Lavigne’s ‘Head Above Water’ about Lyme disease
Avril Lavigne isn’t just shrugging off cliches when she sings, “God, keep my head above water / Don’t let me drown, it gets harder” on her new single “Head Above Water.”
Lavigne has been on a nearly fiveyear hiatus and revealed in a statement that her yearslong battle with Lyme disease inspired the song, particularly one pained night she feared would be her last.
“I thought I was dying, and I had accepted that I was going to die,” she said. “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.”
Lavigne is pushing for Lyme disease awareness with her eponymous foundation, which supports people with the disease and other major illnesses.