John Amoroso

‘1–800–273–8255′ took major gonads to make and Logic did it so well

Logic released ‘1–800–273–8255′ and it must’ve caught the eye of anyone scrolling through new music. Wait, is that phone number? Did he just make a phone number a song? Have I seen this number before? I can tell you that we all have, even if we do not know it off the top of our head, we recognize it from somewhere.

1–800–273–8255 is the suicide prevention hotline.

This may be one of the greatest things to happen in this world we live in. Someone with some mainstream influence has turned a hotline into a song — no not a song, a message, an anthem. People of all walks of life, young, old, white, black, Asian, male, female, transgender, and all other classifications have all had someone surrender their life on their own. Most without expressing deep feelings of loneliness and worthlessness.

The Suicide Prevention Hotline was built as a tool for those who felt alone could anonymously call and have someone to talk to in a time of need. It launched January 1st, 2005 and has helped countless individuals through rough times but, there is still more work to be done to be able to reach out to those scared and fearful.

Logic made the fantastic choice to create this anthem. It shares the story of a person in crisis who finds help. There could be some encouragement from this song to call for support.

The song “1–800–283–8255 (National Suicide Prevention Lifeline),” featuring Alessia Cara & Khalid, details the story of a person in suicidal crisis who calls the Lifeline and finds hope through the support of a Lifeline crisis counselor. “In [this song] we hear a person at the end of their rope,” says Logic. “We then hear words from the perspective of the Lifeline counselor who in turn gives them many reasons to keep fighting for their life…. Finally, we hear the caller express their new lease on life and outlook on a life that they thought was over but had actually been far from it all along.”

Along with the release of the song, several PSA’s were released featuring fans of Logic who share how music has helped them with the logo and phone number for the hotline.

“By sharing these stories of recovery from individuals who have been there and have survived their own crises, we can change the conversation about suicide from one of tragedy and isolation to one of hope,” says Dr. John Draper, Director of the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. “It’s an honor for us to be working alongside Logic to help people in despair find hope and meaning.”

Bravo Logic! You created a song that is very catchy but you share a message that can help the lives of those who are struggling.

Here, in Logic’s own words is the meaning behind the lyrics:

We do not know who may have leading thoughts or not; it is up to us to stay positive and be kind to all. There is no need for hate in this world and we can play a part in helping those who feel like they have nothing or no one. My hope — and probably Logic’s — is that this song could help save lives but also give more exposure to an issue that is a big problem around the world.

We can all do more, just be courteous and kind because you just may not know what others are trying to fight.

You can can read the full Mental Health Association press release here.

This page was updated on June 30, 2017 to include a new link to the song on YouTube.

This post was originally posted on Medium.com/Section240 by John Amoroso on May 2nd, 2017