“The Victim” by Daughtry
This song can be considered a quintessential example of the artistry which defines the lyrical composition of Dearly Beloved. Getting through the first verse, it would be very simple to presume that the addressee is a romantic interest of the singer’s. And what he is telling this lady, who is apparently a toxic partner, is that he would rather terminate their relationship than allow her to destroy him. Or as put in the first line of the subsequent chorus, he refuses to “be the victim”.
But it is also in this selfsame chorus that the language being utilized in reference to the addressee, changes. And accordingly, said person can now be understood as some type of repressive authority figure or even an entity which serves as an agent of “a system”. And the lyrics come off more like Chris Daughtry may be taking an anti-mainstream stance – reminiscent of Desperation, another track found on Dearly Beloved – as opposed to alluding to romance. That is to say that it can be also feasibly put forth that the addressee is other than a romantic interest.
Then we have the second verse, where the singer reveals that part of his refusal to be “the victim” of the addressee’s is akin to ‘not taking the blame’ for this person, i.e. their “cold wicked ways”. And such a statement also broadly opens the spectrum of the type of association/associate he may be talking to.
So at the end of the day, the conclusion breaks down as so. We know that the addressee is someone whom the singer has deemed grimy, to the point where he desires to expeditiously and permanently terminate their relationship. But at the same time, it’s hard to pin down the actual nature of said relationship between the two of them.
“The Victim” Facts
“The Victim” is the ninth song on the track list of the group’s 2021 album, “Dearly Beloved”. This song has multiple writers including Chris Daughtry and the album’s producers:
- Scott Stevens
- Marti Frederiksen
This wasn’t issued as a single from “Dearly Beloved”, which is the band’s sixth project. The song entitled “World on Fire” was the first of two official singles released from the said project. The album’s other single is “Heavy Is the Crown“.
When was “The Victim” Released?
“The Victim” was issued in September of 2021, on the same day as its album.
