NF really has a way with words, and his lyrics give his music a level of depth that’s rare to come by. His song “Happy“ is currently making fans cry as a result of its relatability and how it addresses childhood pain and trauma.
“Happy” is the latest single from his fifth studio album Hope, a project that’s all about healing and moving on from past mistakes, past traumas, and facing current issues.
“Dear God, please / Hear me out, I know it’s been a couple years / Since I’ve reached / Out and said hello, I bet You’re wondering / Why I keep/Obsessing on and stressing all the little things,” he sings in the opening verse of how he’s been running from addressing his issues, even though it keeps him trapped in his head. “When I should be / Living life and soaking up the memories / I know I’ve been selfish, I have no excuse to give You, it’s true / Hanging by a thread’s how I live.”
The chorus then sees him admit that the reason he doesn’t want to change his outlook on life is due to the fact that he’s gotten comfortable with living in his agony. The lines really strike a chord because I bet that, at the very least, once in our lives we’ve been afraid of what change might mean for us. For NF, it’s hard for him to imagine who he’d be if he happened to stop being sad and lonely.
In the second verse, we learn more about how comfortable he’s gotten with being depressed and that a slight change makes him feel as if something’s off. He also tells us that there’s baggage he won’t offload, issues he doesn’t want to address, memories of traumas that won’t fade, phone calls he can’t pick up, words he can’t take back, and bridges he’s too afraid to fix. “I’ll be the first to admit that I’m a lonely soul / And the last to admit I need a hand to hold,” he sings.
Fortunately, the bridge offers a ray of hope, since, even though he doesn’t know what the future holds, he’s become aware enough to know that it’s not right for him to keep living in agony.
“Happy” is written by NF and Tommee Profitt and produced by Tommee Profitt, NF, and Jeff Sojka.
The music video focuses on a young girl growing up in an unloving home. Throughout the video, viewers get to see flashes of the young girl’s life and that of a young woman who is clearly dealing with things. As the video rounds up, we see the little girl smile for the first time and apparently decide to embrace the happy parts of her life over all the others.