'Quitter' by Cameron Whitcomb – Lyrics & Meaning

Cameron Whitcomb is quickly rising in the ranks of today's alt-country and Americana stars, and it's more likely than not because of his viral summer hit, 'Quitter'.

When it was released in late July, the sobering song wonderfully showcased the newcomer's natural talent for profound songtelling, a skill that has been made increasingly undeniable with each new release.

'Quitter' may have launched him to the top, but it's his exciting artistry that is, no doubt, keeping him there.

Coming to life with sharp strums and a shuddering kick drum, 'Quitter' is pure power from the very beginning. The song's strength is only amplified with the chorus, at first, bolstered by a scattering arena-ready claps before exploding into a torrent of rhythm and steel.

It's an exciting and triumphant arrangement, one that only feeds its message of recovery and resilience.

"I've spent so long
Tryna to make right on my wrongs
But I miss being stoned
‘Cause it would make this easy
If I give myself an inch
Hell I might take the mile
And she can't take my calls when I'm too drunk to dial"

'Quitter' provides commentary on addiction. From the beginning, Whitcomb sings about grappling with substances and the ways his lifestyle affects his loved ones.

He sings candidly about wanting to make amends but struggling with the jones, needing to get drunk or high in an attempt to make life a little easier to bear. However, he sings, "If I give myself an inch / Hell, I might take the mile," knowing full well his limits.

The road to recovery is not easy. Still, 'Quitter' finds the artist embarking on such a journey.

The hardest part of getting clean are all the damn apologies
Paying tolls on bridges that I've burnt
I've been afraid of growing up ‘cause that would mean to sober up
But stoned and drunk don't mix with loving her
Does that make me a quitter?
Doеs that make me a quitter?

He notes that making amends and righting his wrongs are the most difficult steps to recovering, but they're also a big part of his healing and his evolution. To him, growing up meant sobering up, but, in reality, it was sobriety that allowed him to grow.

In the chorus, he mentions a person worth getting sober for, singing "stoned and drunk don't mix with loving her." He continues, crooning in the next verse, how this particular person deserves him at his best, not when his hands are shaking from the liquor and all he is capable of is a drunk dial.

By the end of the song, he finds that he can't straddle the line – one foot in the party, the other with her – and so he makes a decision, singing "I thought that I could handle / Both ends of that candle / But I'm throwing in the towel."

The hardest part of getting clean are all the damn philosophies
Telling me how this is 'supposed to work
I've been afraid of growing up and losing friends I used to trust
But stoned and drunk don't mix with loving her
Does that make me a quitter?

I've spent so long
Tryna to make right on my wrongs
But I miss being stoned
‘Cause it would make this easy
If I give myself an inch
Hell I might take the mile
And she can't take my calls when I'm too drunk to dial

I’d love to sugar coat this
De-thorn all my roses
But she caught me at my lowest

The hardest part of getting clean are all the damn apologies
Paying tolls on bridges that I've burnt
I've been afraid of growing up ‘cause that would mean to sober up
But stoned and drunk don't mix with loving her
Does that make me a quitter?
Doеs that make me a quitter?

Lonеly as I may be
I'd rather that she hate me
For who I am and not the man whose hands were shaky
I finally seen a sunrise
And I could not believe it
Curtains open wishing she was here to see it

And I thought that I could handle
Both ends of that candle
But I'm throwing in the towel

The hardest part of getting clean are all the damn apologies
Paying tolls on bridges that I've burnt
I've been afraid of growing up ‘cause that would mean to sober up
But stoned and drunk don't mix with loving her
Does that make me a quitter?
Does that make me a quitter?

The hardest part of getting clean are all the damn philosophies
Telling me how this is 'supposed to work
I've been afraid of growing up and losing friends I used to trust
But stoned and drunk don't mix with loving her
Does that make me a quitter?
Does that make me a quitter?
Does that make me a quitter?
Does that make me a quitter?
Does that make me a quitter?

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