There is a special kind of magic when that song finds you in the dark.
Not when you are feeling a little low, but when you are in the middle of falling into the dark. You know, when you feel like you lose the grip completely, when your heart is so exhausted and everything in your life is falling apart while you can only watch on without being able to do much—or anything at all.
Jay Davids, a Christian singer-songwriter, has been in those places too, and shared his journey on my podcast (episode 104). I feel very honoured he shared what he did, because it really hit home.
He has walked through grief and heartbreak many times: losing his dad as a teenager, enduring a toxic work environment for years, going through divorce, financial struggles, and a depression so heavy that it left him wondering if he would ever see the light again—and if things would ever change.
Right in the middle of this darkness, he wrote a song while still being in the thick of it—not on the other side yet. He was still in the pit or tunnel of darkness, but somehow the song “It Was You All Along” came through.
“When I finally reach the end, and I find myself in Your hands…”
Jay did not pen down those lyrics because he felt safe or held in that moment. He wrote them because he had hope, hope that he was safe and comforted somehow. Something inside of him let him know, whispered, maybe, that one day he would look back and see that he never was alone after all.
One of the big things that stuck with me from this conversation is that Jay did not write this song after he ‘made it’ out of this dark place, but while still in the middle of his struggles. The ‘why’ he wrote it is what impressed me the most.
“It Was You All Along” was written from a place where uncertainty ruled—reaching for hope whilst still feeling lost.
Jay shared that someone close to him listens to that song on repeat. That it has become their lifeline on days when depression just won’t let go.
For him, that alone was enough reason to have written it. To help one person, apart from himself, was enough.
That story and statement stayed with me. Why? Because I have been that person too, a listener of a song that reached me whilst in the middle of the tunnel of darkness —and perhaps you have been too.
Here is something I think we all need to remember, and Jay’s story is one of those reminders:
You don’t need to be healed to create something meaningful.
You don’t have to wait until you are ready and have it all figured out to share your story.
Sometimes, the act of creating is the healing.
Sometimes, that one song is what helps you move forward.
That one song that finds you where you are and whispers to you, “me too.”
Has there been a song that whispered this to you when nothing else could?
You know, that one that felt like a warm blanket and made you feel like you weren’t alone?
Because that’s what music does.
It reminds us we’re not alone—even in the silence.
If this post stirred something in you; or if you’re curious how music might help you move through your own moments of exhaustion or fog, sometimes a quiet conversation with someone who notices how music mirrors your reflections can help you hear yourself more clearly.
🎙️ Listen my conversation with Jay Davids: Jay Davids on Music, Faith & Holding On When Life Falls Apart
📥 Download A Quiet Jam here
Feeling like you could use a little space to reflect and reconnect? Grab my free guide, A Quiet Jam, and discover 3 simple music & journaling prompts to help you pause, listen, and reflect and explore your emotions. Get your free strategies here.