Overview of Songs for mental health

 Cry once! Today’s art, especially music, has a lot of themes centered around mental health. Several public personalities are expressing their experiences with mental health issues like depression, anxiety, and struggles as our culture works to eliminate the stigma associated with talking about mental health. Musicians do not only express this during interviews but also in their songs. Generally, music is a tool for relaxation and calming of the mind. Some therapeutic approaches require music. Hence, songs for mental health can be used as a therapeutic tool. 

A lot of popular music addresses these very real issues, from personal narratives to general commentary about mental illness, and it serves as a reminder to listeners who are also struggling, that they are not alone. You don’t need the most popular songs about mental health but songs and lyrics that resonate with you.

Reason we bring to you 62 songs the best positive songs for mental health, therapy, depression, anxiety, and other issues. You are not alone!

Classification of songs for mental health we have here are as follows:

• Rock song about not accepting mental health.

• Hip-hop songs that address mental health

• Country songs about mental health; Now, let’s dive into the mental health songs we have for you.

Best Mental Health Songs Lists:

1. Taylor Swift: This is Me Trying 

This song is about people who are struggling with addiction or mental illness daily in their struggles to overcome their weaknesses no one gives them credit and their best isn’t good enough within them they know that they are doing their best.

2. Avril: Head Above Water  

The singer revealed that she wrote the song during her terrifying battle with Lyme disease and that the lyrics are essentially a prayer to God for help as she tries to get through a difficult time in her life.

3. Linkin Park: Heavy

The song “Heavy” by Linkin Park is about the band’s internal struggles. Thus, “heavy” is an adjective describing the psychological burden felt by the vocalists. One distinguishing feature of said burden is that it is self-imposed. This does not negate the existence of external issues, as demonstrated by Chester Bennington and Kiiara’s assertions that “the universe [is] spinning” around them.

4. Linkin Park: Breaking the Habit 

As the title suggests, this classic is about the singer “breaking” a “habit.” In other words, he has decided that today will be the day he overcomes a self-destructive addiction.

5. REM: Everybody Hurts

Simply put, R.E.M. wrote ‘Everybody Hurts’ to save lives. Everything about the song was written to discourage teenagers from committing suicide, from the straightforward lyrics to the dramatic string arrangements to the beautiful melody.

6. Rob Thomas: Her diamond

The phrase “her diamonds” refers to a girl’s tears. “It’s a song about a girl who is very ill,” Thomas explained in a Twitter interview with Neil McCormick. It’s a song about empathy and how to deal with it with someone you care about.

7. Demi: Skyscraper

Demi’s publicist announced on November 1, 2010, that the Disney star had entered a treatment facility for “physical and emotional issues,” which were later reported to include an eating disorder and self-cutting. 

8. Demi Lovato’s Warrior

Demi closes her fourth studio album with the most personal song, which tells of the singer’s struggles with mental illness, eating disorders, and self-harm before her 2011 Unbroken set and how she rose from the public ashes.

9. Taylor Swift: Forever Winter

“Forever Winter” also addresses the isolation that many people feel during a mental health crisis.

10. Victoria Justice: Treat Me 

“Treat Me” is an exercise in soliloquy. Indeed as Victoria Justice has explained the tune, who she is conversing with is ‘the voice in her head’. And as portrayed in the song, entertaining certain types of persistent, inner thoughts or ideas can negatively affect a person’s self-esteem. So what the singer is doing, in recognition of such, is taking a stance. Or the way she puts it, she ‘needs to treat herself better’. And the overall implication is that her solution is to make a conscientious effort to love herself more.

11. EM Behold: Numb Little Bug

“Numb Little Bug” is based on the vocalist’s (Em Behold) depression and is fairly straightforward in conveying that message. What makes this story stand out is that it is based on Em’s personal experiences with regularly consumed antidepressants and all. The title is also self-explanatory, referring to the narrator’s emotional “numbness.” Having said that, Em has also stated that the title of this song was not specifically intended. Instead, while teasing it on TikTok, she artistically compared herself to “a numb little bug,” and the name stuck.

12. AJR: Way less sad 

“Way Less Sad” is one of the hip-hop songs that address mental health.

With lyrics that describe the process of talking about mental health. The song includes an upbeat trumpet sample from Simon and Garfunkel’s “My Little Town.” Video for a song. On February 17, 2021, the official music video was released. 

13. Marshmallow: Happier

In 2017, Bastille’s vocalist Dan Smith collaborated with Steve Mac (Clean Bandit’s “Symphony,” Ed Sheeran’s “Shape Of You”) to write this song. It finds Smith in a relationship that has reached its end, and he recognizes the uncomfortable truth that love sometimes requires stepping away. He tells his romantic interest that he wants her to be happy, so he’ll leave her, even though the thought of his lover being with someone else is “eating him up.

14. John Frank: Help by the Beatles 

15. Overkill: Men at work 

 “Overkill” was released in 1983 as the second single from Men At Work’s second studio album Cargo (in the United States, where their first album’s success was later overshadowed, “Overkill” became the album’s first single). Colin Hay wrote about how success was changing his life as well as his increasing alcohol consumption at the time. 

16. The Rolling Stones: As Tears Go By 

Is a relatively simple tune lyric-wise, which is based on the singer’s depression. The setting is that he is sitting somewhere, watching children play. And the implication is that under normal circumstances, just beholding them in jest would be enough to liven up his spirit.

17. The Rolling Stones ‘Paint It, Black 

The Rolling Stones ‘Paint It, Black,’ a number-one hit in both the United States and the United Kingdom, uses color symbolism to describe depression. Fans have long speculated that the lyrics, written by Jagger and Richards, deal with the death of a lover, though the bandmates have stated in interviews that they were not inspired by specific events while writing the single.

The album delves into boy-meets-girl, relationship obstacles, the polarized political climate and the state of the world, betrayal, connection, rebounds, and other topics.

18. Sia: Breath me

“Breathe Me” is a depressing song whose main themes revolve around depression and the desperate need for a friend to lean on.

19. Shawn Mendes: Little For Much 

It’s about a girl who discovers that talking to someone about her problems makes her feel better because the other person says, ‘no way, I feel the same way, how funny that we both feel the same way.’ She learns that she is not different, that feeling overwhelmed and anxious does not make her weaker, that she is just like every other person in the entire world, and that feeling that way is not wrong or makes you a bad person because we all feel that way at times.

I guess what Shawn was trying to say was that whenever you feel like the weight of the world is on your shoulders and your anxiety levels are about to explode, remember that you’re not the only one who feels that way, and he promises that things will get better.

20. Ama Nalick: Breath 

This song seems to be about looking past our mistakes and moving forward. One interpretation is that the song deals with abortion: the singer’s friend calls her to tell her she is pregnant and that she does not want the baby, nor does she love the father.

21. Arizona: Hold the Line

Hold the Line” by Avicii is based on the premise that life is extremely difficult, especially for young people. Or perhaps more specifically, the singer and the person(s) he is addressing are going through a dangerous time in life, as in it being overwhelmingly depressing. And he has come to inform the addressee that surrendering to these difficulties is not an option. Instead, they will continue on this difficult journey not for “glory,” but to see the “dawn,” which “only comes at the end of the night.” Simply put, if they persevere, the current adversity will give way to a glorious future.

22. Demi Lovato: Dancing with the Devil

Demi Lovato’s mental health songs, many people have speculated that this is an autobiographical song, but this has never been proven. In the song, a man at the bottom of his life joins a gang. When confronted with a gang initiation that involves assaulting and raping a woman, the man gives in and commits the heinous act.

23. Disturbed: A Reason To Fight

An idea conceived by guitarist Dan Donegan and sent to Frontman David Draiman inspired this emotional, acoustic-driven ballad about addiction. The Disturbed Frontman has seen several people close to him succumb to addiction, and Donegan’s demo hit him hard.

“I know people who have struggled with addiction, and I’ve seen it in their faces – the shame they feel, the feeling they’ve let themselves and others down,” Donegan said. “We wanted to write a song with a positive message for people in that situation to stay hopeful and fight on, no matter how difficult it may be.” It is a daily struggle, but there may be a light at the end of the tunnel.”

24. Dodie: Secret of The Mad

Dodie songs about mental health talk about depression, anxiety, and depersonalization. Dodie has been bravely and candidly sharing her mental health stories on social media through lengthy posts on Twitter, Instagram, and, of course, YouTube since that video was released. 

25. Streetlight Manifesto: A better time

“A Better Place, A Better Time” speaks to anyone who’s ever needed a musical light at the end of the tunnel.

26. Girl in Red: I Need To Be Alone

The song is about the experiences and symptoms of the narrator’s depression, which include hopelessness and lack of concentration.

27. Linkin Park: Nobody Can Save Me 

The song “Nobody Can Save Me” simply tells the story of a man (the songwriter) who is depressed and depressed about all of his life’s problems (whether it’s love problems or life problems). Therefore, in finding a way out to solve all his problems, he constantly relies on himself without asking for help from others. Through this song, it seems that the songwriter is calling on his listeners to never expect too much from other people, because other people may not be available to help.

28. Rachel Platten: Fight Song

This is the song to listen to when you need to pick yourself up when you’re feeling down, makes you realize just how strong you are.

29. Clairo: Alewife 

Clairo, Rostam Batmanglij, and Clairo’s best friend Alexa appear on the latest episode of the Song Exploder podcast to discuss “Alewife,” the opening track from Clairo’s debut album Immunity. In the 23-minute episode, Clairo explains the background behind “Alewife,” including her struggles with depression as a teenager and her growing friendship with her best friend. In the episode, Clairo and Rostam discuss how their fondness for Elliott Smith led to certain production choices, including Clairo’s double-tracked vocals and the acoustic guitar. Listen to the “Alewife” episode of Song Exploder below.

30. Billy Joel: You Are Only Human

After Billy Joel attempted suicide back in 1970 (by drinking furniture polish), it failed to kill him and he wrote the song “Tomorrow Is Today” as the suicide note. Later on, he was asked if he could write a song that could help prevent teenage suicide. Joel agreed, but the first recording concerned him because it had a dreary and depressing tone that he thought might give troubled teens the wrong message. So, he created a new version, “You’re Only Human (Second Wind),” with bouncy, joyous beats and lyrics about personal forgiveness and optimism for life.

31. New Radicals: You Have Got the Music in You 

. It was written by Morissette and Glen Ballard, the album’s producer. Maverick and Warner Bros. Records released the song as the album’s fourth single (third in the United Kingdom). The lyrics state that valuable lessons are learned from poor decisions. The album title is taken from this song’s line “Swallow it down (what a jagged little pill)”.

32. Nf: The Search 

There is only one verse in this entire song of 4 minutes. The lyrics appear in the form of a dialogue between Nathan (Nate) with himself. The confessions begin after his conscious ask him ‘how he is doing?’ Nate goes on to elaborate on how he nearly had a mental breakdown last year, trying to keep up with the needs of stardom. The touring, the bus rides, the fans, the expectations, the spotlights, and sleepless nights could take a massive toll on anyone’s sanity.

 

33. Christian Agulera: Beautiful 

This anthem of self-acceptance came at a time when the internet was amplifying the kind of bullying and shaming that was so hurtful to young people. Hearing the glamorous Christina Aguilera sing in a very heartfelt manner about finding the strength to tune these voices out and overcome our insecurities meant a lot. The message is simple:

 We are beautiful.

 In every single way

 Yes, words can’t bring us down.

34. We three: Sara 

The goal of both the video and song is to break the stigma surrounding mental health. In an exclusive interview with We Three, the group opens up about creating the music video for “Sara” and more.

35. Pink: Fucking Perfect 

 This song discusses self-worth. Embracing your true inner self, and not changing who you are to conform to society. It is a song that engages everyone, 

It’s about self-harm, depression, and just making it through

36. Matchbox: Unwell 

“The song is about a person who claims to not be crazy even though they’re suffering from various occurrences that could lead them to be labeled as such

In an interview with the Cleveland Plain Dealer, Thomas said: “‘Unwell’ is about having a despondent relationship with yourself.

37.  Silverchair: Ana’s song

The battle with anorexia and health is what it means for Daniel Johns. What it means to you is up to you. 

38. R. Kelly: You Are Not Alone

You Are Not Alone” is a pop and R&B ballad about love and isolation. The song was written by R. Kelly and produced by Kelly and Jackson. Kelly wrote the song after losing close people in his life. Kelly was delighted to be able to work with his idol, explaining “I was psyched …

You Are Not Alone is a song of love and isolation that does not refer to romance, so it applies to anyone you miss. 

39. Mabel: Ok 

As can be ascertained from reading the title, Mabel’s “OK (Anxiety Anthem)” is based on a considerable degree of anxiety the singer is going through. Indeed, from the onset of the song, we can see that this feeling sometimes prevents her from getting out of bed and facing the day. Moreover, she has had many a sleepless night, shedding tears while alone in her bedroom. But the world is not aware of her internal angst as she masks it by intentionally appearing joyous to outsiders.

40. Imagine Dragon: Hear Me

Overall, this song is about saying whatever is on your mind right when you think it. If you don’t you might never get the chance.

41. Kesha: Praying

 “This song will help you recover from the feelings of severe hopelessness and depression, overcome obstacles, and find strength in yourself even when it felt out of reach. Hence, this song is about coming to feel empathy for someone else even if they hurt you or scare you. It’s a song about learning to be proud of the person you are even during low moments when you feel alone. It’s also about hoping everyone, even someone who hurt you, can heal.

42. Linkin Park: Numb 

This is about children who are sick of living up to the high expectations their parents set for them. The lyric “Every step that I take is another mistake to you” is about how they feel like they can’t do anything to make their parents proud.

43. Evanescence: Everybody’s Fool 

A track from the debut Evanescence album Fallen, “Everybody’s Fool” is about people who are fake and superficial, people that pretend to be what they are not just to be accepted and loved in society. Amy Lee wrote it when her sister started turning into one of these people. She was trying to say you should always be yourself for yourself, and no one else. It doesn’t matter what other people say as long as you’re happy with who you are, and you aren’t pretending.

44. Haim: I’m In It

This is one of the mental health awareness and acceptance songs. The singer accepted that she is experiencing it(I’m in it). It primarily focuses on Danielle going through the dreary motions of everyday life until her sisters rescue her. This is one of three songs on Women in Music Pt. III was inspired by a depression that struck Danielle after Haim wrapped up touring their Something to Tell You album.

45. Jonny Cash: Hurt

Since the song first became a hit back in the 1990s, there have been two prevailing theories as to its meaning. One is centered on self-harm and the other is drug addiction. As to exactly which of these perspectives Cash is approaching the cover from is also disputable.

46. Safetysuit: These Times Life Left to Go

This song for mental health will help you to stay strong and reminds you that you have people behind you that will catch care for you and would want to see you shine. 

47. Nickelback: Lullaby 

The song is based on an experience in Chad and Mike Kroeger’s childhood when they found their babysitter crying her eyes out as her boyfriend had died in a motorcycle accident.

48. Blink 182’s: Adam’s Song

 “Adam’s Song,” tells the story of a kid who is feeling so low that he contemplates suicide. As bassist and vocalist Mark Hoppus run through the song’s verses, “Adam” remembers all the times he has screwed up, which ultimately leads to his breaking point.

49. Lauv: Modern Loneliness 

Lauv’s “Modern Loneliness” is meant to speak to the “modern” concept of loneliness as defined by Lauv. And as he describes it, it is pretty much defined as always being in the company of people yet still feeling alone. He further expounds that this sensation is characterized by indeed having friends but never taking the time to get in contact with them via telephone or the ‘net. But as for the source of this loneliness, that would be some type of depression he is suffering from. 

50. Gomez: Lose You to Love You

In one of the interviews: Ahead of the song’s release, Gomez wrote on Vevo that the song was about several life events. “This song for mental health was inspired by many things that have happened in my life since releasing my last album,” she said. “I want people to feel hope and to know you will come out the other side stronger and a better version of yourself.”

51. Chester Bennington; Talking to Myself

This was written by lead singer Chester Bennington from his wife Talinda Bentley’s point of view. He relates how Talinda must have felt as she watched him battle his inner demons.

 I admit I made mistakes.

 But yours might cost you everything.

 Can’t you hear me calling you home?

Bennington has spoken openly about his struggles with drug abuse, alcohol addictions, and anxiety at various times during his life as well as emotional problems resulting from being molested by an older man over several years when he was a child. In 2015, he told Rock Sound. 

52. Billie Elish: Everything 

 Billie Eilish’s songs about mental health were inspired by a nightmare she experienced, the song is about Eilish’s strong relationship with O’Connell and his protectiveness of her from harm.

53. Pj Motion: Don’t Let Go 

‘Don’t Let Go’ is just to encourage them that they aren’t alone and that they’re necessary.” “

54. Alessia: Not Today

 The Pains of Growing’ details her journey of learning to face adversity head-on. “Not Today” is one of the final songs written.

55. Rihanna: What Now

I think it’s a song about generally feeling empty inside. trying so hard to hide any form of weakness that you become a shell of your former self, unable to feel happy sad, or even love. Just spending life going from one temporary high to another never having lasting relationships because there’s no point.

56. James Arthur: Train Wreck 

Train Wreck is a cry for help, a tale of struggle, and an emotive reference to hitting rock bottom.

James Arthur when writing this song was in a very dark place. It was about the emotional pain that he and many others have gone through.

57. John Lenon: Help the Beatles

John Lennon has described this time of his life as his “fat Elvis’s period.” In a 1971 interview with Rolling Stone, Lennon said this is one of his favorite Beatles records, because “I meant it – it’s real.” He added: “The lyric is as good now as it was then. It is no different, and it makes me feel secure to know that I was that aware of myself then. It was just me singing ‘help’ and I meant it. “Paul McCartney helped Lennon write the song but did not realize it was Lennon calling for help until years later.

58. Kix’s: Don’t Close Your Eyes

The subject of the song reaches out to a friend (the song’s narrator) during a suicide attempt. There is seemingly no one else to turn to. The narrator pleads for them to “hold on” Reassuring them that they are here for them, they will hold them tight in this time of need, and make everything all right.

59. Super Chick: Breathe

 Bass player Matt Daly explained the background of this song to Christianity Today magazine: “I lost my grandfather about a year ago, and even when he was on his deathbed, there were so many things I didn’t get to say. Looking back, I think to myself, ‘Why didn’t I ask him to tell me more stories about his childhood? Why didn’t I spend more time with him?’ For me, the song reminds us that for as long as we have breath in our lungs-no matter what the outcome or prognosis-we have to cherish every moment together.”

60. Patsy Cline: Crazy

A classic torch song, “Crazy” finds Cline despondent after losing her love, who has run off with someone else. She always knew it would never work between them, but she still can’t get over it, which seems crazy but happens to the best of us.

61. Frank: My Way 

Sinatra had his share of guilt regarding the way behaved as a father, always putting his work first. The song, however, had a staying power for decades and became the symbol of self-determination, strength, and carving one’s path in life. In the end, the song is about the power of choice in one’s life.

62. Sia: Never Give Up 

Never Give Up” was written and produced as the crown jewel in the soundtrack for Lion, a movie about a young boy (played by newcomer Sunny Pawar as a child, and Dev Patel as an adult) who is adopted by an Australian family after getting lost in Calcutta, and returns decades later to retrace his steps and locate his family. It’s a story of overcoming obstacles and pushing on in the face of certain defeats. This song does not only sit well in the minds of her fan but can be used as a motivational song.

Conclusion

Various songs for mental health, help to relieve anxiety, and depression and are also a means of letting out your emotions. These authors wrote the songs, based on their struggles, and experiences, and also the inspiration may come from relatives and fans as a way of giving support that they are not alone. Due to individual differences, most people find strength in these songs while some it is depressive. Therefore, is good to know what works for you.