In 2003, Suh signed with Epic/Sony; she ended up working with Glen Ballard, a well-known producer/songwriter/arranger.At first, Ballard only agreed to produce a few songs for Suh, but he was so impressed with her work that he ended up producing her entire debut album (a self-titled CD that Epic released in April 2005).
With the album completed, Suh reflects on the making of her debut: "My mission has always been to create music that transcends boundaries, to make music that is universal."
Although Suh has lived in the United States her entire life, both of her parents are immigrants who moved to southern California from Korea in the '60s. Suh's involvement with music began when she was only eight and joined a Korean children's choir, whose repertoire ranged from traditional Korean songs to American pop. At 13, Suh left Los Angeles for New Hampshire, where she attended a boarding school and did her share of songwriting during her adolescent years; Suh was around 17 when she recorded a six-song EP, pressed 1,000 copies onto CDs, and managed to sell about 700 of them to her schoolmates.
After reaching adulthood, Suh attended Brown University in Rhode Island (where she obtained a degree in English), but spent as much time as she could visiting New York City and performing in Lower Manhattan clubs. A career in music is not something that Suh's ambitious parents encouraged — in fact, they tried to talk her out of it and encouraged her to go into a more stable, less volatile line of work. Music, they asserted, should be nothing more than a hobby for Suh. But her parents' lack of support didn't discourage the L.A. native; if anything, it inspired her to persevere and work even harder at having a career in music. "Your Battlefield," one of Suh's songs, was inspired by her career-related disagreements with her parents.
Petrified To Be God-like
Susie Suh Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
They come and go, the ebb and flow
Like the ocean
You think you know me, and you know me
But you don’t know
How scared I am
So I lie to make excuses
And I lie to point my finger at you
Rather than change myself
It’s just each day goes by so fast
I can’t seem to grasp them
And I tend to run away
From my reflection
You see I am so
Petrified to be God-like
So I lie to make excuses
And I lie to blame everyone else
And I lie to point my finger at you
Rather than change myself
(Ahh, Ahh, Ahh…)
So I lie to make excuses
And I lie to blame everyone else
And I lie to point my finger at you
Rather than change myself
So I lie to make excuses
And I lie to blame everyone else
And I lie to point my finger at you
Rather than change myself
(fade out)
So I lie to make excuses
And I lie to blame everyone else
And I lie to point my finger at you
Rather than change myself
The lyrics of Susie Suh's "Petrified To Be God-like" convey the deeply personal struggles and fears that plague the human mind. The "demons" mentioned in the first line of the song are metaphorical for the internal conflicts that we all face on a daily basis. The ebb and flow of these demons is likened to the ocean, which further emphasizes the idea that these struggles are ongoing and relentless. Despite the people in our lives thinking they know us, the truth is that the singer is deeply scared, and this fear drives her to lie and make excuses.
She lies to avoid acknowledging her own flaws and weaknesses, preferring to blame others and point fingers. The mention of "each day goes by so fast" serves as a poignant reminder of the fleeting nature of time, and how our struggles can often leave us feeling like we're running out of it. This is underscored by the mention of avoiding her own reflection, a reflection that represents the difficult truths about ourselves that we'd rather not confront. The titular line, "Petrified to be God-like," speaks to the vulnerability and fear that comes with the pursuit of perfection, and the consequences of failing to achieve it.
Ultimately, the message of the song is that we are all flawed, and must be willing to face our inner demons and confront our own shortcomings. Only through this process of self-reflection and growth can we hope to overcome our fears and become the best versions of ourselves.
Line by Line Meaning
I fight my demons everyday
I struggle with my inner demons every single day.
They come and go, the ebb and flow
My inner demons are not constant and fluctuate like the tides.
Like the ocean
My inner turmoil can be compared to the unpredictable and changing nature of the sea.
You think you know me, and you know me
People may believe they have an understanding of who I am.
But you don’t know
However, they do not truly comprehend the depth of my fears and insecurities.
How scared I am
I am deeply afraid of something, which affects my actions and decisions.
So I lie to make excuses
To avoid facing my fears or inadequacies, I make up lies to cover my shortcomings.
And I lie to blame everyone else
When I do make mistakes, I deflect responsibility and point the finger at others.
And I lie to point my finger at you
I often unfairly accuse and blame others instead of owning up to my own part in things.
Rather than change myself
I prefer to blame others instead of taking responsibility and trying to improve myself.
It’s just each day goes by so fast
Time seems to pass by quickly, making it difficult for me to keep up with my own thoughts and feelings.
I can’t seem to grasp them
I struggle to understand and cope with my own emotions and actions.
And I tend to run away
In difficult moments, I often try to avoid confronting my own problems and insecurities, rather than facing them head on.
From my reflection
I avoid self-reflection and introspection, as it can bring about feelings of fear and inadequacy.
You see I am so
Others may notice that I am struggling and not coping well.
Petrified to be God-like
I am extremely fearful of being too perfect or too good, as this puts unrealistic expectations on myself and others.
Contributed by Gavin W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@TheRealMrSnickers
2020 and this song and album are still incredible and she is such an underrated artist
@jameshusentoff2953
The album this song is on is top notch and has to be one of the best albums of the 2000’s.
@lamees_er
2022
@Keracurtarisa
i love this song > 3
@onya3497
Luv dis ❤❤❤
@jenleep
Not enough views :-( she's so good
@dcmohan
Awesome track! Her collabs with Zion I brought me here :)
@kkdkoolkat2
I'm just here. Does it matter "who brought me"?
@jjmonman
behindthismusic brought me here