‘Fight Song’ by Rachel Platten Became an Anthem for Cancer Warriors Now She’s Got a New Song of Inspiration for All the ‘Girls’

That’s how her latest song “Girls” came to be. Released in honor of Mother’s Day, the single draws inspiration from Platten’s battle with postpartum depression and her unconditional love for her Violet and Sophie.

“It was really important to me to get to send a message to my daughters, mark this period of time and let them know how I was feeling, how important [they are] and how much love I have for them,” Platten told PEOPLE. “I was really missing them when I was going off to the studio because my baby was just 3 months when I started doing sessions again.

“Sometimes songs feel like they come out of the sky, like a little star I grab. This one came almost pre-written. It was almost like it was revealing itself as I played.”

 

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“Girls” has already received the stamp of approval from young Violet, but Platten is hoping it will forever be something for her daughters to call theirs.

“I tell Violet, ‘Mommy’s going to release your song now. Mommy’s going to go out into the world and share your song with the world. Is that okay?’ And she said, ‘That’s okay,'” Platten explained. “She said, ‘Okay, mommy. It’s a good song.’ I think that they don’t get it yet, but they will, and I think they’ll be really proud to have their own song.”

“Girls” will likely resonate with mothers and daughters everywhere, but it’s too soon to tell if her newest song will touch quite as many as “Fight Song.”

Rachel Platten’s “Fight Song”

Rachel Platten’s “Fight Song” was not her first song, but it was the song that catapulted her career. Prior to its release, she had put out two albums. One in 2003 and another 2011, but both failed to help her secure a contract with any major record label.

“What the hell am I doing?” she recalled thinking at the time. “I’m broke. I’m about to be 30 years old. This is crazy to believe in myself.”

But she believed anyway. In powering through her self-doubt, “Fight Song” was born with lyrics for anyone facing hardship: “This is my fight song / Take back my life song / Prove I’m all right song.”

From there, the rest is history. Platten became the pop star she was meant to be seemingly overnight, and “Fight Song” became the ninth biggest-selling pop digital download song in 2015 with 2.48 million downloads.

“Once in a while, I look through old journals that I kept during the writing of ‘Fight Song’ and Wildfire, and I’m so surprised by how sure I sound and how determined I seemed to be that ‘Fight Song’ would reach the world and help people. I don’t remember feeling that confidence,” Platten said. “I do remember feeling brokenhearted and hopeless and working even harder, maybe to make up for my lack of confidence.”

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Even though she knew deep down “Fight Song” could help people, Platten was still overwhelmed by the “vulnerability” she saw from her fans as a result of its release. Particularly when it came to fans faced with life-threatening illnesses like cancer who shared how much the song meant to them during their health battles.

Take Jeremiah, for example. In 2015, he was undergoing treatment for an aggressive brain cancer at 7 years old when he found “Fight Song.”

"Jeremiah loves ‘Fight Song’ he memorized the lyrics after three or four times of listening to it," Jerry Succar, Jeremiah's father, said. "He used to sing it when he got a lot of headaches, but now he sings it in the morning, before bed and during shots he has to get."

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When Platten found out how big of a fan Jeremiah was via social media, she knew she had to visit. In a surprise visit to Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Platten sang her hit song with Jeremiah at the foot of his hospital bed.

"I have a question. Can I have your autograph?" Jeremiah said when the singing was done.

And Jeremiah is certainly not the only cancer warrior who found inspiration in Platten’s single. From community serenades, to talk show appearances, to talent show auditions, “Fight Song” has certainly made the rounds as a cancer warrior anthem.

But if a pop ballad isn’t your thing, don’t hesitate to try to find music that moves you while faced with a cancer battle. We’ve spoken with many cancer survivors who’ve said their relationship with music whether it’s based on listening to it or creating it played a big role in their journey with the disease.

MORE: Cancer Survivor Joel Naftelberg Learned to Dance on His Problems

Liver and pancreatic cancer warrior Joel Naftelberg, for instance, says music has helped him take everything one day at a time.

"I have found music and rock and roll to be transformational," he said. "Doesn't necessarily solve anything, but it does let us dance on our problems for at least an hour or two.

"Nothing better on a Friday afternoon than to hang with your friends and listen to beautiful music."

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