--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: And it only hurts when I'm breathing My…" description: "\"And it only hurts when I'm breathing My heart only breaks when it's beating My dreams only die when I'm dreaming So, I hold my breath--to forget\" — Sha..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/216/shania-twain-2669_break_and-it-only-hurts-when-i-m-breathing-my_800615.png" --- # And it only hurts when I'm breathing My heart only breaks… ![“And it only hurts when I'm breathing My heart only breaks when it's beating My dreams only die when I'm dreaming So, I hold my breath--to forget” quote by Shania Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/216/shania-twain-2669_break_and-it-only-hurts-when-i-m-breathing-my_800615.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/216/shania-twain-2669_break_and-it-only-hurts-when-i-m-breathing-my_800615.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/216/shania-twain-2669_break_and-it-only-hurts-when-i-m-breathing-my_800615.png) > “And it only hurts when I'm breathing My heart only breaks when it's beating My dreams only die when I'm dreaming So, I hold my breath--to forget” [Shania Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shania-twain/) This quote is also attributed to [Ana Chable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ana-chable/) in other sources. Attributions for famous quotes are often disputed. ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The narrator feels pain only when alive, linking breath, heartbeats, and dreams to emotional suffering, and uses breath-holding to forget. **In simple terms:** Pain is tied to being alive and dreaming. Key Takeaway Find healthier ways to process grief. Themes pain breath dreams heartache Mood somber introspective Type lyotional poetic When to use this quote - grief - heartbreak - creative expression - self-care Key Concepts psychology poetry Questions to Reflect On - What does holding breath symbolize for you? - How can you release pain without avoidance? A Different Perspective Suppressing breath may intensify distress. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Breathing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/breathing/) [Dream](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dream/) [Dreams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dreams/) [Heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heart/) [Heart breaks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heart-breaks/) ## Related quotes > [It only hurts when I'm breathing. My heart only aches when it's beating. My dreams only die when I'm dreaming. So I hold my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ana-chable/it-only-hurts-when-i-m-breathing-my-heart-only-aches-when-it-s/) [Ana Chable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ana-chable/) > [And it only hurts when Im breathing...my heart only breaks when its beating...my dreams only die when Im dreaming...so I hold my breath to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ana-chable/and-it-only-hurts-when-im-breathing-my-heart-only-breaks-when-its/) [Ana Chable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ana-chable/) > [It hurts to even be breathing with tired eyes wide open, I fear my own tears and my heart of falling love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natasha-harvey/it-hurts-to-even-be-breathing-with-tired-eyes-wide-open-i-fear-my-own/) Natasha Harvey > [Everyone Is Taught To Look Both Ways Before Crossing the Street And To Talk Quietly In The Library. But No One Ever Learns Anything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pacifiersucker/everyone-is-taught-to-look-both-ways-before-crossing-the-street-and/) Pacifiersucker > [Yes. I know but I really love you, you my world, your my everything until now I hate this feeling but it goes on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cherie-sleeman/yes-i-know-but-i-really-love-you-you-my-world-your-my-everything/) Cherie Sleeman > [As long as I am breathing and my heart beats I shall never give up on what I believe in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/collin-mitchell/as-long-as-i-am-breathing-and-my-heart-beats-i-shall-never-give-up-on/) [Collin Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/collin-mitchell/) > [I keep breathing and my heart keeps going love keeps me alive without you love seems too far away](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/courtney-hood/i-keep-breathing-and-my-heart-keeps-going-love-keeps-me-alive-without/) [Courtney Hood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/courtney-hood/) > [“You're not bothering me. I'm not doing anything." Well, I was breathing, and my heart was beating. But the rest of me wasn't busy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-bull/you-re-not-bothering-me-i-m-not-doing-anything-well-i-was-breathing/) [Emma Bull](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-bull/) > [Now the old boy may be barely breathing, but the heart of rock and roll is still beating.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/huey-lewis/now-the-old-boy-may-be-barely-breathing-but-the-heart-of-rock-and/) [Huey Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/huey-lewis/) > [“In the absence of an audience, I will write down my story so that it waits like a restful beast with lungs breathing and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-hill/in-the-absence-of-an-audience-i-will-write-down-my-story-so-that-it/) [Lawrence Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-hill/) > [But I have long loved the written word, and come to see in it the power of the sleeping lion. This is my name.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-hill/but-i-have-long-loved-the-written-word-and-come-to-see-in-it-the/) [Lawrence Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-hill/) > [“Living is art. Breathing and heart beating is music. Seeing is painting the world with our eyes. Touching is sculpting the shape of everything.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-nordby/living-is-art-breathing-and-heart-beating-is-music-seeing-is-painting/) [Jacob Nordby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-nordby/) > [“A normal human life consists of 500 million breaths for three billion heartbeats. That sounds a lot, but it’s not enough. You are searching:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sima-b-moussavian/a-normal-human-life-consists-of-500-million-breaths-for-three-billion/) [Sima B. Moussavian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sima-b-moussavian/) > [Keep breathing and I will be with you at heart forever...but stop breathing and I will fade away you will be more then alone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/me-lol/keep-breathing-and-i-will-be-with-you-at-heart-forever-but-stop/) Me! Lol > [“Sadness pulses out of us as we walk. I almost expect the trees to lower their branches when we pass, the stars to hand…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jandy-nelson/sadness-pulses-out-of-us-as-we-walk-i-almost-expect-the-trees-to/) [Jandy Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jandy-nelson/) ## More by Shania Twain > [There were moments when I really just thought, I don't need anything and I don't need anyone. I just want to go away and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shania-twain/there-were-moments-when-i-really-just-thought-i-don-t-need-anything/) [Shania Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shania-twain/) > [When I cook him dinner and I burn it black, he better say hmmm, I like it like that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shania-twain/when-i-cook-him-dinner-and-i-burn-it-black-he-better-say-hmmm-i-like/) [Shania Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shania-twain/) > [I think that all people that get to a certain level of their celebrity are brands. I accept that. I don't value it in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shania-twain/i-think-that-all-people-that-get-to-a-certain-level-of-their/) [Shania Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shania-twain/) > [I want to be successful, but I don't really have what it takes to do it comfortably.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shania-twain/i-want-to-be-successful-but-i-don-t-really-have-what-it-takes-to-do/) [Shania Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shania-twain/) > [If you're not in it for love, I'm out a here.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shania-twain/if-you-re-not-in-it-for-love-i-m-out-a-here/) [Shania Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shania-twain/) > [When everything goes without a hitch, where's the challenge, the opportunity to find out what you're made of?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shania-twain/when-everything-goes-without-a-hitch-where-s-the-challenge-the/) [Shania Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shania-twain/) > [When you don't come from struggle, gaining appreciation is a quality that's difficult to come by.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shania-twain/when-you-don-t-come-from-struggle-gaining-appreciation-is-a-quality/) [Shania Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shania-twain/) > [It's very hard to concentrate when your stomach's rumbling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shania-twain/it-s-very-hard-to-concentrate-when-your-stomach-s-rumbling/) [Shania Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shania-twain/) > [You don't want to be outside during blackfly season.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shania-twain/you-don-t-want-to-be-outside-during-blackfly-season/) [Shania Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shania-twain/) > [Later in my life, I'm going to look back and smile and be very fulfilled. I know that if I don't give it my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shania-twain/later-in-my-life-i-m-going-to-look-back-and-smile-and-be-very/) [Shania Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shania-twain/) > [When the world wants too much And it feels cold and out of touch It's a beautiful place When you kiss my face from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shania-twain/when-the-world-wants-too-much-and-it-feels-cold-and-out-of-touch-it-s/) [Shania Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shania-twain/) > [Ultimately, I am responsible for how I live my life now, and what I make out of it. In fact, I am actually grateful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shania-twain/ultimately-i-am-responsible-for-how-i-live-my-life-now-and-what-i/) [Shania Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shania-twain/) > [I want romance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shania-twain/i-want-romance/) [Shania Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shania-twain/) > [I certainly could've gone off track many, many times in my youth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shania-twain/i-certainly-could-ve-gone-off-track-many-many-times-in-my-youth/) [Shania Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shania-twain/) > [I really admire artists that are willing to take a different approach and a different angle to their shows.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shania-twain/i-really-admire-artists-that-are-willing-to-take-a-different-approach/) [Shania Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shania-twain/) [Explore all 155 Shania Twain quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shania-twain/) ## More Break quotes > [I made, like, five movies while I was in college. I think they just weren't memorable movies. I've taken breaks as the years have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodie-foster/i-made-like-five-movies-while-i-was-in-college-i-think-they-just/) [Jodie Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodie-foster/) > [Things are going well in Germany because the economy is booming and as an export-driven nation, we are profiting from the fact that we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-schulz/things-are-going-well-in-germany-because-the-economy-is-booming-and/) [Martin Schulz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-schulz/) > [There were songs that we cut out after we chose the name, because 'Praise Break' turned out to be an underlying concept that I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-caesar/there-were-songs-that-we-cut-out-after-we-chose-the-name-because/) [Daniel Caesar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-caesar/) > [“He didn't break my heart. No one can break your heart except you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-zevin/he-didn-t-break-my-heart-no-one-can-break-your-heart-except-you/) [Gabrielle Zevin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle-zevin/) > [“She couldn't break the orbit.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-schwab/she-couldn-t-break-the-orbit/) [Victoria Schwab](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-schwab/) > [Your pain is the breaking of the shell that encloses your understanding. Even as the stone of the fruit must break, that its heart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khalil-gibran/your-pain-is-the-breaking-of-the-shell-that-encloses-your/) [Khalil Gibran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khalil-gibran/) > [Must I go bound while you go free Must I love a manwho doesn't love me Must I be born with so little art…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/must-i-go-bound-while-you-go-free-must-i-love-a-manwho-doesn-t-love/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [I hadn't worked for a year when I had my Prison Break audition and it was the easiest audition I've ever had. I got…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wentworth-miller/i-hadn-t-worked-for-a-year-when-i-had-my-prison-break-audition-and-it/) [Wentworth Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wentworth-miller/) > [If you strike upon a thought that baffles you, break off from that entanglement and try another, so shall your wits be fresh to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristophanes/if-you-strike-upon-a-thought-that-baffles-you-break-off-from-that/) [Aristophanes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristophanes/) > [“A hole ain’t nothing either, but you can still break your neck in it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-donati/a-hole-ain-t-nothing-either-but-you-can-still-break-your-neck-in-it/) [Sara Donati](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-donati/) > [“I break things, a lot of things, but I don’t want one of them to be you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-briggs/i-break-things-a-lot-of-things-but-i-don-t-want-one-of-them-to-be-you/) [Patricia Briggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-briggs/) > [Motor racing's less of a sport these days than a commercial break doing 150 mph.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-dunne/motor-racing-s-less-of-a-sport-these-days-than-a-commercial-break/) Peter Dunne > [Much like teaching art to young art students age 10 to 15 or so on, you have to break it down into bite-sized pieces,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kehinde-wiley/much-like-teaching-art-to-young-art-students-age-10-to-15-or-so-on/) [Kehinde Wiley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kehinde-wiley/) > [The purpose is to be in gratitude forever. 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