The band's lead vocalist, Scott Stapp, wrote the song over a period of three weeks and recorded at J. Stanley Productions Inc in Ocoee, Florida.

"One Last Breath" experienced a resurgence of popularity in 2024, entering the top 10 on the hard rock streaming charts over 20 years after its original release.

Prior to recording the Weathered album, Creed had agreed that during the tour for Human Clay that no new songs could be written, so that the band members could "live life and have experiences".

"One Last Breath" was written within a three-week period along with all the other material from the album, which was done primarily in Scott Stapp's living room during four-hour sessions, as well as on his Sea Ray cruiser.

Stapp noted that after they had completed writing the song, the band felt that they had written something inspirational that would resonate with both them and the fans alike.

The song is written in the key of D major, with Tremonti playing in standard E tuning and Stapp singing in his traditional baritone with his vocal range spanning from D3-B4.

Stapp recalls writing the lyrics to the verses over a loop of Tremonti's guitar picking, stating that they "came from the bottom of our hearts."

He also recalls the artistic chemistry that he and Tremonti had, as well as the spiritual, emotional, and mental connection that would see them each provide lines that they found themselves articulating for each other.

[8] Further expanding on the meaning behind the song, Stapp recalls that lyrically, "One Last Breath" fit exactly where he personally was at the time, both in mind and spirit.

The physical, emotional, and spiritual burnout he was experiencing at the time, which he attributes to the pressure on the band to constantly release new records as well as the aggressive touring schedule, was catching up to him.

Most of the video was shot against a green screen with computer-generated animations to create the setting in which the band performs in as well as the otherworldly visuals.

Stapp claims that the police on the scene didn't note any injuries in their report because he refused to call an ambulance or go to the hospital.

Beginning to feel the effects of the accident, Stapp had to be medicated during the shoot to deal with the pain in his head, neck, and spine, and was also suffering from a headache.

[8][19] After the shooting was completed, Stapp's pain continued to worsen, and after an MRI on his neck and back it was revealed that the extent of his injuries were worse than originally thought.

[19] On September 16, 2014, "One Last Breath" was made available as downloadable content as part of the "Creed 5-Song Pack" for the video game Rocksmith 2014 along with "Higher", "My Own Prison", "My Sacrifice" and "With Arms Wide Open".