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What lyrics have stuck with you during your recovery?
What song helped you hold on when it felt like you couldn’t anymore?
Music, they say, has a way of reaching into the soul and utter those things we couldn’t say, healing wounds we never really knew needed to be tended to or giving hope when words alone would not suffice. During recovery, at times, a single lyric may have meant more than an entire conversation.
Be it a line that made you feel seen, a chorus that pulled you through the restless nights, or a verse that commanded you to keep going, music becomes part of the soundtrack to our recovery.
Here are 5 powerful lyrics that have lifted many during their healing journeys:
1. “In the Rooms” by Richie Supa
For all those who have walked along the path of recovery, it stands as a powerful anthem. The heartfelt lyrics and soulful delivery indeed capture the raw honesty, vulnerability, and hope imbibed into the very essence of recovery meetings. Richie Supa’s voice is akin to a soft hand on the shoulder helping to remind all that they are not alone.
The chorus—”In the rooms, it’s where I found my soul again”—goes straight to the heart of anyone who has ever healed through the sharing of relationship and community. It’s much more than a song: it’s a kind of reminder that from there comes strength, with second chances, and that courage to keep showing up.
2. “Alive” by Sia
Sia’s “Alive” is a potent recovery celebration. The theme of the song is about resilience and surviving against odds. The raw emotions and soaring vocals are echoes of the strength it takes to get beyond the dark moments. A perfect song for healing, it reminds one that they’ve witnessed their worst days and are yet standing and stronger.
3. “Not Afraid” by Eminem
Eminem’s “Not Afraid” is a declaration of transformation and courage. The lyrics speak directly to those who are breaking free from darkness, therefore making it a very powerful recovery anthem. It encourages the listener not to despair, to confront his/her fears, and make a stand.
4. “One Day at a Time” by Cristy Lane
One Day at a Time offers comfort and strength for those recovering. The gentle lyrics persuade them to take life as it comes and to rely on their faith through their challenges. The message is simple but powerful: healing is done gradually, one day and one step at a time, with grace and patience.
5. “The Climb” by Miley Cyrus
Miley Cyrus’s “The Climb” is a deeply heartfelt anthem for anyone on the recovery journey. The lyrics speak of perseverance, growth, and all the struggles that hold worth. With the words “It’s the climb,” this song voices a reminder that healing is beyond simply getting to the summit—it is about embracing every step on the way.
These words have power—not just because they’re beautifully written, but because they reflect the raw, real emotions of survival, growth, and transformation.
Tell us about your favorite lyric in the comments. Let’s create a community playlist of strength, struggle, and triumph—because your story, and your song, could be exactly what someone else needs to hear today.
And if you’re still searching for your healing anthem, you’re not alone. The music is out there, waiting to speak to you.
💬 Drop your favorite lyric that helped you heal. Let’s lift each other up—one song at a time.
10 Comments
Absolutely love this post—thank you for putting it out there. For me, “In the Rooms” by Richie Supa truly spoke to my soul during the toughest moments of my recovery. The line “It’s where I found my soul again” made me feel seen and understood when I couldn’t even explain what I was going through. It reminded me that I wasn’t alone and that healing could happen in the most unexpected places—through connection, honesty, and showing up. That song still brings me peace and strength today. Music really does become part of the recovery journey. Grateful for this space.
Oldies Station by Twenty One Pilots is my recovery anthemn. It’s about pushing through the pain, learning to let go (of old people, places, and things), and appreactating the little things in life, which are all things i’ve learned, in my fourrth or so try at getting sober. I really hold these close as important and benefical towards walking the path of sobreiety and healing every day!
“In the Rooms” by Richie Supa was a lifeline during my recovery. The lyrics, especially “It’s where I found my soul again,” reminded me that I wasn’t alone. It gave me hope and helped me stay grounded. Grateful for how music and community helped me heal, one day at a time.
“I Want To Break Free” by Queen was a powerful anthem for me during recovery. That raw longing for freedom and change hit home. It reminded me that it’s okay to want more for myself—to break free from old patterns and start over. Freddie’s voice felt like strength in my corner.
The song that comes to mind for me is “Morning Elvis” by Florence + The Machine. No other song makes tears spontaneously spring to my eyes like this one. I’ll leave the lyrics here for anyone that wants to look it up and give it a listen. It is direct and powerful and written about her experiences and her eventual path to sobriety.
When they dressed me and they put me on a plane to Memphis, well
I never got to see Elvis
I just sweated it out in a hotel room
But I think the King would have understood
Why I never made it to Graceland
The bathroom tiles were cool against my head
I pressed my forehead to the floor and prayed for a trapdoor
I’ve been here many times before
But I’ve never made it to Graceland
If I make it to the morning
I should’ve come with a warning
And if I make it to the stage, I’ll show you what it means
To be saved
Well, pick me up in New Orleans
Pinned in a bathroom stall
Pick me up above my body
Press my corpse against the wall
I told the band to leave without me
I’ll get the next flight
And I’ll see you all with Elvis
If I don’t survive the night
If I make it to the morning
I shoulda come with a warning
And if I make it to the stage, I’ll show you what it means
To be saved
And after every tour, I swear I’ll quit
It’s all the boys now, this is it
But the call, it always comes, and the songs
Like children begging to be born
But, oh, I guess I got my wish
Anything, anything, anything but this
If I make it to the morning
I should’ve come with a warning
If I make it to the stage, I’ll show you what it means
To be saved
Oh, you know I’m still afraid
I’m still crazy and I’m still scared
But if I make it to the stage, I’ll show you what it means
To be spared
To be spared
To be spared
To be spared
To be spared
“Go where the love is”, by Edie Brickell.
Never Would Have Made it. By: Marvin Sapp
Florence + the Machine’s entire catalog is an incredible autobiographical, almost “real-time” journey through her addiction and recovery (and I’d argue it’s realistically non-linear). Her albums “How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful” and “High as Hope” are the best two for catching clear and relatable addiction/recovery lyrics, in my opinion. Florence has even said that HBHBHB references large bodies of water, which is analogous to feeling consumed by alcoholism – I highly recommend the song & music video for Ship To Wreck. On High as Hope, the lyrics “I want you so bad and you could be anyone” (Sky Full of Song) and “give me arms to pray instead of ones that hold too tightly” (100 Years) are PERFECT distillations of S/L/F addiction and relinquishing control to a Higher Power, respectively.
I have a whole recovery playlist. I am 10 years into my recovery and I also have made a career out of my experiences of pain, trauma and healing by helping those who are so broken like I have been in the past by facilitating substance abuse groups and being a case manager in behavioral health working directly with a population that struggles the most, those that are on probation.
I teach about having a recover playlist because sometime it is difficult to reach out for help but the music will always be there. Some of my favorites are…..
“Good News” Shaboozie favorite Lyric is “tried to drown my sorrows but they learned to swim”.
“Keeping me Alive” Jonathan Roy- because my life literally came from the ashes
“Rescue Me”– it is really upbeat
“Symptom of Being Human” — so many lyrics that match my life in so many ways.
and of course many songs that Jelly Roll has released.
Shooting for the Moon Amy Holland, You will be in my heart Phil Collins, Love is on the way Billy Porter, Willie Nelson You were always on my mind, Eye of the tiger, the burning heart, if you get lost between the moon and NY city Christopher Cross, Tina Turner Simply the best, believer chasing dragons,