If you’re a Parker McCollum fan, what’s the song of his you heard for the very first time?
Many of the newest fans will probably say “To Be Loved By You,” or “Pretty Heart.” The OGs will probably say “Hell of a Year,” or “I Can’t Breathe,” and the TRUE OGs will probably say “Meet You in the Middle” from his 2015 debut album, The Limestone Kid.
For me, a buddy of mine showed me “I Can’t Breathe” back in 2018, and I found myself listening to his Probably Wrong and Limestone Kid albums on repeat for a week straight, and I knew it was only a matter of time before the kid from Conroe, Texas hit it big time.
Now, the guy is a household name.
But speaking of “I Can’t Breathe,” an old video has surfaced of McCollum singing the original version for one of the very first times.
The album cut is the slow-paced jam with the piano entrance, with arguably McCollum’s most catchy chorus he’s ever written:
“I can’t breathe
Baby I’m dyin’
Why are you cryin’
While I’m tryin’ for this love?”
However, after seeing this video of McCollum’s OG version, it’s easy to see that the original and the album cut are completely different, aside from the lyrics.
The original is an up-tempo, heavy acoustic song, and it’s pretty cool to see the then aspiring singer/songwriter tinkering with it for the very first time.
Check it out:
And of course, the original:
