"Get Better" by alt-J, contributed by Ella Niederhelman (2025)
I have chosen to submit the song “Get Better” by alt-j, an English alternative rock band. The song tells the tale of a grieving lover whose beloved is fighting for her life in an intensive care unit. Although the song is not based upon true events, the lyrics end with her eventual passing. The song describes elements of remembrance, a response to anticipated and inevitable loss, and the initial inability to move forward beyond past, grounding memories following the death of a loved one. From asking his beloved to “get better” to an old audio recording of her telling him to “get better” following her loss, the song ultimately details an acceptance of grief and shows love overcoming it. My favorite aspect of this message is that personal grappling and understanding of grief is entirely based upon individual experience; this is represented by the specific details of remembrance throughout this song. However, it was published in 2022 amidst the Covid-19 pandemic, the lyricist, Joe Newman, the responsibility of portraying loss universally, thus benefiting an abundance of people struggling with grief during this time. As a result, I feel this song is truly beautiful because it provides an example of individual grief, yet makes the message of love superseding loss universal.