Suffocating - Daley Phillips

The tune we look at for this week is called “Suffocating” written by Daley Phillips, a songwriting and production team out of Boston.  It starts with a good ol’ classic rock guitar intro.  It’s got that late 80’s early 90’s comfortable rock feel that came about before all the effects took over music.  It’s got a catchy refrain and great melodic discourse in the rhythm and lead guitar with a good use of the four chord structure.   Could have been cool and fun as a hard rock tune.

This song is about feeling suffocating within a relationship and the want to stop struggling.  Most people allow the weakness of their partner, within the relationship, to get them down, allowing themselves to be controlled by the other’s weakness.  And it’s a downward spiral.  With each using their insecurities to gain control over the other’s insecurities.  It’s like a battle between two animals made of insecurity-claws.

But once you’re on top of yourself, then either the person you’re with will leave because they prefer insecure / abusive-esque relationships, or you’ll get someone who will want to be better too, because you’re better, because they see you are in control of yourself, and they want that for themselves.

Being the best you can be is infinite, so there is never a pinnacle.  You can always be better.  And once people start to realize that, they will never feel suffocated, because nothing can suffocate infinite progress.  The knowledge that we can always be better as individuals is the innate truth that is buried beneath all of our insecurities.