How dare you say that my behavior is unacceptable
So condescending unnecessarily critical
I have the tendency of getting very physical
So watch your step 'cause if I do you'll need a miracle

You drain me dry and make me wonder why I'm even here
The double vision I was seeing is finally clear
You want to stay but you know very well I want you gone
Not fit to fuckin' tread the ground I'm walking on

[Chorus]
When it gets cold outside and you got nobody to love
You'll understand what I mean when I say
There's no way we're gonna give up
And like a little girl cries in the face of a monster that lives in her dreams
Is there anyone out there 'cause it's getting harder and harder to breathe
Is there anyone out there 'cause it's getting harder and harder to breathe

What you are doing is screwing things up inside my head
You should know better you never listened to a word I said
Clutching your pillow and writhing in a naked sweat
Hoping somebody someday will do you like I did

When it gets cold outside and you got nobody to love
You'll understand what I mean when I say
There's no way we're gonna give up
And like a little girl cries in the face of a monster that lives in her dreams
Is there anyone out there 'cause it's getting harder and harder to breathe
Is there anyone out there 'cause it's getting harder and harder to breathe

Does it kill
Does it burn
Is it painful to learn
That it's me that has all the control

Does it thrill
Does it sting
When you feel what I bring
And you wish that you had me to hold

When it gets cold outside and you got nobody to love
You'll understand what I mean when I say
There's no way we're gonna give up
And like a little girl cries in the face of a monster that lives in her dreams
Is there anyone out there 'cause it's getting harder and harder to breathe
Is there anyone out there 'cause it's getting harder and harder to breathe
Is there anyone out there 'cause it's getting harder and harder to breathe



Lyrics submitted by aniota

Track duration: 02:54

"Harder To Breathe" as written by Adam Levine, Jesse Royal Carmichael, Ryan Michael Dusick, James Valentine, Mickey Madden

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group

Lyrics powered by LyricFind


Harder To Breathe song meanings
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85 Comments

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  • -1
    General Comment:As the album title suggests, many of the songs on it are about Jane, who is lead singer Adam Levine's ex-girlfriend. This song, however, is not about Jane. It's about their record label, and how they put pressure on the band to make certain songs and put a record out. Levine thought the label was smothering them.
    Flag musicrocks13on November 12, 2012   Link
  • +1
    General Comment:This song reminds me of when Maroon 5 was still a rock band.
    Flag jesushuttlesworthon June 18, 2012   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:For me, this song is about being trapped in a relationship.
    I think that he is misconcieving her caring as her being controlling, and so he attempts to switch things round, but ends up only hurting himself more because of how much hes hurt his girlfriend. And although things are rough now, he loves her still, "When it gets cold outside and you got nobody to love, you'll understand what i mean when i say there's no way we're gonna give up". He knows they're made for each other, but they've gone down the wrong path basically.
    Relate to this song alot..
    Flag Sramaliaon March 19, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:For me, this song is about being trapped in a relationship.
    I think that he is misconcieving her caring as her being controlling, and so he attempts to switch things round, but ends up only hurting himself more because of how much hes hurt his girlfriend. And although things are rough now, he loves her still, "When it gets cold outside and you got nobody to love, you'll understand what i mean when i say there's no way we're gonna give up". He knows they're made for each other, but they've gone down the wrong path basically.
    Relate to this song alot..
    Flag Sramaliaon March 19, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Listening to the lyrics I can see how its about adam being pressured by the record company to finish the song. Especially in the 1st verse. Good job shiva
    Flag emoney12on September 15, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I think It's about just doing whatever he wants and you'll still love it. lol
    Flag TraRobinson December 26, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Whenever I hear that song, I feel so great and awful at the same time, cause I can imagine the struggle Adam had writing it. It feels as if he was kind of forced to write it and so he wrote about his whole frustration, which is always an awful feeling. The song is dark but I just love the beat and the song as a whole.

    I'm a big fan, and I dare to say that Harder To Breathe is Maroon 5's greatest song ever. I think it totally represents them.

    I don't think that it's necessarily about two people having problems with their relationship, but more about the problems that doing something you don't want to and you don't like bring along - I hope you understand what I mean. Well, I can't explain it. But whenever I hear the song it's like somebody who's getting crazy is sreaming out their whole anxiety, frustration, depression and whatever into the world, but at the same time does not want anybody to help them.

    I don't think that you can take the lyrics really serious, as they don't really make sense at some points, but I think the line 'Is there anyone out there 'cause it's getting harder and harder to breathe' represents what I'm trying to say: somebody is getting locked in their own personality and problems but can't free themselves.

    You know what's funny? There are a bunch of people who wrote they loved the songs almost 7 years back - bet my ass that half of these people can't stand the band now because 'they got mainstream'.
    Flag Loreiyaon September 29, 2009   Link
  • -1
    General Comment:I LOVE THIS SONG
    Flag sweetsaraon April 24, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Ok, this is my take:

    This guy is a PLAYER. He's with a girl who knows he is, and is complaining about his behavior, but still wants to be with him despite knowing he's cheating.

    "I have the tendency of getting very physical
    So watch your step cause if I do you'll need a miracle" physical = sexually active, "watch your step" know what you're getting into, because you're not the ONLY girl.

    You drain me dry and make me wonder why I'm even here -- he doesn't understand why he keeps playing her since it'd be easier to fuck with someone who isn't as emotionally attached
    This Double Vision I was seeing is finally clear
    You want to stay but you know very well I want you gone
    Not fit to fuckin' tread the ground that I'm walking on -- can't deal with his behavior

    She's screwing with his head because although he feels something, he would NEVER admit it to her, nor give up being a player.

    And like a little girl cries in the face of a monster that lives in her dream --> obvious

    "When it gets cold outside and you got nobody to love
    You'll understand what I mean when I say
    There's no way we're gonna give up" -- here he basically implies that ALL MEN are like this, therefore she's either going to accept it or be alone.

    "Does it thrill
    Does it sting
    When you feel what I bring
    And you wish that you had me to hold" shes so inlove with him that she's letting his shit slide.
    Flag lacruzieon April 01, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I think this song's neat because of the reason they wrote it (their employers or whoever were pressuring them).
    The theme though, I think is about a relationship where both the male and female are stuck in it.

    "How dare you say that my behavior is unacceptable
    So condescending, unnecessarily critical"
    "You'll understand what I mean when I say
    There's no way we're gonna give up"

    Implying that they both act the same way, but he kind of has an upper hand in it.
    Like he is saying he can leave whenever he wants, but it's also saying that he doesn't want to.
    That's just my opinion.
    Flag femalef0xon March 29, 2009   Link

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