Killin' Me

Album: Parker McCollum (2025)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • "Killin' Me" is a country ballad where Parker McCollum is utterly captivated by his lover. He is so completely swept away by her that he feels like he's dying inside.
  • As with many of McCollum's songs, the inspiration is no mystery. Her name is Hallie Ray McCollum, and she's been the center of his musical universe since well before their 2022 wedding. Hallie Ray has already served as the muse for many of his tracks, including "To Be Loved By You," "Handle On You," "I Ain't Going Nowhere," "What Kinda Man" and "Hope That I'm Enough."
  • Parker McCollum invited Randy Rogers and Monty Criswell to his Texas ranch to do some writing. The three were "running around hunting, driving" and penning songs in the evenings. As McCollum tells it:

    "We were actually in the middle of another song and I started playing that melody just kind of out of nowhere, and I stopped both of them, and I said, 'This melody, I just don't know where this just came from, but we've got to chase it,' and so we kind of got into the 'every move you make is Killing Me' and just loved whenever that just kind of fell out of my brain and chased that whole idea."
  • Parker McCollum recorded "Killin' Me" for his self-titled fifth album. The 14 tracks were all recorded over a two-week period in New York City with producers Frank Liddell and Eric Masse.
  • McCollum gave the song its TV debut on The Kelly Clarkson Show, June 18, 2025.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Melanie

MelanieSongwriter Interviews

The singer-songwriter Melanie talks about her spiritual awakening at Woodstock, "Brand New Key," and why songwriting is an art, not a craft.

We Will Rock You (To Sleep): Pop Stars Who Recorded Kids' Albums

We Will Rock You (To Sleep): Pop Stars Who Recorded Kids' AlbumsSong Writing

With the rise of Kindie rock, more musicians are embracing their inner child with tunes for tots - here, we look at pop stars who recorded kids' albums.

Michael Franti

Michael FrantiSongwriter Interviews

Franti tells the story behind his hit "Say Hey (I Love You)" and explains why yoga is an integral part of his lifestyle and his Soulshine tour.

Tom Keifer of Cinderella

Tom Keifer of CinderellaSongwriter Interviews

Tom talks about the evolution of Cinderella's songs through their first three albums, and how he writes as a solo artist.

Lori McKenna

Lori McKennaSongwriter Interviews

Lori's songs have been recorded by Faith Hill and Sara Evans. She's performed on the CMAs and on Oprah. She also has five kids.

Stand By Me: The Perfect Song-Movie Combination

Stand By Me: The Perfect Song-Movie CombinationSong Writing

In 1986, a Stephen King novella was made into a movie, with a classic song serving as title, soundtrack and tone.