Avril Lavigne has spent the last five years out of the music scene since her battle with Lyme Disease. But recently, she released a hit single that many are labeling “praise and worship.”
Entitled “Head Above Water,” the song that quickly skyrocketed to #1 on the iTunes chart is about a brush with death that pushed the singer straight into the arms of God.
“One night, I thought I was dying, and I had accepted that I was going to die,” said Lavigne. “My mom laid with me in bed and held me. I felt like I was drowning. Under my breath, I prayed ‘God, please help to keep my head above the water.’ In that moment, the [songwriting] of this album began. It was like I tapped into something. It was a very spiritual experience. Lyrics flooded through me from that point on.”
“Head Above Water” details the raw emotions the artist felt during her sickness that has left her bedridden most of the last two years.
The chorus reads, “God, keep my head above water / Don’t let me drown, it gets harder / I’ll meet you there at the altar / As I fall down to my knees / Don’t let me drown, drown, drown / Don’t let me, don’t let me, don’t let me drown.”
Since it’s release on September 19, the powerful YouTube lyric video has been viewed over 6.5 million times.
