I Thought I Was Finally Healthy…
It is rare for a song to feel like it is speaking explicitly to me, but a few days after my partner of the last ten and a half years decided to split up with me because he “don’t want to look at the next fifty years of [his] life and have them be defined by mental health,” I turned to Spotify for my cry session. That was where I discovered “Healthy” by Harrison Boe.
Boe’s indie pop single “Healthy” doesn’t just document a mental health journey—it soundtracks the disorienting space between recovery and relapse with startling clarity. In an era where therapy speak floods timelines and healing is marketed as a lifestyle, Boe’s vulnerability lands like a gut punch precisely because it doesn’t pretend to be inspirational. Instead, “Healthy” is a quietly devastating meditation on the fragility of feeling okay—and how quickly that feeling can vanish.
“I’m taking new meds, I’m clearing my head for the millionth time,” he opens, his voice light and almost conversational, masking the exhaustion in the repetition. The song is scaffolded by upbeat indie-pop rhythms and clean, melancholic production courtesy of Jonathan Beard, but Boe’s lyrics scrape at something raw. He isn’t singing from the mountaintop of recovery; he’s crawling from the crater, again.
This deeply resonated with me because for the better part of a year, my ex had pointed out that I was depressed. However, I didn’t want to admit it. I’m a Recovery Coach, I know better. I wasn’t staying in bed for days or weeks on end, but I had no energy or interest in anything I liked to do. All I wanted to do was be on my phone. And yet, I insisted, “I’m healthy, I’m good.”
But in reality, I was in denial. And it wasn’t until I lost the safety net of my relationship that I finally got my ass back into therapy and talked to my psychiatrist. I mean, like, really talked to them. Instead of the usual, “Yeah, I’m good.” I told them where I was and how I struggled to focus on my work. And like Boe, I was given a completely new medication regimen—something I have been completely resistant to.
And yet, it was the best thing to happen to me. I have energy again and feel like I am in the land of the living. Like I was in the passenger seat, watching my life pass me by. And the embrace of my depression made me feel indifferent to that.
When I heard the chorus—“I was finally healthy, finally good… how come my trauma had to get in the way?”—I felt seen. I have often shouted his weary plea to the universe, to himself, to his past, to the depths of my soul.
There’s a Gen Z specificity to Boe’s songwriting, a sharp self-awareness of how performative healing can be (“my therapist said she’s happy to see me, but I think she lied”), and how dissonant it feels when the outer signs of progress don’t match the inner narrative. The song cycles through moments of hope and regression—sleep returning, then vanishing; laughter through tears—mirroring the nonlinear shape of mental recovery in a society that still rewards the illusion of having it all together.
Boe, who once compared his obsession with Spotify charts to his childhood fixation with chess rankings, seems to understand now that validation can be a losing game. “Healthy” rejects tidy conclusions. Even its bridge, which finally dares to say “I’m finally healthy,” folds back into the refrain, the ghosts still circling.
For listeners who’ve tried everything—medication, therapy, mindfulness apps, journaling, breathing exercises—only to find their ghosts still show up uninvited, “Healthy” isn’t just a song. It’s a mirror. It’s a late-night confession, the kind you make to no one and everyone. And in its repetition and weary poetry, it finds an unexpected kind of hope: not in being healed, but in being honest.
“Healthy” has crossed one million streams on Spotify. Maybe because so many of us are tired of pretending we’re fine.
Healthy | Harrison Boe | YouTube
Healthy | Harrison Boe | Spotify
The Music of Chess | Harrison Boe | TEDxGrandCanyonUniversity
PLAY IT AGAIN: Music can instantly transport you to another state of mind and alter your mood in a heartbeat. This section features select songs that represent some part of our journey and serve as sobriety anthems in reminding us to stay the course. These are the ones that have us saying “PLAY IT AGAIN” and always end up on repeat. No decade or genre is off-limits. Happy listening!
What’s your sobriety theme song? If there is a song you think should be on our playlist, we want to hear about it. Send your requests to thesobercurator@gmail.com
SOBER POP CULTURE + CELEBS: All things pop culture with a sober twist. The Sober Curator endeavors to bridge the gap and break the mold between mainstream pop culture and the vibrant world of sobriety, offering a treasure trove of recommendations spanning movies, podcasts, fashion, book reviews, mocktails (or alcohol-free cocktails), and beyond. Our aim was clear: to cultivate an authority on living a fulfilling, sober life brimming with possibilities and FUN! (Big emphasis on the FUN part, as we are tired of people saying, “Oh, you’re sober – isn’t that boring?)
Recovery is hard 24/7, 365 – Please know that resources are available
If you or someone you know is experiencing difficulties surrounding alcoholism, addiction, or mental illness, please reach out and ask for help. People everywhere can and want to help; you just have to know where to look. And continue to look until you find what works for you. Click here for a list of regional and national resources.
