oblivion.  Admitting to brokenness, yet denying their pain, they’ve gone so far that they lost sight of who they are.  Desperate, they ask “you” to revitalize them amid their falling.

Who is “you”?  Red doesn’t say.  There are no acts, labels, or attributes that point us to the God of creation.  It could be an unnamed deity or a girlfriend.

Score: 4/10

2. How much of the lyrics line up with Scripture?

I deducted two points to assume “you” means “God”.  With that in mind, the entire song shares themes found in the Bible.

[Verse 1]

Lines 1-8: Based on Chorus, lines 3 and 4, we can ascertain that when Red chose to ignore the Word of God, they feel like they are falling, perhaps a foretaste of eternal separation from God (Matthew 18:8, Matthew 25:41, Matthew 25:46, Mark 9:43, Jude 1:7, Revelation 14:11, and Revelation 20:10).  They have lost themselves (Matthew 10:39, Matthew 16:25, Mark 8:35–37, Luke 9:24–25, Luke 17:33, and John 12:25), losing sight of who they are.

[Chorus]

Lines 1 and 2: Red cries out to God for renewed life, with the same breath that caused the Holy Spirit to enter Christ’s early disciples in John 20:22.  It’s also reminiscent of Adam, who came to life when God breathed into His nostrils (Genesis 2:7).

Lines 3 and 4: See commentary on Verse 1.

Line 5: Repeats line 1.

Line 6: Describes Red’s desperate need for God, laying their will at God’s feet (Psalm 51:10, Jeremiah 24:7, Ezekiel 11:19, Ezekiel 36:26, Romans 2:29, Romans 12:2, 2 Corinthians 5:17, and 2 Corinthians 7:10).

Lines 7 and 8: Essentially repeats line 3, several times.

Lines 9 and 10: Essentially repeats line 1.

[Verse 2]

Lines 1-8: Red admits that their life choices, in rebellion to God’s Word, destroyed them.  Yet, they deny the pain they experience (see commentary on Verse 1).

Score: 8/10

3. How would an outsider interpret the song?

Outside of contextual hearing (e.g.; church, Christian radio, Christian friend, etc.), as stated in section 1, we can interpret “you” in different ways, whether it’s an unnamed deity, girlfriend, or wife.  Red’s message of repentance and redemption are commendable; However, it’s difficult for unbelievers to conclude Christianity.

Score: 2/10

4. What does this song glorify?

It glorifies God that “you”, understood as God, is the source of life that Red forsook and seeks.  However, “you” is inherently vague, placing a thick cloud over His illumination.

Score: 5/10

Closing Comments

Red’s Breathe Into Me is unclear. If we assume “you” is God, Red’s message is about their brokenness and separate need for God, to breathe His life into them.  Yet, without this assumption, this song can have various interpretations, including a deity or a human lover.

I cannot recommend this song for corporate worship.

Final Score: 5.5/10

Artist Info

Track: Breathe Into Me (listen to the song)

Artist: Red

Album: End of Silence

Genre: Hard Rock

Release Year: 2006

Duration: 3:35

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