Lewis Capaldi's comeback single 'Survive': Read up on what the song actually means
Fans were thrilled he returned to the spotlight
Last updated 1st Jul 2026
Lewis Capaldi is truly one of the most beloved and respected artists in pop music right now. Not only is he a hugely talented songwriter with the voice of an angel, but his transparency around his mental health and taking breaks from the music industry has given him a legion of devoted and understanding fans.
The Scottish hitmaker's 2023 performance at Glastonbury brought revellers to tears as he struggled through his Pyramid Stage set, after which he took a two-year break from music - but fans were over the moon at his return to music in 2025, surprise-dropping single 'Survive' in June 2025, and gracing us with more of the raw, honest and emotional music we know and love.
Listen to Lewis Capaldi' - 'Survive':
When was 'Survive' released?
It was released on Friday 27th June 2025.
Where did it come in the charts?
'Survive' debuted at Number 1, staying in the Top 10 for its first four weeks. It was certified Gold by the BPI in December 2025, translating to 400,000 sales in the UK alone!
Lewis took to Instagram to share his gratitude for the reception to 'Survive', writing: 'Survive… after being away for 2 years and not knowing what to expect releasing new music, am honestly absolutely blown away by the response to ‘survive’, this song means so much to me. thank you all so much! ❤️ x.' (sic)
What's it about?
Lewis made his much-anticipated return to music with 'Survive', focusing on a challenging period of the Scottish singer's life. Addressing the mental health challenges of self-doubt and despair, as well showing moments of defiance, Lewis sings: 'Most nights I fear that I’m not enough / I’ve had my share of Monday mornings when I can’t get up.
'I swear to God I’ll survive, if it kills me to, I’m gonna’ get up and try, if it’s the last thing I’ll do'.
Clearly referring to the previous two years and how he'd coped through the darkest moments, Lewis' track revealed he was returning to the music scene stronger and with a renewed sense of purpose.
In an interview with US broadcaster NPR, Lewis went into more detail about how fellow 'Survive' EP track 'The Day That I Die' was almost the other half of the song 'Survive'. He discussed how 'The Day That I Die' was written while he was in a dark place: "I just thought, you know, what would you say to someone - I guess, a suicide note. What would I say to people if heaven forbid, like, I succumb to all those, you know, dark moments that I was having?"
He went on to say that he said it was "weird" for him to talk about, as he felt he had to preface any conversation by saying "By the way, I'm fine," with the interviewer adding that the song 'Survive' did that for him and Lewis agreeing.
He said: "'Survive' isn't my favourite song on the EP. I love it, but it was one of those things where I thought it was important that that was the first thing people heard. I don't want to come back and be like, 'I've had, like, a really dark two years, and I've been away. And the last time you saw me, I was really struggling. And here's a song called 'The Day That I Die'.'
"So I wanted to, like, really have, like, a positive flag in the sand, sort of like we're back, and this is how I'm feeling, and this is how everything is."
What are the lyrics?
It's an understandably emotional song, with the following powerful lyrics: 'How long ‘til it feels / Like the wounds finally starting to heal / How long ‘til it feels / Like I’m more than a spoke in a wheel.
'Most nights I fear / That I’m not enough / I’ve had my share of Monday mornings when I can’t get up / But when hope is lost / And I come undone.
'I swear to God I’ll survive / If it kills me to / I’m gonna get up and try /If it’s the last thing I do / I’ve still got something to give / Though it hurts sometimes / I’m gonna get up and live / Until the day that I die / I swear to God I’ll survive.
'How long ‘til you know / That in truth you know nothing at all / How far will you go / To get back to the place you belong.
'Most nights I fear / That I’m not enough / But I refuse to spend my best years rotting in the sun / So when hope is lost / And I come undone.'
How did Lewis announce the track?
He took to social media to share a clip from his song, alongside a video montage of footage from over the years, including of him on stage, and playing the guitar as a wee lad. Lewis captioned the post: 'it’s been a while… link in bio 🌸 x'
READ MORE: Read up on all the heartfelt meanings behind Lewis Capaldi's biggest songs
Now check out Lewis Capaldi's career to date:
Career beginnings
Lewis learned to play the drums and guitar when he was just two-years-old, and started off singing in pubs at the age of nine. At 17, he decided to pursue a full-time career in music, and was discovered by his manager through his SoundCloud account.
2017: 'Bloom EP'
Lewis released his first EP 'Bloom' in October 2017, having worked on it with producer Malay and released 'Bruises' in March that year. He was then signed to Universal Music Group, and was long-listed for BBC's Sound of Music 2018, later supporting Rag'n'Bone Man on his European tour in November 2017.
2018: Supporting Niall Horan, festival appearances and 'Breach' EP
After supporting Rag'n'Bone Man, Lewis came to the attention of former One Direction star Niall Horan. The pair became friends and Lewis joined him as a support act for his 'Flicker World Tour' in March 2018, before going on tour as support for Sam Smith two months later.
Lewis took to the stage at various music festivals in the summer of 2018, playing Lollapalooza, Bonnaroo, Reading & Leeds Festival and TRNSMT. He also supported Kodaline in August 2018. Lewis then released his second EP 'Breach' in November 2018, containing songs 'Grace' and 'Someone You Loved', which became Lewis' breakthrough single and was Number 1 in the UK for seven weeks.
2019: Debut album, 'Someone You Loved' and BRIT Awards
Lewis released his debut album 'Divinely Uninspired to a Hellish Extent' in May 2019, and it became the best-selling UK album in five years. He was nominated for the hugely coveted Critics' Choice Award at the BRITs 2019 (which has now been renamed to the Rising Star Award) but lost out to Sam Fender.
In October 2019, 'Someone You Loved' reached Number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, which made him the first Scottish solo artist to top the US chart since 1981. The video for the song was released two months beforehand, and starred actor Peter Capaldi — who is a distant cousin of Lewis'. The singer was also announced as the opening act for Niall Horan's 'Nice to Meet Ya Tour', which was due to start in April 2020. In December 2019, Lewis recruited celebrities all over the world to help make a hilarious video to his song 'Bruises'.
2019: Headline tour
The album was certified Gold two weeks after it was released. Lewis' tour was announced before the release of his album, and he became the first artist ever to sell out an arena tour before his debut album was released.
Lewis also announced his mental health campaign for gigs, LiveLive. 'LIVELIVE' is a mental health support system, which is designed to help fans who have anxiety. The system offers them advice, time out and a gig buddy system is also available. The singer shared a number of Instagram Stories from his tour explaining what fans can expect from 'LIVELIVE'.
Lewis opened up to Grazia about mental health, discussing his scheme to alleviate anxiety at live music events. He said: "I want this to become a thing that can be at lots of shows. I was getting inundated with messages on Twitter and Instagram with all this stuff like 'I would love to come to your show but you know, I get panic attacks or I'm not very good in crowds'. Some people just don't want to come alone. And I just thought that it seemed like some people could miss the out on coming to shows, just because of their anxiety."
Due to this, the 'Hold Me While You Wait' singer announced LIVELIVE; an initiative ensuring that anxious fans would have appropriate support available at large shows, allowing them to feel more comfortable. The commendable scheme meant that for an extra 50p per ticket, fans would be able to receive on-site counselling, with a team available to meet fans at the door, escort them to their seats, and help those who want to leave the concert quickly later in the evening - avoiding busy crowds.
2020: Award wins
He was nominated at the Grammy Awards 2020 for the category of Song of the Year for 'Someone You Loved', unfortunately losing out to Billie Eilish for 'Bad Guy'. When his ex-girlfriend Paige Turley went into the Love Island villa, reports surfaced that his song 'Someone You Loved' was about her — but Lewis revealed it was about his late grandmother.
Lewis was nominated for four awards at the BRITs 2020: Male Solo Artist, Best New Artist, Song of the Year for 'Someone You Loved' and Album of the Year for 'Divinely Uninspired to a Hellish Extent'. He went on to win Song of the Year and Best New Artist.
2021: Social media break
In January 2021, Lewis announced he would be taking a break from social media to focus on creating his second album, the follow up to 2019's 'Divinely Uninspired to a Hellish Extent'. Lewis broke his social media silence in March 2021 to reflect on the previous year. He also announced he would be rescheduling his tour to 2022 due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.
2022: New music, live performances, TV appearances and album/tour announcements
In the update we were all waiting for, Lewis Capaldi revealed that his second album would be called 'Broken By Desire To Be Heavenly Sent' and would be released in May 2023. That's not all, as he also surprised fans with the announcement of a tour in January and February 2023.
Lewis then released 'Forget Me' on 9th September. It was the first single to come from his second album and the first music he has released in three years. On 12th September, he also released a music video for the song, which fans of Wham! might recognise, as it is a recreation of their 'Club Tropicana' video.
Lewis and good friend Niall Horan also created a documentary in 2022, which follows then as they travel around Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. Called Homecoming: The Road to Mullingar, the documentary was released on Prime Video on Friday 21st October 2022 and follows their road-trip and visit to Niall's hometown Mullingar.
Lewis also brought out his own range of frozen pizzas in 2022 — saying that lockdown inspired him to get into pizza making. He has two pizzas in the range, The Big Sexy Meat One and The Big Sexy Cheesy One.
2023: Breathtaking BRITs performance, waxwork and second album
The BRIT Awards 2023 with Mastercard took place on 11th February, with Lewis taking to the stage to perform at the ceremony for the first time since 2020. He was also nominated for Song of The Year at the 2023 BRITs, for his song 'Forget Me', however lost out on the win to Harry Styles and his hit track 'As It Was'.
Lewis then released his highly anticipated second album 'Broken By Desire To Be Heavenly Sent' on 19th May 2023. It was the fastest-selling album of 2023, debuting at Number 1 in the UK and has been certified Platinum by the BPI with 300,000 sales in the UK. The album included a love song with Ed Sheeran called 'Pointless'.
Also in 2023 Lewis came face-to-face with his waxwork at Madame Tussauds Blackpool, saying: "It is weird to look at myself like this, I wish I'd never had this haircut, but it is forever immortalised in this wax figure. I love it," he said. "For fans, I think it will be great, they can come and touch my bum!"
2023: Performs at Glastonbury Festival and announces a break from touring
At the beginning of June 2023, Lewis shared a statement announcing that he would be cancelling his upcoming commitments in order to prepare for his performance at Glastonbury Festival. In the statement, he wrote that he needed time to 'rest and recover' before the performance that was three weeks away. In the difficult message, he also revealed: 'I haven't been home properly since Christmas and at the moment I'm struggling to get to grips with it all.'
On Saturday 24th June 2023, Lewis then took to the stage at Glastonbury Festival! He performed a selection of his greatest songs, including 'Forget Me', 'Pointless' and 'Before You Go'. Towards the end of Lewis' set, he began to struggle with his Tourette's Syndrome. Due to his tics, the singer struggled to sing his hit track 'Someone You Loved'. In an emotional moment, the adoring crowd began to sing the song at the top of their lungs, helping Lewis finish his set.
Three days after his performance, Lewis then shared a statement to announce he would be 'taking a break from touring'. In the emotional statement, he thanked the festival, as well as his fans for 'singing along when I needed it and for all the amazing messages afterwards'.
He said: 'The truth is I'm still learning to adjust to the impact of my Tourette's and on Saturday it became obvious that I need to spend much more time getting my mental and physical health in order, so I can keep doing everything I love for a long time to come.'
2023: Lewis wins a National Television Award for Netflix documentary
Lewis Capaldi announced his Netflix documentary in March 2023 — which gives a raw and honest view of Lewis' career pressures and mental health struggles. The programme is called Lewis Capaldi: How I'm Feeling Now and was later released on Netflix on 5th April 2023.
In September 2023, it won the National Television Award for Best Authored Documentary. In a video message following his win, Lewis said: "Thank you so, so much if you voted, or even if you just watched the documentary. Thank you so much for voting and thank you for everyone who made it. A massive shoutout to my fellow nominees. You're all incredible. Making a documentary is not easy in the slightest, from what I've learned. It's an honour to be nominated alongside you. I'll see you soon."
He then shared a health update at the end of the year. Taking to Instagram, Lewis explained that he had been working with professionals to help manage his Tourette's and anxiety, adding that he has noticed a 'marked improvement' in his symptoms since taking a break. He also announced the release of 'Broken By Desire To Be Heavenly Sent' (Extended Edition)', which includes five extra songs.
2025: Lewis returns to the stage after nearly two years
In early 2025, Scottish singer Lewis Capaldi appeared on stage in Edinburgh at an intimate phone-free gig, where Tom Walker and Nina Nesbitt were performing. This was his first performance since his huge Glastonbury set in 2023. He performed six songs including 'Someone You Loved'.
Lewis then returned to the Glastonbury's Pyramid Stage in the summer, and performed several songs as a surprise performer. The singer told fans: "Second time's a charm on this one. I just wanted to come and finish what I couldn't finish last time." Contrasting to his 2023, Lewis reflected on his performance in August 2025, telling us that it was: "Maybe the best day of my life."
Although he wasn't announced to perform at BST Hyde Park, in July 2025, Lewis joined Noah Kahan on stage to sing 'Northern Attitude', normally sung with Hozier.
A few days after his surprise appearance at Glastonbury, Lewis then announced a tour for September 2025. Starting in Sheffield on 6th September, Lewis continued on to Aberdeen, Glasgow, London (for three shows), Manchester, Birmingham, Nottingham and Cardiff, ending his tour in Dublin, on 30th September. The tour completely sold out within a couple of hours of the tickets going on sale. Just days into his 2025 tour, Lewis then announced several summer dates for 2026.
2025: Lewis releases EP, complete with comeback single 'Survive'
In June 2025, Lewis made a huge return to music with a powerful track which delves into his struggles with mental health. 'Survive' dropped on Friday 27th, and Lew shared the track on Insta, alongside the caption: 'It's been a while.'
Then on 14th November, Lewis released his EP 'Survive', which featured four songs, 'Survive', 'Something In The Heavens', 'Almost' and 'The Day That I Die' — all of which were released as singles.
Also in 2025, Lewis met his very own LEGO Lewis likeness! The singer spent time at the LEGO Chalet of Play where he met the model made out of 41,254 bricks.
2026: Lewis released his first song of 2026
Lewis released his first song of 2026 on 17th April. The release of the song called 'Stay Love' coincided with his sold out performance at Madison Square Garden in New York City.