Harder To Breathe by Maroon 5

Album: Songs About Jane (2002)

Charted: 13 18

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"Harder To Breathe" is a rather harsh song about being smothered. "You drain me dry and make me wonder why I'm even here," Adam Levine sings.

The song is part of Maroon 5's debut album, Songs About Jane, which was largely inspired by his ex-girlfriend, but even though it sounds like Levine is upbraiding an ex in this song, he said it's really about their record label, which was pressuring them for more songs.

"That song comes sheerly from wanting to throw something," he told MTV. "It was the 11th hour, and the label wanted more songs. It was the last crack. I was just pissed. I wanted to make a record and the label was applying a lot of pressure, but I'm glad they did."
Regarding his contribution to the song, guitarist James Valentine told Ultimate-Guitar.com: "That was a pretty straight-ahead riff and we went the Jimmy Page route on recording that. I believe it was one of Matt Wallace's little Gibson Supros, which is pretty ironic because it's probably the biggest guitar sound on the record and it's probably from the smallest amp."
"Harder To Breathe" was Maroon 5's first single. It was released in May 2002 as the band began a tour opening for Sheryl Crow and Train. They spent a lot of time promoting the single, and very gradually, radio stations started adding to their playlists and the band build a following. It wasn't until November 2003 that the song reached a chart peak of #18.

The song established a radio-friendly pop-rock sound that served the band well, and their next singles, "She Will Be Loved" and "This Love" were hits in 2004. A fourth single, "Sunday Morning," kept them on the air well into 2005.
Maroon 5 went on to score dozens of hits, many after Adam Levine became a judge on The Voice in 2011, but "Harder To Breathe" stayed in their setlists throughout their career. They performed it at halftime of the 2019 Super Bowl between the Patriots and the Rams, where they were the headliners.

Comments: 27

U/analisissalty On RedditReading the lyrics it seems that the song is meant to be from the prospective of a abusive partner in a relationship .
Stating "i have the tendency of being very physical, so watch your step because if i do you'll need a miracle"witch is clearly a threat
and the chorus "when it is cold outside and you've got nobody to love ,like a little girl cris in the face of the monster that lives in her dreams " is a thet of if she leaves shell suffer more than she does with him.
stating that nobody loves her except for him with the third verse.
With the final verse it strait up says thet she is under his control and she is just a week girl.

With all this and more i think this is actually a warning song about abusive relationships and how they function,
And actually has very little if not nothing to do with the stress the artists were under.
Yaya from CairoIt’s such a rhythmic song, it’s amazing my favorite maroon 5 alongside Give a little more
Megan from Stevenson, AlI love Maroon 5. I always have. They're such an awesome band! I love them! This song makes me want to sing everytime I listen to it!
Alia from Cairo, EgyptThis song reminds me how angry you can get at someone for rejecting you, so when they don't have anybody to love they'll be sorry
Alia from Cairo, EgyptThis song reminds me how angry you can get at someone for rejecting you, so when they don't have anybody to love they'll be sorry
Taylor from Texas ,I've always really liked this song. I agree in thinking this song is about the record label pressuring them, I mean it makes sense, (" how dare you say that my behaviors unacceptable"), and ("harder and harder to breathe"), it just makes we if you think about it.
Joey from Nowhere Land, CaAdam didn't even date Paris Hilton. He said it's not true.
Ella from Hobart, AustraliaApparently Adam drank a lot of coffee before writing this song.
Dianne from Ft. Bening, GaMaroon Five restored my faith in contemporary music, and this song is a great rock song. Adam Levine is a real singer with talent and technique, and he and the band are amazing performers. Rock on!
V from None Of Your Business, GaI think its about a girl leaving him and him saying how sorry she will be 4 doing that. Its an awesome song.. my favorite
Stephanie from Ellicott City, MdAce Young performed this on the American Idol tour ... it really was pretty good. He was much better live than he was on the show.
Brandon from Peoria, IlMy best friend tried to argue with me that Maroon 5 based this song on Mary Shelly's Frankenstein. LOL what a doofus. I guess his main argument was "they used the word monster" HA HA. Oh yea and he's a junior in college, not some 5th grader or something. :)
Amanda from Sdovuhsd, MiI used to like this song until I read the lyrics. It's about a guy that wants to have you-know-what with a girl, but she thinks his behavior is "unacceptable" and won't let him.
Kevin from Belleville, IlMaroon5 is kinda to fake.
So adam aparently is some great loving guy, that knows all about love, but dates a whore like paris hilton.
ANd if the record company is preasuring the band so much, its probly cause their not signed on for their artistic ability, but for their image.
Jose from La, CaI think this song is about a guy who loves his girlfriend but she is messing him up and he is trying to make her a better person, he wants her to change but he wonders if there is a better person for him out there.he needs someone fast because its getting harder and harder to breath(which means its getting harder to live withought someone).
Emily from Abingdon, VaI hate to be the negative one, but I only have two words to say about this song: pop garbage.
Karla from New York, Nythis song is the greatest song of maroon 5 whit she will be loved & this love and i think that this song means about when you feel so confused.
Madeline from Melbourne, AustraliaHands down the rockiest song on the record and my favourite.
Salbel from Los Angeles, Lai think harder to breathe is an awesome song. the lyrics are really good and they balance out with the music really well.
maroon 5 are the greatest band at the moment!
Jo from Newcastle, AustraliaI think the first two lines could easily apply to another of Adam Levine's exes Paris Hilton, who reportedly dumped him due to his passing gas at 'inappropriate times'...("How dare you say that my behavior is unacceptable
So condesending, unnecessarily critical")
LOL! What a gas!!
Takashi from Tokyo, JapanIt's about drugs. Adam admitted it in an interview.
Hassan from Nyc, NyI am listening to the song now, what a concidnece!
Hassan from Nyc, NyThis song is great, adn i haev a great feeling towards it, i meean when he says it's getting harder adn harder to breath, it acually means that he is havnig trouble in life, and it really ievery days, It really is getting harder and harder to breath....
Naamiee from Cool Land, CanadaThis is a great song. I heard it even before the first single came out on the radio. It's good to choreograph dances to.
Gabe from Utica, NyI think is song is really good! This song, "She Will Be Loved" and "This Love" r the songs that got me into Maroon 5. This song does have a lot of attitude. It's kinda hard to believe tha this song is partly about "sexual frustration" though. Pretty ironic I might add. Maroon 5 is an awesome band.
Chasidy from Hampton, GaThis is the hardest song on "Songs About Jane." I love it. It's full of attitude, you can hear that in the first verse. The line should be "Clutching your pillow..." not "Punchin' your pillow...". The heavy breathing in the background adds more to the song. Making you feel like it's "harder to breathe." I just love the song and I love "Songs About Jane."
Jay from Liverpool, Uk, EnglandWhen I went to there concert in manchester, uk a few months ago, adam said this song was partly about sexual frustration!

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