3 Must-Hear Comeback Songs for Anyone Seeking Inspiration

Music seems to have an almost supernatural ability to heal. We rely on it for different reasons. And when we seek inspiration, the right song can lift our spirits. So this list highlights three great comeback anthems by artists who experienced their own survival.

“Lose Yourself” by Eminem

Calling something the greatest this or that is often a silly exercise. But it’s one I’m not above. For example, calling “Whole Lotta Love” the greatest rock guitar riff. So, if there’s a better hype track than “Lose Yourself”, I’ve yet to hear it. Eminem’s mantra from 8 Mile describes desperation. The moment when hope is slipping. And it’s slipping fast. This is the rapper balancing on the cliff’s edge between obscurity and GOAT. There’s no family money or influence to fall back on. It’s just the greatest living rapper (there I go again) rising like a Detroit phoenix.

Mom, I love you, but this trailer’s got,
To go, I cannot grow old in Salem’s Lot.
So here I go, it’s my shot, feet, fail me not,
This may be the only opportunity that I got.

“Comeback Kid” by Sharon Van Etten

An utter banger from Sharon Van Etten. The folk singer herself is the comeback kid. After a stint at Middle Tennessee State University, she escaped a bum of a boyfriend in the middle of the night, taking only what she could carry. Soon enough, the New Jersey native was in Brooklyn among a cohort of transformative indie artists. “Comeback Kid” is how we evolve. How much of an earlier version of us remains? And how we’re tethered to the person we used to be. You’ll want to crank this one.

“Hey, you’re the comeback kid.”
See me look away,
I’m the runaway, I’m the stay-out-late, I’m recovering.
Kid at the top of our street,
I was somewhat like him; I was somebody.

“This Is Music” by The Verve

These days, the music business feels like a playground for rich kids. The ones who emerge with expensive records, backed by the safety net of family dough and a team of professional songwriters. But when The Verve emerged from Wigan, there was none of that. There was no guarantee they’d survive themselves, let alone the music industry. But Richard Ashcroft had the goods to back up a track bold enough to be called “This Is Music”. You can’t get to something like “Bitter Sweet Symphony” without the struggle.

I stand accused just like you,
For being born without a silver spoon.
Stood at the top of a hill,
Over my town I was found.

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