Below are five songs about battling and surviving significant challenges: overcoming trauma.
I. “I’m Still Standing” (1983) by Elton John
The repeated chorus:
You know I’m still standing better than I ever didLooking like a true survivor, feeling like a little kidI’m still standing after all this timePicking up the pieces of my life without you on my mind
Who better to represent this in a recent performance than the indomitable Joni Mitchell and several of her supporters:
II. “You Learn” by Alanis Morissette (1995)
From her famed “Jagged Little Pill” album: whatever happens, she says, at least you take away some hard earned lessons.
Below the cast of the amazing musical adapted from Morissette’s album are seen in various rehearsals/performances of the finale. Toward the end a brief nod to “Thank U” is included. While “You Learn” is philosophical about survival, “Thank U” is grateful for life experiences.
III. “Not My Father’s Son” (2013), Sung by Billy Porter and Stark Sands in “Kinky Boots“
Drag queen Lola (Porter) and factory owner Charlie (Sands) conclude they’re not so different from each other after all. These lyrics toward the end address overcoming trauma and being different from their fathers:
IV. “Praying” (2017) by Kesha
Kesha’s song, popular in its own right, also became a “Me Too” type of anthem. The opening:
The first time she performed it live:
V. “How” by Marcus Mumford and Brandi Carlile (2022)
Mumford’s trauma-themed album opens with “Cannibal,” about the early-childhood sexual abuse he experienced; it ends with the equally powerful “How.” The lyrics toward the end:
Although this video starts a bit shaky, it’s mostly stable and clear:
