24 Songs About Chronic Illness

Living with a chronic illness isn’t fun. If you or someone you care about has persistent health issues, you know what a nightmare they can be to deal with. Unfortunately, odds are, you probably do.

Three out of every four American adults have at least one chronic illness.¹ That’s 75% of the adult population! And more than 50% of American adults are living with two-or-more chronic illnesses.

If you’re familiar with me and my story, you know that I’m one of those unlucky Americans. I was diagnosed with Behcet’s disease (BD) and juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRE) as a teen nearly 30 years ago. And ever since, I’ve been dealing with them as best as I can.

One of the greatest tools in my medical toolbox is music. You don’t need to see a doctor or worry about insurance coverage. There are no side effects, no copays, and no premiums. You just press play and let the music take you away.

I’ve put together a list of 24 songs about chronic illness to help you deal, feel, and heal. This playlist won’t cure you, but it may make living with a chronic illness a little less shitty. That’s my hope, anyway. Several of these songs have really helped me through some tough times. Hopefully you’ll discover a song or two here that’ll help you, too. I’ll be adding new songs to this playlist periodically, so make sure to save it and check back often. Here’s a link to the playlist Songs About Chronic Illness on Spotify. Or you can just stream the playlist directly from this page down below. Again, don’t forget to hit the circled plus sign to save it. I really hope you like my chronic-illness playlist. Feel free to tell me what you think in the comments section at the bottom of the page.

24 Songs About Chronic Illness

1. ’92: Weird Diseases – The Magnetic Fields

This is the perfect track to kick off our list of songs about chronic illness. I absolutely love this one. It’s catchy as hell and I think some lines are incredibly clever. ’92: Weird Diseases is about getting diagnosed with all sorts of strange, mysterious illnesses – something I can definitely relate to.

This indie-pop group formed here in Boston in the late 1980’s. This group’s main songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Stephin Meritt grew up with epilepsy and other heath issues.²

2. Keep Breathing – Ingrid Michaelson

This indie folk-pop song manages to capture a feeling many of us living with chronic illnesses have experienced. Sometimes all you can do is keep breathing.

Ingrid Michaelson is a singer-songwriter from New York who’s been living with Grave’s disease as well as a chronic acid-reflux condition.³ Several of her songs touch upon health-related topics, both mental and physical.

3. Must Be Nice – Ellis Michaels

You didn’t think I’d miss out on the chance for some shameful self-promotion, did you? Kidding aside, this song is anything but funny. In fact, the first time I tried to record it, I couldn’t because I kept getting choked up. Even though I wrote Must Be Nice, the full weight of the lyrics didn’t hit me until it was time to record. That’s when I realized that I’ve never known what it’s like to be alright.

The chorus, “It must be nice knowing what it’s like to feel alright. It must be nice” repeats throughout the song. I’d be lying if I said I’m not envious of people who know what it’s like to be healthy. I was diagnosed with Behcet’s disease at the age of 16 and it’s been one symptom after the next ever since. Though I don’t personally know what it’s like to be alright, I have to imagine that it must be nice.

4. The Fight Song – Masta Ace

I’m a big fan of this rapper. I listen to him in the gym, in my truck – he’s got songs on several of my personal playlists. Masta Ace really is a master Emcee. Unfortunately, MA is also living with MS (Multiple Sclerosis).⁴

If I had to pick a favorite song of his (besides The Fight Song), it’d be Take A Walk. Check it out if you like The Fight Song, which is about the fight those of use with chronic illnesses understand all too well.

5. I Can’t Feel – Yours Truly

I CAN feel the lyrics to this song. And I’m sure you, unfortunately, probably can, too.

“They try to tell me it’s in my mind. Been sleeping days on end… Can’t explain the pain. I’m fucking over it.” Yup. I can relate to that.

I Can’t Feel is a pop-punkish song by Australian indie-rock group Yours Truly. Mikaila Delgado is the group’s singer and she’s been living with Ehlers Danlos syndrome since she was a child.⁵ I get it, Mikaila… I’m fucking over this shit, too.

6. Wolves – Selena Gomez

Though she got her start starring on a Disney-channel show, sadly, Selena Gomez’ story doesn’t have a Disney ending. In 2015, she revealed that she’d been diagnosed with Lupus.⁶ And as a direct result of the illness, Selena needed to have a kidney transplant in 2017.

The song Wolves was released not too long after the kidney transplant. Though fans have argued over the lyrics’ meaning, it’s clearly about Selena’s struggle with Lupus. If you want proof, look no further than the title – the word “lupus” is Latin for “wolf.”

7. Head Above Water – Avril Lavigne

This pop-punk princess endured a years-long battle with Lyme disease. Avril’s life got complicated after she was bit by a tick in 2014.⁷ It completely halted her career. Fortunately, Avril eventually recovered after years of treatment and is making music again.

In 2018, Avril released the song Head Above Water, which is about her struggle with Lyme disease. In an interview, Avril said that Head Above Water is “the first song I wrote from my bed during one of the scariest moments of my life. I had accepted death and could feel my body shutting down. I felt like I was drowning.” That’s a feeling many of us with a chronic illness can relate to, unfortunately.

8. Unwell – Matchbox Twenty

Even if this song isn’t about living with any particular chronic illness, the lyrics will be relatable to anyone with long-term health issues.

“Feeling like I’m headed for a breakdown and I don’t know why… But I’m not crazy, I’m just a little unwell. I know right now you can’t tell.”

Having to deal with a chronic illness – whether physical or mental – can cause you to break down and feel crazy. Released in 2003, the song Unwell by pop-rock band Matchbox Twenty captures this feeling that many of us living with a chronic illness are more than familiar with.⁸

9. Get Better – Leslie Mosier

It really doesn’t get any better than this. Leslie became famous not because she sings or because she has a chronic illness – even though both are true. This woman is mostly known as the mom/manager (aka momager) of Doug The Pug, a cute little dog who also happens to be an internet sensation. Fortunately – to the best of my knowledge – Doug doesn’t have a chronic illness. His momager, sadly, does.

Leslie Mosier has been living with endometriosis, a chronic inflammatory condition that affects anywhere from 5-10% of women globally.⁹ Get Better is a 2019 pop song that is catchy as hell and relatable as fuck. “I’m fine. I’ll be alright. I just wanna get better.” Even though I can’t personally relate to your specific pain, Leslie, I know exactly how you feel.

10. Believer – Imagine Dragons

I believe you probably know this pop-rock song. Since its release in 2017, Believer has been streamed nearly 4 billion times on Spotify alone. It’s incredibly popular and highly relatable for anyone who deals with chronic pain.

Imagine Dragons’ singer and songwriter, Dan Reynolds, is no stranger to chronic pain. He’s been diagnosed with not one but two chronic illnesses: ulcerative colitis (UC) and ankylosing spondylitis (AS).¹⁰ Both conditions can be very painful. With lines like “Pain, you made me a believer. My life, my love, my drive, it came from pain. Believer.” Dan turned his pain into prose in this monster hit.

11. A Little Bit Longer – Jonas Brothers

This pop-rock song never quite popped off like some other Jonas Brothers hits, but it’s well known in chronic-illness communities. A Little Bit Longer is the title track of an album released in 2008 and was written by Nick Jonas, the youngest member of the brotherly pop-rock band.

Nick was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes when he was 13 years old.¹¹ This type of diabetes is chronic and requires constant monitoring of blood sugar levels. If left unchecked, diabetes can be fatal. Nick Jonas has been living with type 1 diabetes for over 20 years and co-founded the non-profit Beyond Type 1 to help others manage the condition.

12. Sweet Victory – Trip Lee

Trip Lee is a Christian rapper from Texas who’s all about spreading the word of God. But apparently even the big guy in the sky can’t save Trip from having to deal with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS).¹²

This illness is marked by chronic, persistent, debilitating fatigue. My own brother was diagnosed with ME/CFS decades ago and struggles with even the most basic of tasks. In spite of his illness, Trip Lee continues to make music and even spent years as a pastor at his church. Sadly, due to his illness, Trip had to step down from being a pastor in 2021. But his music continues to spread hope to those of us living with chronic health conditions.

13. Won’t Stop Running – A Great Big World

This poppy song is all about resilience. In it, A Great Big World member Chad King sings, “Falling backwards, hands tied and I won’t stop running… I am way too young and I won’t stop running.” Unfortunately, Chad can’t run from the fact that he has multiple sclerosis (MS).¹³

MS is a chronic, painful, inflammatory illness. Chad has learned to manage the illness mostly by himself and wrote Won’t Stop Running after a doctor told him he’d be paralyzed within a few years. Now, more than a decade later, Chad’s still running strong.

14. Hard Life – Brad Paisley

To the best of my knowledge, Brad Paisley doesn’t have a chronic illness. However, he performed and recorded a wonderful song called Hard Life that was written by Joe Kindregan, a young man suffering from ataxia-telangiectasia (A-T).¹⁴

A-T is a progressive degenerative disorder that can cause problems walking, talking, and moving in general, among other things. Joe wrote Hard Life about living with the disease and gave the lyrics to Brad Paisley at a fundraiser. The country star liked them enough to fly Joe out to Nashville and recorded the song. Sadly, Joe Kindregan died as the direct result of his illness in 2015. But his legacy will forever live on through this song.

15. Hidden Pain – A Star

This UK-based grime rapper (grime is a subgenre of rap: I’m not calling him grimy lol) might not be as well-known as some of the others on the list, but his struggle with chronic illness is just as real. Alidor Gaspar, better known by his stage name A Star, has been living with sickle-cell anemia since birth.¹⁵ This is an inherited blood disorder that can cause pain, fatigue, weakness and, over time, many other symptoms, some of which can be quite serious.

Hidden Pain is a powerful song about living with sickle-cell anemia. A Star said he wrote it to raise awareness about the disease and to encourage people to donate blood. Even though this song is about living with sickle-cell anemia specifically, the chorus “Put on a smile to mask the pain. No longer will I hold this shame. Releasing all the hidden pain” will be relatable to anyone living with a chronic, painful, invisible illness.

16. It’s Not Over Yet – For King & Country

This pop-country song offers a hopeful reminder to those of us living with a chronic illness – it’s not over yet. Lyrics like “To everyone who’s hit their limit, it’s not over yet… And even when you think you’re finished, it’s not over yet” help us to keep moving forward when we’re feeling lost and defeated.

The Christian-country duo For King & Country consists of two brothers, Joel and Luke Smallbone. The group’s original name was actually Joel & Luke before they changed it to For King & Country. In 2012, Luke was diagnosed with a severe form of ulcerative colitis (UC) that forced him to miss several months of touring.¹⁶ Since his diagnosis, Luke has written and recorded several songs about the struggles of living with a chronic illness including It’s Not Over Yet and Without You, the latter of which also features his wife, Courtney.

17. Fully Alive – Flyleaf

I find this song incredibly inspiring. Trying to maintain a positive attitude when you’re ill can be nearly impossible. Yet that’s precisely what this rock song is all about.

Flyleaf is a Christian-rock band that formed in Texas during the early 2000’s. Though no one in this band has a chronic illness as far as I know, Flyleaf’s frontwoman, Lacey Sturm (formerly Lacey Mosley), wrote Fully Alive about a friend who does.¹⁷

Fully Alive is about Layla Palmer, wife of Kevin Palmer, the frontman for the band Trust Company. Layla has a rare arthritic condition called palindromic rheumatism that causes painful fluid buildup in her joints. Yet, in spite of her incredibly painful and at-times-debilitating illness, Layla’s always smiling and maintains a positive attitude. Inspired by Layla’s unrelenting positivity, Lacey wrote this wonderful song so that others – myself included and hopefully you, too – can also find a glimmer of optimism from Layla’s unwillingness to let anything – even a painful, chronic illness – get her down.

18. Nobody’s Empire – Belle and Sebastian

Don’t let the name fool you.: Belle and Sebastian aren’t a musical duo. They’re a seven-member – none of whom are named Belle OR Sebastian, ironically – indie-pop-rock group from Scotland that formed in 1994. A few years before starting the band, lead singer and songwriter Stuart Murdoch was diagnosed with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS).¹⁸

The song Nobody’s Empire by Belle and Sebastian is thought to be about Murdoch’s struggle with ME/CFS. Though the lyrics are open to interpretation, in several interviews Murdoch states that this song is inspired by his health struggles. I found a great 2015 interview with Murdoch about living with chronic fatigue syndrome where he clearly articulates what it’s like: “ME/CFS people are marginalized… I was a second-class citizen. I sometimes still feel like one.” “ME/CFS is almost too difficult to talk about… Or it’s not dramatic enough or something.” Unfortunately, I’ve heard the same things from others with ME/CFS, including my own brother. ME/CFS might not LOOK dramatic, but for the people who have to live with it day in and day out, they know just how dramatically ME/CFS can destroy your energy levels, self worth, and overall well being.

19. Pain – Of Mice & Men

Though physical pain isn’t necessarily a symptom of every chronic illnesses, they often go hand in hand. And that’s what this song’s all about. It was written by Of Mice & Men founding member Austin Carlile, who lives with Marfan syndrome, a painful connective-tissue disorder that can potentially be life threatening.¹⁹

Of Mice & Men is a modern-metal band that formed in 2009. Though Carlile was one of their two founding members (along with bassist Jaxin Hall), he had to leave the band in 2016 due to the symptoms of Marfan syndrome. It caused problems with his joints, his voice, and as the title of this song suggests, lots of pain and suffering.

20. Her Diamonds – Rob Thomas

Though he captures the feeling of what it’s like to generally be unhealthy in Unwell, a song by his band Matchbox Twenty, the song Her Diamonds from Rob Thomas’s 2009 solo album Cradlesong is anything but general. He wrote Her Diamonds specifically about his wife, Marisol Maldonado, who suffers from chronic, late-state neurological Lyme disease.²⁰

Her illness – along with Bartonella and a variety of infections – has made Marisol’s life incredibly challenging. In the song Her Diamonds, Rob Thomas describes how hard it is watching someone you love struggle with something you can’t do anything about. “She says ooh, I can’t take no more. Her tears like diamonds on the floor… And her diamonds bring me down cause I can’t help her now. Hard to see them on the ground, her diamonds falling down.”

Watching someone you love battling a chronic illness day in and day out can be almost as hard of a fight as having the actual disease. I think those of us who suffer from chronic illnesses often (and understandably) lose sight of the fact that sometimes our struggle isn’t ours alone. The people who care about us and feel powerless to help are struggling, too, but in their own way – a different way. Her Diamonds by Rob Thomas is a reminder that having a chronic illness sucks not just for those of us who are sick, but also for any friends and family who happen to care about us.

21. Warrior – Demi Lovato

Here we have yet another former Disney actress turned musical superstar who is no stranger to chronic illness. Demi Lovato released her debut album in 2008 shortly before Selena Gomez released hers the following year. Both women have been tremendously successful in the music industry with several bestselling albums under each of their belts. But when it comes to health, these talented young women haven’t been so lucky.

Demi Lovato has struggled with a number of chronic mental-health issues. She’s talked about being diagnosed with bipolar disorder (BD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), as well as an eating disorder.²¹ Additionally, Demi has struggled with substance abuse for many years.

The song Warrior is often thought to be about Demi standing up to her mental-health struggles and becoming stronger because of it. “Now I’m a warrior. Now I’ve got thicker skin. I’m a warrior. I’m stronger than I’ve ever been.” Those of us battling a chronic illness – whether physical, psychological, or both – are all warriors fighting the good fight every single day.

22. Hi Ren – Ren

Ren Gill is a singer-songwriter from the United Kingdom who blew up after releasing the song Hi Ren in 2022. The song is incredibly catchy and relatable to those of us with chronic illnesses.

For years, Ren has been living with chronic Lyme disease and other autoimmune-related issues.²² In the song Hey Ren, he talks to himself about his struggles: “Hi Ren, I’ve been taking some time to be distant. I’ve been taking some time to be still. I’ve been taking some time to be myself. And I’ve spent half my life ill.” With lyrics like these, it’s not hard to imagine why this song became so popular among people with chronic illnesses.

23. Doc Talk – Ellis Michaels

I’m not feeling as ashamed as I could be, so I’ll throw in just a little more shameful promotion. Doc Talk is a reggae-esque song I wrote a few years ago about having a conversation with one of my doctors. “Doc, what’s the deal? The more you do, the worse I feel. I’d hate to see the way you hurt if this is how you heal.” Just about every person I know who has a chronic illness also has a story about a doctor who made things worse.

And lastly, one of the first songs I wrote and recorded was about the specific chronic illness I’ve been living with for decades: Behcet’s disease, aka Behcet’s syndrome. I wrote Behcet’s Song (You’re Not Alone) – a cheesy tune, just me and my ukulele – in the hope that it would help others diagnosed with this rare form of vasculitis feel less alone.

24. Be Okay – Ingrid Michaelson

This is the perfect song to end on. It’s another indie folk-pop song by Ingrid that captures a feeling many of us living with chronic illnesses know too well. Like anyone, we just want to be okay.

Ingrid Michaelson is a singer-songwriter living with Grave’s disease. Her song Be Okay is highly relatable to those of us with chronic illnesses. “I want to know today, know that maybe I will be okay.” I totally get it, Ingrid: I’d like to know if I might be okay, too. Wouldn’t that be nice!

The Songs About Chronic Illness Playlist

Any Chronic-Illness Songs I Missed?

Are there any other songs about living with a chronic illness that I missed? I’m sure there are. Maybe you’ve even written one or two yourself. In the comments section at the bottom of the page, please feel free to suggest any other chronic-illness songs you know about. They can be multi-platinum hits from major artists or songs you wrote and recorded in your bedroom last week. As long as they’re chronic-illness related, I want to hear them.

Do you have a favorite song or artist on this list (besides Ellis Michaels, of course lol)? Has one song in particular helped you get through some tough times? I’d love to hear all about it I the comments section at the bottom.

Conclusion

Hopefully these songs about chronic illness will do for you what they’ve done for me: help realize that, as alone as I may feel sometimes, I’m never really, truly alone. At any given time, no matter what you’re going through, I guarantee there’s someone out there somewhere dealing with something very similar.

This is what makes music so powerful. In the blink of an eye, you can go from feeling like the loneliest person on the planet with a disease no one other than you can possibly understand to feeling completely understood, welcome, optimistic, and even part of a highly-exclusive club.

That’s the most-valuable thing that chronic-illness music has given me: community. It’s made me feel like part of something greater than myself. For those of us living with a chronic illness, no one on the planet – no matter how well-meaning they may be – can truly understand what we go through on a daily basis. They may want to. And we may want them to. But they can’t: they just can’t.

But other people with chronic illnesses, especially musicians, writers, artists, and other creatives can. And that’s why those of us with chronic diseases often feel drawn to such creators. Through writing, music, comedy, video, or other mediums, they put themselves and their diseases out there into the world for all to see – and that takes real courage. As someone who’s released music and books about my own health struggles, I can tell you from firsthand experience that doing so leaves you open to all sorts of criticism and feelings of extreme vulnerability.

But it’s worth it. It’s totally worth the risk. Every time someone tells me that Must Be Nice or Behcet’s Song (You’re Not Alone) touched them in a certain way and made them feel less alone, it warms my heart. Since I felt sooo alone in the years following my diagnosis, I’ve really tried to help others recently diagnosed with a chronic illness to know that they’re not alone.

Because they’re really not. Remember the statistic at the top of this post? Three out of every four adult Americans have at least one chronic illness. Try not to lose sight of that. No matter how alone you might be feeling, there are literally millions of us with chronic diseases across the country.

If you’d like to learn about dozens of musicians living with a chronic illness, you may want to read this: 30 Musicians With Chronic Illnesses.

References