Happy
by NF

Album: Hope (2023)
Charted: 51 54
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • In this song, NF discusses how he finds comfort in his agony-filled life. He believes he wouldn't know what to do with himself if he ever was truly happy.
  • The first verse finds NF apologizing to God for not being able to appreciate life. He knows it's been a while since he's talked to Him, but he's feeling stuck obsessing over the little things instead of living life and making memories.

    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


    NF concludes the verse by saying he finds it easier to be sad and in pain than to be happy. In fact, if he ever found himself in a state of genuine happiness, it would feel weird and he'd start questioning everything about his life.

    Hanging by a thread's how I live
    I don't know why, but I feel more comfortable
  • The chorus hits hard, with NF feeling trapped in his own agony. He knows he needs help, but he's too proud to ask for it and he's scared of becoming a totally different person if he were happy.

    I'm too proud to open up and ask ya
    To pick me up and pull me out this hole I'm trapped in
    The truth is I need help, but I just can't imagine
    Who I'd be if I was happy


    Though the dude feels lonely and lost, he feels most at home when he's suffering every day.

    I'll be the first to admit that I'm a lonely soul
    And the last to admit I need a hand to hold
    Losing hope, heading down a dangerous road
    Strange, I know, but I feel most at home when I'm living in my agony
  • On his March 2021 track " Lost," NF says something similar. He talks about how when he's trapped in a cycle of self-destruction, it's difficult for him to break free:

    There's a high road but I skip the exit when I'm lost
  • NF recorded "Happy" for his sixth studio album, Hope. The record ushers in a fresh message to his artistry, one that centers on the themes of closure, forgiveness, and new beginnings. But the old demons aren't defeated yet, and you can feel them all in this song.
  • NF co-wrote and co-produced "Happy" with his go-to writing partner Tommee Profitt. Jeff Sojka (Crowder's "Good God Almighty," Anne Wilson's "Sunday Sermons," NF's "Hope") also helped with the production.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Millie Jackson

Millie JacksonSongwriter Interviews

Outrageously gifted and just plain outrageous, Millie is an R&B and Rap innovator.

Angelo Moore of Fishbone

Angelo Moore of FishboneSongwriter Interviews

Fishbone has always enjoyed much more acclaim than popularity - Angelo might know why.

Divided Souls: Musical Alter Egos

Divided Souls: Musical Alter EgosSong Writing

Long before Eminem, Justin Bieber and Nicki Minaj created alternate personas, David Bowie, Bono, Joni Mitchell and even Hank Williams took on characters.

Tony Joe White

Tony Joe WhiteSongwriter Interviews

The writer of "Rainy Night in Georgia" and "Polk Salad Annie" explains how he cooks up his Louisiana swamp rock.

Real or Spinal Tap

Real or Spinal TapMusic Quiz

They sang about pink torpedoes and rocking you tonight tonight, but some real lyrics are just as ridiculous. See if you can tell which lyrics are real and which are Spinal Tap in this lyrics quiz.

Into The Great Wide Open: Made-up Musicians

Into The Great Wide Open: Made-up MusiciansSong Writing

Eddie (played by Johnny Depp in the video) found fame fleeting, but Chuck Berry's made-up musician fared better.