Breathless

Album

Single

Label

Sun Records

Genre

Rock & Roll

Composer(s)

Otis Blackwell

Entered Chart

Mar 3, 1958

Peak Date

Apr 7, 1958

Released

February 1958

Recorded

Unknown

Catalog #

Sun 288

B-Side

Down The Line

Filled with his signature vocal inflections and pounding piano, this song finds Jerry Lee Lewis singing about a girl who leaves him breathless. When he sings the line "you leave me breathless," he does so as if he really is out of breath. This was written by Otis Blackwell, who co-wrote Lewis' "Great Balls of Fire" and also wrote some of Elvis Presley's biggest hits. The song was sinking without a trace when Dick Clark made the following offer on his show: a free copy of the "Breathless" 45 for five Beechnut gum wrappers and 50 cents shipping and handling. Lots of gum wrappers and quarters came in, sending "Breathless" into the Top 10 at #7. The promotion also boosted Beechnut, which outsold Wrigley for only the third time in history. This was Jerry Lee Lewis' last Top 10 hit before his career was derailed by scandal. He married the 13-year-old daughter of his cousin, and when word got out, radio stations stopped playing his songs. Richard Gere's 1983 movie Breathless features both Jerry Lee Lewis' hit version of this song and a cover by the LA punk group X. In the film, Gere sings some of the song to his love interest before grabbing a gun and firing on police who are closing in on him. The credits then roll as the X version plays. So how did X end up recording the song? Before the band performed the song on their David Letterman Show appearance, X guitarist John Doe told the host: "They called us up and said, 'We hear you do a wonderful version of this song.' And we didn't, so we BS'd our way through it and said, 'Sure, of course we do.' We ran back to the studio, rehearsed it up and recorded it in about a week."

Now, if you love me
Let's please don't tease
If I can hold you then
Let me squeeze
My heart goes 'round and 'round
My love comes tumblin' down
You leave me breathless

Well, I shake all over and
You know why
I'm sure it's love and
That's no lie
'Cause when you call my name
You know I burn like wood inflamed
You leave me breathless

Oh, baby, mm crazy
You're much too much
Honey, I can't love you enough
It's all right to hold me tight
But when you love me
Love me right

Oh, come on, baby
Don't be shy
'Cause love was meant for you and I
Wind, rain, sleet or snow
I'm gonna be wherever you go
You have left me breathless

Well, it's all right to hold me tight
But when you love me
Love me right

Oh, come on, baby
Don't be shy
Love was meant for you and I
Wind, rain, sleet or snow
I'm going to be wherever you go
You leave me breathless