January 25, 2016

049: Songs About Recovery and Getting Sober

55 minutes

Colin shares how he has made it to 16 days of sobriety.

I'd like to give a special thanks to Maureen for helping me compile this great list of songs about recovery and getting sober. There are some great artists putting recovery on the map.

“Hate Me” - Blue October. What alcoholic cannot relate to these lyrics? I know I’ve felt this so many times. When we disappoint our loved ones after a relapse or crisis. It would be so much easier if they would just hate me and go away. The voice of his mother can be heard at the beginning on his answering system. She’s calling to check on him and see if he’s taken his medications. He’s got 90-days sober and wants to thank her. Good song.

“You’re Not My God” - Keith Urban. “You’re not my God and you’re not my friend. You’re not the one I will walk with in the end”. I view this as a goodbye letter to alcohol and drugs. It’s got a great message. Urban is public with his recovery as well.

“That’s Why I’m Here” - Kenny Chesney. This is a great song and it’s one man’s take on his first AA meeting. It gives the impression I know I’ve felt of wanting what other people had. “They started talkin’ about steps you take. Mistakes you make and the hearts that we break”. There are a lot of 12-step references and I found it so relatable. In the beginning he says “Well I ain’t had nothin’ to drink. I knew that’s probably what you’d think”. I know this hit a chord with me as people would often if I really was sober.

Macklemore has a bunch of good songs. “Fallin’” has lyrics, “Another drink at the bar but I’m not drunk enough..”. He goes on to describe his downward spiral in pretty good detail.

“Otherside” is a great song about relapse and how low that can make you feel. He describes going back to a meeting after a relapse and a fan tells him how much he’s inspired her with her own recovery. He can’t even look at her as he is so ashamed and feels like a “fake”. It’s a great song for starting all over. Remember, relapse is part of recovery and I know I’ve beaten myself up so bad in the past.

“Inhale Deep” has an inspiring message about “...every struggle in life, is there to teach you a lesson...”. “But if you make the end You will never know the beauty of being able to stand up again”. Very powerful lyrics.

He has a new song for his next album entitled “Kevin”. He teams up with Leon Bridges and this song talks about the epidemic of doctors prescribing medications and people getting addicted. You can’t buy the single yet but I strongly recommend you watch the YouTube clip of the two of them performing it at an awards show this fall. Leon Bridges is like a throw-back to Sam Cooke and says, “Doctor please, give me a dose of the American Dream. Put down the pen and look in my eyes...we’re overprescribed”. Great song.

“Not An Addict” - K’s Choice. This song is clearly about heroin addiction and the denial of being an addict. The song says “We’re so creative, so much more. We’re High but on the floor”. “It’s not a habit, it’s cool. I feel alive”. It’s like they are trying to tell themselves that they can “stop anytime I want to” trying to justify their use. Old 90s song but I think it’s powerful.

“Recover” - Natasha Bedingfield. This is a great song and it is so positive. She stresses “It’s now what we’ve done but, how far we’ve come”. The message is: WE WILL RECOVER, the worst is over, now.

10 “God of Wine” - Third Eye Blind. “She takes a drink and then she waits. The alcohol it permeates. And soon the cells give way. And cancel out the day”. Wow, this is so true for me, that feeling that I was wasting my life away when drinking. It also speaks of the frustration of “Where do we begin?” when new to recovery.

“The A-Team” - Ed Sheeran penned this one about a drug-addicted girl he met on the streets of London. He befriended her and describes her as a “cool girl, with no phone”. It sends the message of what lengths this girl goes to for her habit.

Sound City (Dave Grohl collaboration with Stevie Nicks and some other artists) “You Can’t Fix This” . It’s about dancing with the “devil” (addiction). I know Stevie Nicks is vocal about her recovery.

“One Day At A Time” - Joe Walsh

“One Day At a Time” Yusaf Islam (the former Cat Stevens

“Make Me A Channel Of Your Peace” - Sinead O’Connor. I just like this song as it is the Third Step Prayer. Its kind of somber though but pretty.

“Losing My Way” - Justin Timberlake. “I used to be the man in my hometown until I started to lose my way”. It spells out his downward spiral into addiction.

“Sober” - Pink

“Amazing” - Aerosmith. I think we’ve all known this band has long been in recovery. Steven hit a rough patch in 2006 with painkillers after surgery but checked back into rehab and has since been okay. This song is great as it tells how his life is “amazing” post recovery. How inspiring for all of us struggling!

“Leave The Light On” Beth Hart. She says, “I want to love. I want to live. I don’t know much about it. I never did. Seventeen and I’m all messed up inside. I cut myself just to feel alive”. Wow, what pain is she in....who cannot relate? Addiction sucks!

"Semi-Charmed Life” - Third Eye Blind (your band) “Doing crystal meth with lift you up until you break”. “We tripped on the edge of wanting to feel alive and now I’m struggling to stay alive!

Be sure to join the Recovery Elevator Private Accountability Facebook Group.

Be sure to expand your recovery network in and Seattle on February 27th and San Francisco on March 5th. Dates for NYC, San Francisco, Denver Costa Rica and Norway are coming soon.

This episode was brought to you by Sober Nation.

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By Paul Churchill

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