Hold Your Breath
The catalyst for this song was something Cole Hauser said to me on the set of “The Prom”. It was an innocuous statement from an actor who was playing a small supporting role in a film I was starring in but I guess he had star charisma even then because an off hand comment he made about loving that moment between the big inhale and the big exhale being his favorite part of the illicit experience which was marijuana use in the drug war 90’s, inspired me to write this ultimate stoner song based upon my high school memories of going out in the cold streets to get high.
I think one of the things that distinguished (and alienated) The Previous in those early days in LA was our east coast roots. When Deb Pasternak joined the band she brought her Dartmouth classmates John Nason and Colin Mahoney with her. They had all gone to school and played gigs with the guys who would become Phish, and this would inform the band’s sound in ways I loved and pushed against long before ever knowing of Phish as anything but the band Deb’s ex-boyfriend played guitar in.
The other big influence on this song is clearly Harry Nilsson, though I’m pretty sure this was unspoken. It would be a few years before I would reclaim his deep and resounding influence on my whole way of looking at songwriting…and life.
Lyrics
HOLD YOUR BREATH
It was December
and it was mighty cold
for those not into doing as they’d been to-oh-old, well…
Me and some bodies
took a train into the square
It was the last one in or out
but we didn’t care
And every time
we’d get away
we’d find some body in the wine
then we’d say…
Hold your breath
Try hard not to laugh
Hold your breath
Might be your last
We burned a few brain cells
and blew a little dough
We crossed the light on red in the driving snow-oh-oh-well..
We woulda gone crazy
if we’d had to hang around
and so we caught that last train headed into town
And every time
we’d get away
we’d find some body in the wine
then we’d say…
Hold your breath
Try hard not to laugh
Hold your breath
Might be your last
But that was the old days
and these are the new days
but these’ll be old days
in just a few days
and I can return them
for a buck and a quarter
and catch that last train headed into town
And every time
we’ll get away
we’ll find somebody in the wine
then we’ll say…
Hold your breath
Try hard not to laugh
Hold your breath
Might be your last
Credits
Written by Andras Jones
Engineered & Produced by Earle Mankey
Andras Jones – Vocals & Acoustic Guitar
Clay Goldstein – Harmonica, Jaw Harp & Vocals
R. Walt Vincent – Bass
John Nason – Guitar
Colin Mahoney – Drums
& Deb Pasternak – Vocals
Purchase
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