“I’ve got a right to be depressed.” The song “Fill in the Blank” by Car Seat Headrest explores living with depression, and struggling to understand…
Canadian musician Matthew Good discusses his paralyzing battle with bipolar disorder in this TEDx Toronto presentation. He begins the story with his voluntary stay at…
Rapper Eminem’s song “Beautiful” speaks about battling depression and feelings of hopelessness, while also touching on themes of resilience and perseverance. His lyrics reflect the…
The song “Her Last Words” by Courtney Parker addresses the topics of depression, self-harm, and suicide from the perspective of a girl who is experiencing…
What lead singer Anthony Kiedis of the Red Hot Chili Peppers originally perceived to be an overly emotional poem ended up becoming one the biggest…
The song “Kevin” by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis can be thought of as a follow-up to their song “Otherside”, a story about drug abuse and…
“When you lie inside of darkness, it’s hard to see.” The song “i. Flight of the Navigator” by Donald Glover, also known by his stage…
Australian songstress Sia cries out for support in her delicate and heartbreaking song “I’m in Here”. She details the experience of feeling trapped, as well…
Legendary poet, songwriter, novelist, and musician, Leonard Cohen died in November 2016. Known for his melancholy tones, as well as his thought-provoking and deeply emotive…
Grassy Narrows First Nation in Northern Ontario, Canada, has been in the media spotlight for decades regarding mercury contamination from a nearby chemical plant of…
The song “Manic Depression” by Jimi Hendrix exposes “the frustrating mess” of this illness, now known as bipolar disorder. Hendrix himself was never diagnosed as…
“Armatage Shanks” is a song written by Billy Joe Armstrong of the band Green Day when he was devastated after a break up and said…
With a luring melody and evocative lyrics, “Demons” by the Grammy Award winning rock group Imagine Dragons leads listeners to the place inside many people…
“What’s eating you alive, might help you to survive” The Ted Leo and the Pharmacists song “Me and Mia” describes what it’s like to live…
“I Wanna Get Better”, performed by The Bleachers, is a song about singer Jack Antonoff’s personal experiences with grief, depression, and renewal. Through lyrics like, “I…
The song “Everything is Alright” by Motion City Soundtrack documents frontman Justin Pierre’s experience with anxiety and obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). Pierre recounts cleaning his…
The song “Otherside” by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis narrates a story about drug use and the descent into addiction. As a young man, Macklemore struggled…
Carly Simon’s song “That’s the Way I’ve Always Heard It Should Be” chronicles the painful aftermath of growing up with parents in an unhappy marriage,…
The song “The Handler” by the band Muse depicts the torment the mind undergoes when being forcibly controlled by an external force. The lyrics describe…
The song “Cut” by recording artist Plumb highlights a struggle with self-harm, and the accompanying feelings of numbness and loneliness. As a teenager, Plumb experienced…
