Best Songs About Addiction

Addiction is complex with various reasons, stories, and experiences unique to each person struggling. People impacted by addiction face interpersonal struggles, difficult stigma, and the fight to recover and remain sober. Musicians who sing about their struggles and recovery open a world of relatability, discussion, and hope for sobriety and recovery.

What Is Addiction?

Addiction is characterized as a brain disorder demonstrated by “chronic relapsing” and “compulsive drug seeking and use despite adverse consequences.” These behaviors disrupt normal functioning and can lead to death if left untreated. Those who have experienced addiction struggles or who have witnessed a loved one know that people are usually looking to feel better, do better or simply feel good when they take drugs or drink. This continued “chase of a high” that felt good once is what fuels the chronic nature of addiction.

15 Songs About Drug Addiction

The song list below includes songs from various genres and eras, each offering a unique perspective on addiction. Music is therapeutic not only because of the sound but also due to the relatability of lyrics. Hearing your story in song offers solace in the knowledge that you are not alone. If you are dealing with similar issues, you might find encouragement in seeing how others have made it through to find a new lease on life.

Here are 15 songs about drug addiction:

1. “Under the Bridge” by Red Hot Chili Peppers

Reflecting on his experience with drug addiction and recovery, Anthony Kiedis, a founding member and lead vocalist of Red Hot Chili Peppers, wrote “Under The Bridge” in 1991 as the 11th track on Blood Sugar Sex Magik. The lyrics were originally a poem that Kiedis thought was too emotional to share with his bandmates until producer Rick Rubin encouraged him to finally share it. He wrote the poem during a period of depression and loneliness during recovery.

Lyrics & Themes

The infamous lyrics “I don’t ever wanna feel/Like I did that day/Take me to the place I love/Take me all the way” are crowd favorites in karaoke bars and other night spots without many knowing exactly what they’re about. Kiedis explained that the loneliness he felt during recovery made him think about his lowest point in addiction and how he didn’t want to go back there. He found solace instead in a city he loves and in accepting the present as much better than the day “where I drew some blood/(Under the bridge downtown” and “gave my life away.”

Song Impact

Not only was the song a commercial success, but it had a major impact on listeners with some calling it his most “honest” song. It is the song that helped bring the band into the mainstream.

2,“Hunger” by Florence and the Machine

English indie rock band Florence and the Machine wrote and produced “Hunger” on their fourth studio album High as Hope in 2018. Originally a poem written by the lead singer, Florence Welch, bandmates Emile Haynie, Thomas Bartlett, and Tobias Jesso Jr. turned it into a song. The song was produced by Welch and Haynie.

Lyrics & Themes

The song’s lyrics discuss a teenager’s battle with alcoholism, drugs, and an eating disorder while searching for love in places where love doesn’t exist. Lyrics in the song that specifically speak to drug addiction are “I thought that love was in the drugs/But the more I took, the more it took away/And I could never get enough.”  The challenge of addiction is that the euphoric chemically-produced feelings drugs and alcohol give may feel like love, but they lead to more emptiness rather than feeding that hunger. The promise of being fed love is what people struggling with addiction end up chasing while falling further into the trap of chronic substance use.

Song Impact

“Hunger” was a hit with music critics calling it a “standout” song. It also debuted at number one on the Billboard Adult Alternative Songs. This made the song the band’s fifth non-consecutive number-one single on this chart. Much of the reception around the song was positive, noting the contrast between the up-tempo radio-friendly sound and the deep content of the lyrics.

4. Once an Addict – J. Cole

The song was released in 2018 on American rapper and record producer J. Cole’s fifth studio album, KOD. “Once An Addict” is Cole’s reflection on growing up with a mother struggling with alcoholism and the helplessness he felt as a child. The song addresses the child abandonment that occurs when parents suffer from addiction.

Lyrics & Themes

Cole takes listeners through the stages of seeing his mother’s downfall into alcoholism from early childhood through college and the helplessness he felt at each stage. “Tears flow while Al Green blow/Love and happiness/I wish that I could say the right words to cheer her up/I wish her son’s love was enough.” The lyrics touch on the overwhelming powerlessness children of addicts feel, the emotional caretaking they are often expected to take on, and the sense of responsibility that is thrust upon the child of an addict.

Song Impact

Fans received the song as one J Cole’s most “heartbreaking” and “honest” tracks. KOD as a whole, was called “one of the most important rap albums ever” with critic Trent Clark stating that “J. Cole has a gift in turning tears into teaching tools and KOD is a concise, leather-bound audiobook of invaluable life direction goals.” Otherwise, the album ranked high on several national charts and audience-ranked charts.

5.  “Sober” by Pink 

“Sober” was released as the second single from Pink’s fifth studio album Funhouse on November 10, 2008. Pink along with Kara DioGuardi wrote “Sober” with additional writers Nate “Danja” Hills and Marcella Araica, with production by Danja, Tony Kanal, and Jimmy Harry.

Lyrics & Themes

Poignant lyrics on the song point to the mental struggle of someone who has decided to remain sober. “I’m safe up high/Nothing can touch me/But why do I feel this party’s over?/No pain inside/You’re like perfection/But how do I feel this good sober?” With a sober mind, she recognizes the pull of feeling “safe” and “untouchable” when she’s high. In her sober state, Pink realizes that being present in her soberness feels more amazing than she thought it would than being high.

Song Impact

The song didn’t do impressive numbers on music charts, but fans and people in recovery have called the song accurate in explaining a key question in the recovery process, “How do I feel this good sober?”

6. Kevin – Macklemore & Ryan Lewis feat. Leon Bridges 

American rapper, singer, and songwriter Macklemore joined with Ryan Lewis and Leon Bridges for “Kevin” from his 2016 album This Unruly Mess I’ve Made. The song touches on addiction caused by overprescribed medication from Macklemore’s personal experience of seeing his friend Kevin pass away from an overdose of prescription medication.

Lyrics & Themes

The powerful chorus of the song sums up the theme with “Doctor, please, give me a dose of the American Dream/Put down the pen and look in my eyes/We’re in the waiting room and something ain’t right/All this is on you, we’re overprescribed.” The end of the song pleads for the American medical institutions to consider the impact of over-prescribing pharmaceutical drugs on the people it is supposed to help with “Doctor, your medicine, and your methods/Can’t cure my disease without killing me/You’re killing me, you’re killing me.”

Song Impact

The song didn’t rank on any charts, but the topic is still relevant as the prescription of addictive drugs and painkillers continues to take the lives of people who become addicted.

 7. “Life is Beautiful” by Sixx: A.M.

This song is the debut single on Sixx: A.M.’s debut album The Heroin Diaries Soundtrack. “Life is Beautiful” was written by Nikki Sixx, the founding member of Sixx: A.M. and Mötley Crüe. The song is about Sixx’s former drug addiction, the difficulties of dealing with addiction, and his conclusion that “life is beautiful.”

Lyrics & Themes

Witnessing the downfall and eventual demise of the band’s former co-lead guitarist due to overdose, the song is an anthem to Sixx’s wake-up call that life is precious. The lyrics “Can’t quit until you try/Can’t live until you die” speak to the new lease on life Sixx took up after seeing the mortality of life in his bandmate’s death and the need to get ahold of his addiction before it was too late.

Song Impact

“Life Is Beautiful” gained rapid popularity reaching number two on the U.S. Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart and number 25 on the Hot Modern Rock Tracks chart. The song left behind the message that it’s always possible to change your experience and walk toward recovery.

8. “I Feel Like Dying” by Lil Wayne

A precursor to his highly anticipated album Carter III Lil Wayne’s song “I Feel Like” Dying” was released on a mixtape album the Drought Is Over 2 (Carter 3 Sessions) in 2007. The song is a lyrically surreal and introspective foray into Wayne’s drug addiction and the feeling of “coming down.”

Lyrics & Themes

The song takes listeners on the journey of feeling high with dreamlike lyrics. The lucid imagery of the highs of addiction sound like an enticing dream with “Swimming laps around a bottle of Louis the Thirteenth/Jumpin’ off of a mountain into a sea of Codeine/I’m at the top of the top, but still I climb/And if I should ever fall/The ground would then turn to wine/Pop, pop, I feel like flying/Then I feel like frying, then/(I feel like dying).” It is not until we come down from the high with Wayne that we get back to that fatal lyric about feeling like dying. The lyrics capture what people suffering from addiction describe when they come down from a high. Reality sets back in and the pain and difficulties one was trying to escape through drugs, remain.

Song Impact

A Vice writer described the song with these poignant words “In that moment, the dealer became the user, and rap became that much more accessible.” Lil Wayne, who was at the top of the charts when this song was released, had declared himself addicted in this song. It was different from his usual praise of drugs and rock and roll. This song made him human and many listeners could relate.

9. “Recovery” by James Arthur

James Arthur is an English singer and songwriter who won the ninth series of The X Factor in 2012.  “Recovery” was released on James Arthur’s self-titled debut album and was about his choice to remain sober after struggling with addiction.

Lyrics & Themes

Starting with bold and straightforward lyrics, Arthur speaks about his recovery with the fight and determination people who struggle with addiction often have to find when they are ready to seek sobriety. “In my recovery/I’m a soldier at war/I have broken down walls/I defined, I designed/My recovery/In the sound of the sea/In the oceans of me/I defined, I designed/My recovery.” Another key to recovery is taking ownership of one’s choices. This song is an excellent anthem for this decision.

Song Impact

Listeners have written about the powerful impact of the song in speaking about sobriety and the lyrics’ encouragement of hope, strength, and healing. It’s often listed on “beat addiction” song lists.

10. “Salvation” by The Cranberries

Irish rock band The Cranberries released “Salvation” as the lead single from their third studio album, To the Faithful Departed April in 1996. Island Records released the song.

Lyrics & Themes

The theme of escaping through drugs is challenged in this song with straightforward lyrics that beg listeners to reconsider. “To all those people doing lines/Don’t do it, don’t do it/Inject your soul with liberty/It’s free, it’s free/To all the kids with heroin eyes/Don’t do it, don’t do it/Because it’s not, not what it seems/Salvation, salvation, salvation is free.” The freedom and “salvation” exists in choosing to be sober. She speaks of sobriety as a drug that leads to freedom.

Song Impact

For four weeks, the single was number one on the US Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart and ranked on music charts in Europe and Australia. In Iceland, the song peaked at number four and peaked on charts in Italy, New Zealand and Australia at number six, seven and eight, respectively.

The song encourages listeners to take on a new perspective on drugs and realize that “it’s not what it seems.” Though the lyrics are simple, fans enjoy the catchy sound with lyrics that sneak in with an encouraging message for recovery.

11. “Old Ways” by Demi Lovato

“Old Ways” is the third song on Demi Lovato’s Confident album. It references the emotional and physical issues that the singer addressed in rehab in 2010. Confident is Lovato’s fifth studio album. Self-harming and disordered eating are a part of Lovato’s story that began with drug use and alcohol at the age of 13. Since rehab and recovery, Lovato experienced a heroin relapse in 2018 and is now sober after completing another round of treatment in 2021.

Lyrics & Themes

The song is a reflection of the physical and emotional struggles Lovato faced while recovering in rehab and the decision that no matter how glamorous her old life appears; she’s going to pass. “But if somebody tells me/I’ll go back to my old ways/I’m gonna say no way/I’m out of the doorway/I’m hearing them all say/I’ll go back to my old ways/Not going back to my old ways.”

Song Impact

Lovato’s strength, honesty, and recovery are inspirational to many, especially women who look up to her story. This song is a testament that recovery may not always be linear, but it is a choice that someone struggling with addiction can make at any time and all the time.

12. “Recover” by Natasha Beddingfield

British singer and songwriter Natasha Beddingfield released “Recover” in 2010 on her third studio album Strip Me. While Beddingfield admits to never using drugs, the song’s lyrics reveal a fight song for anyone struggling in life that people who struggle with addiction can feel encouraged by.

Lyrics & Themes

An anthem for recovery of all kinds, the song’s lyrics are a mantra for recovery. “We will recover/The worst is over, now/All those fires we’ve been walking through/And still we survive, somehow/We will recover/The worst is behind/And it hurts, but in time, I know that we will recover.” The song speaks to the tenacity and resilience needed to move through life’s challenges. It also makes it clear that no one is alone in their struggle even though it can feel lonely.

Song Impact

While the album and song did not receive critical acclaim, “Recover” is mentioned as an encouraging recovery song that people struggling with addiction will hear and relate to. The song’s merit is in its uplifting and encouraging lyrics.

13. “Breaking the Habit” by Linkin Park

American rock band Linkin Park released “Breaking the Habit” from their second studio album, Meteora, in 2004. Mike Shinoda began composing the song before meeting Chester Bennington. When Bennington heard the lyrics he found that he related to it so much that he’d tear up and have difficulty performing it at some live shows. The song is about drugs, self-harm, and addiction plus the fight for recovery from them all.

Lyrics & Themes

With tenacity in his voice, Bennington declares “I don’t know what’s worth fighting for/Or why I have to scream/I don’t know why I instigate/And say what I don’t mean/I don’t know how I got this way/I know it’s not alright/So, I’m breaking the habit tonight.” It’s as if he’s screaming through the heavy cloud of addiction to freedom. People in recovery know that it’s easy to put off the choice for just another day, but Bennington’s proclamation that he’s breaking the habit “tonight” is a cry for making a change now.

 Song Impact

The song was the fifth consecutive single from Meteora to reach number one on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart. This has remained an unmatched feat. It was also the third song from the album to rank number one on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart The song reached number 20 on the Billboard Hot 100, and was certified Gold by the RIAA. The song remains an encouraging recovery song for anyone looking to break free from addiction.

14. “Dare You to Move” by Switchfoot 

American alternative band Switchfoot released “Dare You to Move” from their fourth studio album, The Beautiful Letdown in 2003. The song was called “I Dare You to Move” on their album Learning to Breathe, but the band reimagined the song and put it on The Beautiful Letdown instead.

Lyrics & Themes

The moving lyrics of this song speak to the choice we have at every moment to make an empowering decision for our lives. To be courageous is difficult but possible. “The tension is here/Between who you are and who you could be/Between how it is and how it should be/I dare you to move/I dare you to lift yourself off the floor/Like today never happened.” The difficult but brave choice to pick yourself up and keep going is like the call to move mountains. The lyrics are infused with a strength that says, this is possible.

Song Impact

“Dare You To Move” won two Dove Awards in 2005: Rock/Contemporary Recorded Song of the Year and Short Form Music Video of the Year, at the 36th GMA Dove Awards. It was also nominated for Song of the Year. The song was played on the radio repeatedly after its release and remains a beautiful call to action for all humans.

15. “Amazing” by Aerosmith

“Amazing” written by Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler was released in November 1993. Don Henley vocals, shadow lead singer Steven Tyler in parts of this song. Tyler and Richi Supa wrote the hard rock band’s ballad.

Lyrics & Themes

An outcry and theme song for the plight of addiction, “Amazing” is about the throes of drug and alcohol addiction, and Tyler sings about that “one last shot” that keeps people struggling with addiction coming back for more. “And I’m sayin’ a prayer for the desperate hearts tonight/That one last shot’s a permanent vacation/And how high can you fly with broken wings?” These lyrics ground the listener in the idea of flying “high” as the broken experience it is. It’s impossible to fly with a broken perception and this crutch of drugs. He sings “It’s amazing/With the blink of an eye, you finally see the light.” With the blink of an eye, one can be gone and see the light that leads to death or to see the light of recovery and the truth of sobriety. The lyrics brilliantly play on the edge of this dangerous risk that people struggling with addiction take regularly gambling with life.

Song Impact

“Amazing” peaked at number 24 on the US Billboard Hot 100, number three on the Billboard Album Rock Tracks chart, and number nine on the Billboard Mainstream Top 40. Abroad, the song also saw success, peaking at number two in Iceland, number four in Canada, number five in Norway, and the top 20 in the Netherlands and Switzerland. It remains a classic song and call to sobriety.

When to Consider Therapy for Addiction

Music is powerful and provides comfort and understanding to those affected by addiction. Exploring these songs and reflecting on their messages can help you to feel less alone in your recovery and find the strength in someone else’s similar story to stick with sobriety. Music can also play a potential role as a complementary tool in therapy and mental health treatment. Still, you may find that you are struggling with your addiction and want help to recover.

If you are finding it difficult to face a day without drugs or alcohol and it’s impacting your life with depression, anxiety, or hurting your relationship with yourself or others, therapy or addiction treatment can help. We offer the best online therapy options and an online therapist directory to help you find the treatment that is right for you.