Between two lungs it was released
The breath that carried me
The sigh that blew me forward

'Cause it was trapped
Trapped between two lungs
It was trapped between two lungs
It was trapped between two lungs

And my running feet could fly
Each breath screaming
"We are all too young to die"

Between two lungs it was released
The breath that passed from you to me
That flew between us as we slept
That slipped from your mouth into mine
It crept between two lungs
It was released
The breath that passed from you to me
That flew between us as we slept
That slipped from your mouth into mine
It crept

'Cause it was trapped
Tapped between two lungs
It was trapped between two lungs

Now all the days of begging
The days of theft
No more gasping for a breath
The air has filled me head-to-toe
And I can see the ground far below
I have this breath
And I hold it tight
And I keep it in my chest
With all my might
I pray to God this breath will last
As it pushes past my lips
As I gasp

Between two lungs it was released
The breath that passed from you to me



Lyrics submitted by MayaMoo

Track duration: 04:13

"Between Two Lungs" as written by Florence Leontine Mary Welch, Isabella Janet Florentina Summers

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group

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Between Two Lungs song meanings
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22 Comments

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  • +1
    My Opinion:This is just one of many interpretations, but I just think it is about the build up of pleasure with the one you love, and how you want it to last but when you reach your peak, it feels like anything is possible, anything. Of course it isn't, and shortly you realize it, but you just don't care, you're just happy to be in the arms of the one you love. For me, I feel it's about sex, but sex with someone you love.
    Flagged youngoneon September 02, 2012   Link
  • +3
    General Comment:Between Two Lungs is a very special song to me. I was introduced to Florence (& The Machine) the summer of 2011. During that time, my child underwent a double lung transplant due to end stage cystic fibrosis. I pretend this is the story of the donor and my son...

    The lyrics "My running feet could fly, each breath screaming we are all too young to die", I think of the donor, and their tragic accident, perhaps their thoughts as they are in an unconscious state between life and death.

    The lyrics "The breath that passed from you to me
    That flew between us as we slept" I think of the actual event, the donor "asleep in death" and my child "asleep via sedation." The death, the harvesting, the surgery.

    The last lyrics are so appropriate post transplant. My child no longer is stealing days from death, he is definitely not begging for breath, but his new lungs are near and dear to him, and he prays and thanks his donor and his God of choice regularly. He plays full sets of tennis and has goals of running 5ks and more.

    This song echoes a profound event in my life, the tragic death of an organ donor and the new life they gave my child.
    Flagged carolinajasmineon April 27, 2012   Link
  • +1
    My Interpretation:To me, this song means the feeling of euphoria after your significant other finally tells you that they love you. Up until this point, it seems as though the fact that they weren't expressing their love for you was distressing you for a long time. Now that they released their feelings for you (the breath and words that had been blocked up between the two lungs) has had a blissful effect on you. You experience feelings of enchantment, floating and flying freely (the full love effect). You have all those incredibly happy feelings running through you and your veins. Finally, you get the confidence and excitement to finally express your love for him (now that you are fully knowledgeable on the extent of his feelings for you), which will finally complete the intensely passionate exchange between both of your lungs and lips (virtually both your hearts and soul). I absolutely love this song. Everyone who has been in love knows perfectly well how one would feel in this situation =D and those who haven't, it is an experience you must have, even if you get hurt in the end. Love, it's the purpose of life.
    Flagged DAREtoBOOGIE23on February 14, 2012   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:it could be good in new moon (twilight saga) after Edward has just told Bella he does love her cos in the book when bella thinks of the Cullens she holds her breath and hugs herself so she can try to stop falling to pieces. so when the song talks about releasing the breath it is literal and it's also about the feeling she gets of hoplessness etc. and letting it go. so it would be really good then because bella is happy again.
    Flagged artemisrockson November 16, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I think it says "As it pushes past my lips as I gasp"
    Flagged helainewarrioron September 10, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:i believe that this song is about fighting against our last breaths.

    i believe she is refering to our soul when she says between two lungs and that when we pass away or take our last breaths our soul releases, it is released...
    Flagged soteeon July 25, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I pray to god this breath will last
    As it pushes past my lips
    As I...

    Gasp
    Flagged xylophoniston March 06, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:i saw her say in an interview that the song was about breathing

    i also think that the song is about when you have a perfect moment that you never want to let go of because of the feeling it gives you
    Flagged TrampVampon February 01, 2011   Link
  • +1
    General Comment:It almost sounds like a secret being passed from one to another. It's something she obviously doesn't want to know, saying "We are all to young to die". People begging her to tell them, trying to get it out of her. So in essence she must keep the secret inside her until she "gasps" at the end from having to hold it in for so long. Just my idea (:
    Flagged liquidluckon December 26, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I keep hearing her say, "As I...gasp", at the very end. Maybe it's just me.
    Flagged willcaldwellon September 02, 2010   Link

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