Music has the unique capability of capturing emotions and telling stories in ways that words aren’t always able to on their own. Seeking to express their personal sorrow, gratitude, fear, and convictions, many artists have turned to singing songs about abortion to share their hearts and tell their stories.
Here are 20 songs gathered from musicians willing to share their experiences regarding abortion and unplanned pregnancy.
1. "Unplanned" by Matthew West
Matthew West is a Christian singer-songwriter who has written several songs about abortion and the value of human life. “Unplanned” was written to accompany the 2019 pro-life film by the same title, which is about former Planned Parenthood director Abby Johnson. The lyrics of West’s song declare that God creates all life and has a hand in everything; therefore, nothing is unplanned.
2. "A Baby's Prayer" by Kathy Troccoli
Kathy Troccoli’s song, “A Baby’s Prayer,” gives a unique perspective by taking the point-of-view of an unborn child whose mother is contemplating abortion.
“But if I should die before I wake,
I pray her soul you’ll keep.
Forgive her, Lord, she doesn’t know.
That you gave life to me.”
3. "Miracle" by Whitney Houston
Whitney Houston’s song “Miracle” is a dialogue of the thoughts of a woman who had an abortion that she later regretted.
In a 1991 interview, Houston elaborated on the song and stated,
“I think about the air we breathe, the earth we live on, I think about our children. I think about a lot of things, things God put here for us to have, things that we need, and we take for granted… all of these things are miracles and I think we should try to take better care of them.”
“How could I let go of a miracle?
Nothing could ever take its place.
Thought I was looking, out for myself,
Now it seems the pain
Is all that I have gained.”
4. "Carry the Blame" by River City People
Released in 1990, “Carry the Blame” is a song that describes the internal grief that follows a regretted abortion.
“Each day I carry the blame,
Cover the cost,
Of those children whose names,
Forever are lost.”
5. "Turn to You (Mother's Day Dedication)" by Justin Bieber
Pattie Mallette, Justin Bieber’s mother, was encouraged to get an abortion when she was pregnant with Bieber at age 17.
“I couldn’t abort,” she said later in an interview; “I just had to do my best.”
Due to his gratitude that his mother chose life for him, Justin Bieber wrote “Turn to You” and dedicated it to her.
“You worked two jobs
To keep a roof up over our heads.
You chose life for me.
No, you never gave up.
I admire you for the strength you’ve instilled in me.”
6. "Beautiful Life" by Trip Lee
The lyrics of “Beautiful Life” by Trip Lee urge listeners to realize the vitality of unborn babies. Additionally, Lee encourages parents facing unplanned pregnancies to remember that a child is a beautiful miracle that moves, lives, and breathes by the grace of God.
“Beautiful life inside,
Living, moving, breathing.
So let hope arise.
God knew what he was doing when He gave
Beautiful, beautiful life.”
7. "There Goes My Life" by Kenny Chesney
Kenny Chesney’s “There Goes My Life” is from his 2004 album “When the Sun Goes Down.” This song tells the story of a man and his girlfriend who feel that their unexpected pregnancy will change their lives for the worse. As the story goes on, the man begins to reflect that the child he didn’t plan for has become his whole world.
“A couple years of up all night and
Few thousand diapers later,
That mistake he thought he made
Covers up the refrigerator.
Oh yeah, he loves that little girl.”
8. "The Biggest Hurt" by Barbara Fairchild
“The Biggest Hurt,” tells the story of a woman who regrets and cannot forget an abortion in her past. In this case, she hears a child laugh or cry and is reminded of her pain.
“And I’m sorry that I didn’t want your life in me,
I’ll never know what you could have grown up to be.
I was young and didn’t know I’d end up all alone.
It’s the biggest hurt inside that I’ve ever known.”
9. "Small Bump" by Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran’s “Small Bump” walks listeners through the many emotions of pregnancy and eventually a miscarriage. While not specifically speaking about abortion, the lyrics express the deep love felt for an unborn child and the deep pain felt when an unborn child is lost.
“Because you were just a small bump unborn,
For four months, then torn from life.
Maybe you were needed up there,
But we’re still unaware as why.”
10. "Mamma" by Andrea Bocelli
When Andrea Bocelli’s mother, Edi Bocelli, was pregnant with him, it was discovered that he might be born with a disability. As a result, doctors encouraged her to get an abortion, but she refused. Bocelli has expressed deep gratitude towards her by dedicating the song “Mamma” to his mother. Originally sung in Italian, the lyrics praise her for choosing life for him.
Mother
You are the most beautiful song,
You are the life.
And for the life I will not let you go anymore.
11. "Blue Eyes Like Janey's" by David Huff
David Huff’s “Blue Eyes Like Janey’s” shares the internal dialogue of a man who has carried the regret and grief of an abortion with him throughout his life. As a result, he constantly questions what his child would be like if they were here today.
“Would she have brown hair?
Did she have blue eyes?
I’ve tried to imagine what she would look like so many times.”
12. "Life Inside You" by Matthew West
“Life Inside You” is another one of Matthew West’s songs about abortion. The lyrics are written for mothers who are faced with a choice. Therefore, West pleads for them to see that what they carry is not tissue but life handcrafted by God.
13. "Lucy" by Skillet
Skillet’s song expresses the pain of a regretted abortion. Following the abortion, the speaker gives their unborn child the name Lucy as they lament their loss.
“Now that it’s over,
I just wanna hold her.
I’d give up all the world to see
That little piece of heaven looking back at me.”
14. "Good, Bad, Ugly" by Lecrae
Christian hip-hop artist Lecrae Moore’s “Good, Bad, Ugly” from his 2014 album, “Anomaly,” recounts his story through several life-changing events, one being an abortion that Moore persuaded his college girlfriend to get. He later explained in an interview that healing from this abortion has not been simple. Years after the event, when Moore was preparing to marry his fiancé, he said he “broke down over the guilt and remorse and the shame of it all.” He believes that this was where the healing process really began.
“But I was too selfish with my time,
Scared my dreams were not gonna survive.
So, I dropped her off at that clinic.
That day a part of us died.”
15. "Not Forgotten" By Phil King
“Not Forgotten” is a song written as a memorial for all the lives that have been lost to abortion and a plea to the world that we make a change.
“Their life was not for nothing,
We celebrate their heartbeat.
The price that they paid is a fire that’ll change this world.”
16. "The Gift of Life" by Desmond Child
Desmond Child, a songwriter for artists such as Aerosmith and Bon Jovi, released one solo album in 1991, which included “The Gift of Life.” In this song, the singer speaks to the child they lost to abortion. At this time, the singer realizes what a gift a human life is.
“The gift of life is precious,
I wanna give it back somehow.”
17. "I Would Die For That" by Kellie Coffey
Kellie Coffey’s song offers a unique perspective on abortion by being the voice of mothers who have struggled with fertility. The singer watches her friend get an abortion. Following this, she aches over a child she deeply longs for being given up so easily.
“But I would die for that.
Just to have one chance
To hold in my hands
All that she had.
And I want to know what it’s like
To bring a dream to life.
How I would love
What some give up.”
18. "Good-Bye April" by Kelita
“Good-Bye April” is a song written as a letter to the singer’s unborn child, who she lost to abortion. Following the abortion, Kelita reflects that her heart is broken, and she will never forget her child.
“I can’t believe my heart still breaks after all this time,
But I can’t lie and say I’ll ever forget you.”
19. "Imago Dei" by Sean Feucht
“Imago Dei” is the Latin phrase for “in the image of God.” Sean Feucht’s song repeats this phrase throughout the song and references Psalm 139:13-14, saying that before we were even born, we were fearfully and wonderfully made. The end of the song features children’s voices joining him in singing the Psalm.
“Imago Dei.
I’m fearfully, wonderfully made.
Imago Dei.
There’s glory in all you create.”
20. "Untold" by Matthew West
“Untold” is another one of Matthew West’s songs about abortion. In this case, West speaks through the voice of a child. Therefore, he pleads for listeners to see the preborn child as a sacred miracle with great potential given by God.
So don’t close the book on me yet.
I still got a long way to go.
Empty pages to fill,
And the best part is still down the road.
I am a story untold.
The loss of a child, regardless of whether it’s through an abortion, miscarriage, or post-birth, carries an emotional impact for both men and women. If you or a loved one are struggling with a past abortion, there are resources available that offer help with healing.
(Bonus: Jessica Newell wrote a single about a chemical abortion in 2022 through Students for Life.)
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