Smother

Daughter's song 'Smother' delves deep into themes of fragility, regret, and the suffocating nature of intense emotions. The opening lines, 'I'm wasted, losing time / I'm a foolish, fragile spine,' set the tone for a narrative of vulnerability and self-awareness. The protagonist acknowledges their own weaknesses and desires, yearning for things that are out of reach, including a relationship that is fundamentally flawed. This sense of longing and unattainable desire is a recurring theme throughout the song.

The chorus, 'In the darkness I will meet my creators / And they will all agree, that I'm a suffocator,' introduces a darker, almost existential reflection. The 'creators' could symbolize the forces or people that have shaped the protagonist's life, and the term 'suffocator' suggests a self-destructive tendency to smother or overwhelm those around them. This could be interpreted as a metaphor for the protagonist's intense emotions and actions that inadvertently harm their relationships.

The imagery in the second verse, 'For my bones have found a place / To lie down and sleep / Where all my layers can become reeds / All my limbs can become trees,' evokes a sense of finality and transformation. It suggests a desire for peace and a return to nature, where the protagonist's essence can be absorbed into the earth. The repetition of 'I'm sorry if I smothered you' in the closing lines underscores a deep sense of remorse and a wish for things to have been different. The final line, 'I sometimes wish I'd stayed inside / My mother / Never to come out,' poignantly captures a longing for the safety and simplicity of non-existence, free from the complexities and pains of life.