Singer/songwriter Avril Lavigne has shocked the industry by returning from a five-year hiatus with a powerful worship song called “Head Above Water.”
Lavigne, drawing on her battle with Lyme disease, asks God for strength throughout the song (transcribed via Faithwire):
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 / Don’t let me drown.
In a statement addressing the inspiration for “Head Above Water,” Lavigne gives some insight into her faith in God:
“One night, I thought I was dying, and I had accepted that I was going to die. 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,” she said.
Lavigne was diagnosed with disease in 2014.
“Singer Avril Lavigne said she’s seeing progress in her treatment for Lyme disease, which struck her last year while she was on tour,” ABC News reported in 2015. “The Canadian singer, known for multiple hits in the early 2000s, said trying to get a diagnosis was the worst time of her life.”
The worship song continues:
So pull me up from down below / ‘Cause I’m underneath the undertow / Come dry me off and hold me close / I need you now I need you most / 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.
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