"The Trick Is to Keep Breathing"
Single byGarbage
from the albumVersion 2.0
B-side	"Can't Seem to Make You Mine" "Tornado"
Released	February 15, 1999
Recorded	March 1997 – February 1998
Studio	Smart Studios,Madison, Wisconsin
Length	4:11
Label	BMG/Mushroom Records UK
Songwriter(s)	Garbage
Producer(s)	Garbage
Garbage singles chronology
"When I Grow Up" (1999) "The Trick Is to Keep Breathing" (1999) "You Look So Fine" (1999)

"The Trick Is to Keep Breathing" is a song byGarbage, released as the joint-fourth single from their platinum second albumVersion 2.0. The single was released in a number of European countries includingGermany,Austria,Italy,Portugal andGreece. The single was released simultaneously alongside "When I Grow Up", which was issued in other European territories including theUnited Kingdom,Ireland,Spain and acrossScandinavia; both singles used to promote Garbage'sEuropean arena tour.

"The Trick Is to Keep Breathing" was written and recorded by Garbage at their ownrecording studio inMadison, Wisconsin throughout 1997. VocalistShirley Manson used the title ofScottish authorJanice Galloway's 1989 novelof the same name.

The basis of "The Trick Is to Keep Breathing" was conceived by Garbage in March 1997, whilst they were staying at a friend's house onFriday Harbor,San Juan Island,Washington, where they spent timejamming to come up with material for their second album. Shirley Manson: "The boys were playing some of the chords, and the lyrics just came out in like two minutes. I've never had to review them really. They were perfect the way they were, and that never happened to me before."^[1] "The Trick Is to Keep Breathing" started out "very simple", however over time there was a lot more recorded for it. When the band mixed the song, they made it "a lot more moody and spare".^[1] Shirley added "It's that general feeling of just keep pushing and you'll get through it. I think everybody can connect with that feeling".^[1]

"The Trick Is to Keep Breathing" was first considered as a potential single fromVersion 2.0 prior to the release of the album.^[2] After the third single release, "Special", Garbage's European distributorBMG chose "...Keep Breathing" as the follow-up for some of its territories.

Preempting the single release, Garbage debuted "...Keep Breathing" live on October 19, 1998 atUSF Special Events Center inTampa,Florida^[3] BMG sent aradio edit of the track toradio stations across Europe on January 7, 1999, six weeks in advance of the release date.^[4] The airplay and release of the single would coincide Garbage's return to the UK & Europe on theirVersion 2.0 tour;MTV Europe recorded the band's live show atThe Zenith Arena inParis,France on January 27 to be broadcast as a five-songMTV Live special. The recording included the band's performance of "The Trick is To Keep Breathing" from that night and was broadcast on MTV networks worldwide, from April 1. The following night from the Zenith show, Garbage performed "The Trick Is To Keep Breathing" and "Special" acoustically onFrenchCanal+ television showNulle Part Ailleurs. After the performance, Garbage were presented with gold discs for their French record sales.

BMG released "The Trick Is to Keep Breathing" in Germany on February 15, 1999 on aCD maxi format which contained theB-sides "Tornado", acover version ofThe Seeds' 1965 single "Can't Seem to Make You Mine" and anurban radio remix of "Special" by production duo Rickidy Raw.^[5] "...Keep Breathing" sold over 10,000 copies, making it the biggest selling German single of theVersion 2.0 campaign.^[6]Version 2.0 re-entered the German album charts during the lifespan of the single.^[7] In Greece, music channelMAD TV heavily supported "The Trick Is to Keep Breathing", where the video reached #1 on their station chart.^[6]

Garbage continued to perform "The Trick Is to Keep Breathing" for the remainder of the year, until its last performance on October 3, 1999 atThe Palace inMelbourne,Australia.^[8] An episode ofOne Tree Hill was named after the song. In 2000, "...Keep Breathing" featured on thesoundtrack of theBollywood movieSplit Wide Open.

• European CD singleBMG 74321 63577 2

1. "The Trick Is to Keep Breathing" - 4:11
2. "Can't Seem to Make You Mine" - 2:55

• European CD maxiBMG 74321 64576 2

1. "The Trick Is to Keep Breathing" - 4:11
2. "Can't Seem to Make You Mine" - 2:55
3. "Tornado" - 3:44
4. "Special - Rickidy Raw Mix" - 3:25

Themusic video for "The Trick is To Keep Breathing" was shot onstage at three Garbage concerts bySophie Muller for Oil Factory during the band's Fall 98 North American tour. Muller recordedlive footage of the band over three nights, beginning on November 17 at the Egyptian Theater inIndianapolis, Indiana. Footage was also shot at concerts performed at the Dane County Expo Center inMadison, Wisconsin on Nov 18; and at the Memorial Hall inKansas City on Nov 20. Muller also shot footage for a live video for "When I Grow Up" over the same performances. Both music videos were ready to air on December 3, 1998.^[9] Like "When I Grow Up", the video is a live performance video; the video differs in that instead of showing a live show frenzy on screen, the video is more subdued and moody, with cool blue and green hues lighting the stage as the band perform. Much of the video was shot inslow-motion.

• "The Trick Is to Keep Breathing" music video
• "The Trick Is to Keep Breathing" lyrics
• "The Trick Is to Keep Breathing" release discography

• 1999 singles
• Garbage (band) songs
• Music videos directed by Sophie Muller
• Song recordings produced by Butch Vig
• 1998 songs
• Songs written by Shirley Manson
• Songs written by Duke Erikson
• Songs written by Steve Marker
• Songs written by Butch Vig

• Articles with short description
• Short description matches Wikidata
• Articles with hAudio microformats