15 Great Songs About Addiction and Recovery
Music has a profound ability to help us through difficult times in life and keep us focused on what’s really important. As you live your new lifestyle of sobriety, you’ll have good days and bad ones, but this list of songs about addiction and recovery may provide inspiration, hope, and healing when you need it most.
“The A Team” by Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran wrote this song after doing a gig at a homeless shelter when he was 18 years old. He listened to many of the people’s stories of addiction and homelessness and was both shocked and inspired. He went home that night to write this powerful song about a prostitute who is addicted to crack cocaine.
“Dark Times” by The Weeknd
This song talks about going through dark times in life and how each of us does things that we’re not proud of. The overall meaning of the song emphasizes how these experiences help people grow personally and emerge from those dark times as a better person.
“Sober” by Kelly Clarkson
In this song, Kelly Clarkson uses a relationship as a metaphor for addiction. The lyrics talk about how temptation may be present in our lives, but that doesn’t mean we have to give in to it. Although not everyone is addicted to drugs or alcohol, every person has something that is their “addiction” and that they can overcome.
“Gravity” by A Perfect Circle
This is a song about the power of choice. The lyrics essentially talk about the fact that a life in addiction is dark and dreary, but anyone can choose to live a life in the “unknown,” which is a life of sobriety. “Gravity” is a reminder that it’s possible to live a life of happiness instead of a life that’s dragged down by substance abuse.
“After I’ve Lost It All” by Max Flinn
In this acoustic number, Max Flinn talks about his struggle with substance abuse and a life of addiction. The lyrics describe his experience hitting rock bottom and how he never really learns the most important lessons in life until he’s lost it all.
“Running to Stand Still” by U2
This ballad describes the life of a heroin-addicted couple and the idea that substance abuse is just denial and an escape from the ultimate truth. It is an artistic illustration of the hopelessness that comes with addiction and how addicts sometimes fight against themselves in the pursuit of healing and recovery.
“Demons” by Kenny Chesney
This song reflects on the fact that we all have inner demons and when we’re not running towards them, they’re running towards us. A reminder that addiction is a chronic disease, this song challenges us to think about the decisions we make in response to our inner demons.
“You Found Me” by The Fray
This popular song by The Fray talks about the hard times in life and questions why bad things happen to us and to the people we love. Overall, it’s a hopeful song about coping with life difficulties and a reminder of the things that keep us going when times get rough.
“Breaking the Habit” by Linkin Park
This song is all about doing something (such as drugs) to forget the hurt and pain that sometimes accompany life. Although some people interpret the lyrics to be about suicide, others find its meaning to be more along the lines of admitting guilt, surrendering, and giving up the habit for good.
“Otherside” by Macklemore
This song hits on the idea that although the abuse of drugs may seem like fun and games, it can be deadly. It also talks about song lyrics today and how rappers underestimate the power their words have on young people. If you need a reminder about the damage addiction can do, listen to this song.
“I Surrender” by Hillsong
Regardless of your religious beliefs, this song’s lyrics carry a powerful message about surrendering yourself to God or a higher power and experiencing the spiritual and physical healing that comes from it. It’s also a great reminder that surrendering is not something that just happens once, rather, it’s something that we must do day in and day out in addiction recovery.
“You Don’t Know Jack” by Luke Bryan
The title of this song is a reference to one man’s struggle with alcoholism, but the lyrics also talk about how some of us may not understand what it means to lose it all. This song may be particularly meaningful for the loved ones of people in recovery.
“It Ain’t Me” by Kygo
Although this popular hit by Kygo is about relationship problems, its lyrics could also be viewed from the lens of living life with a chronic illness and making the decision to put your well-being first to avoid returning to an old life filled with harmful behaviors.
“How Could You Leave Us” by NF
This is a heartbreaking song written from the perspective of a man who lost his mother to addiction. It’s a perfect reminder of the devastating effects your addiction could have had on your loved ones, had you not chosen to live life in recovery.
“Recovery” by James Arthur
This song (and the whole album) talks about James’s personal experience with recovery and redemption. In this song, he highlights important themes such as the idea that even in the darkest of times, there’s always a little sliver of hope.
Music can be a powerful force as you adjust to living a life of sobriety. If you recently got sober and find that you’re still struggling with cravings or chronic relapse, call Eudaimonia Recovery Homes today to learn about our sober living programs and transitional housing in Houston, Austin, and Colorado Springs. Our admissions team is standing by and ready to help.
