Addiction songs can be hard to listen to. Especially if you’ve experienced substance abuse or love someone who is currently suffering because of it. And yet, there are plenty of honest, albeit dark, songs that might just encourage some people out there to pursue recovery. Let’s take a look at some particularly inspiring and real songs about addiction.
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“The Needle And The Damage Done” by Neil Young (1972)
“I’ve seen the needle and the damage done / A little part of it in everyone / But every junkie’s like a settin’ sun.”
Canadian singer-songwriter Neil Young knows more about what it’s like to lose people to addiction than most. In the 1972 album Harvest, “The Needle And The Damage Done” paints a sad picture of what h*roin addiction did to many of Young’s friends and close contemporaries. His Crazy Horse bandmate and good friend, Danny Whitten, could be seen as the main subject of the song. He passed from an overdose at the age of 29. “The Needle And Damage Done” isn’t uplifting. But it’s a stark and sobering look at the state of loved ones left behind.
“Song To Say Goodbye” by Placebo (2006)
“Your needle and your damage done / Remains a sordid twist of fate / Now I’m trying to wake you up / To pull you from the liquid sky.”
Alright, this one’s pretty self-indulgent. I’m a big Placebo fan. And a lot of their early aughts albums feature songs and themes that revolve around substance abuse. “Song To Say Goodbye” from 2006, however, is one of their darkest tunes about the effects that h*roin addiction has on the sufferer and those around them. This song even features a callback to the above-mentioned Neil Young tune, and it might just inspire those who are ready to pursue recovery.
“Jane Says” by Jane’s Addiction (1988)
“Well, Jane says, ‘I’m goin’ away to Spain / When I get my money saved / Goin’ to start tomorrow’ / I’m gonna kick tomorrow.”
The band’s name says it all, and the fairly self-referential “Jane Says” from 1988 is a glittering song that might surprise casual listeners. Beneath the somewhat upbeat vibe of the song lay lyrics all about addiction, namely the h*roin addiction that Jane Bainter suffered from. Bainter was Perry Farrell’s old roommate and the namesake of the band. Thankfully, Bainter would later say that she effectively got clean of the substance and eventually made it to Spain, something that was spelled out in “Jane Says”. With that in mind, the song takes on a new and hopeful meaning.
Photo by Joel Bernstein
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