When I first heard “Anywhere” last April, the song hit me hard. The Gray Havens were on their Zion Caravan tour, which included other artists such as LOVKN, Antoine Bradford, and Jess Ray. I loved hearing to the other artists, but this did mean that I got less of The Gray Havens than usual, but I think this song alone made up for that lack.
Even though I briefly talked about “Anywhere” in my “Top 10 Songs of 2023,” since the song has been officially released now, I thought it deserved a more in-depth look. Ever since I first heard this song, it has captured me with its beautiful music and honest lyrics.
If you have not yet listened to this incredible song that The Gray Havens describe as “sad but hopeful narrative pop folk,” I would highly encourage you to go listen to it now.
Dave Radford wrote this song from a time of deep grief and loss, and the song speaks of the desire to escape from the realities of pain and suffering in this world. When I heard this song in concert, Radford reminded the audience that despite the fact that God does not promise to give us all the answers and reasons behind our suffering in this life, we have the example of Jesus, who went through the greatest suffering in human history. While the song does not directly mention God, the speaker in the song does pray (presumably to God) and he also speaks of “tryin’ to keep the faith.” Ultimately, this song points listeners to light and hope in the midst of darkness and pain.
When I heard “Anywhere” for the first in concert, I actually heard it under the name “Neverland.” From a Local Show concert I found on YouTube, it seems that when The Gray Havens were first performing this song, they would take a pole from the audience of whether “Anywhere,” “Anywhere but Here,” or “Neverland” should be the title. Apparently, “Neverland” would always win. However, I agree with Skye Peterson and Dave Radford that “Anywhere” captures the heart of the song best, even if it is less dramatic than “Neverland.”
Why is “Anywhere” a better title? Well, the title of this song in particular really helps to center the rest of the song itself. Since the speaker in the song is asking to be taken anywhere, the title of “Neverland” would make it seem that the “anywhere” the speaker refers to is inherently Neverland. Yet listening closely to the lyrics of the song gives a different picture.
Neverland, it would seem, begins as the “anywhere” that the speaker wants to escape to. While Neverland is may seem like an idealized, perfect place, the imagery goes deeper than just a place free of cares and sorrows.
Neverland is the place that Peter Pan goes to in order to escape growing up. In one sense, the speaker’s longing for Neverland could show his desire to not mature, but given the context of Dave Radford’s writing of the song, there may be a slightly more accurate interpretation. Since Neverland is a place of not wanting to accept something (i.e., growing up), Neverland could possibly be a symbol of Radford not wanting to accept his grief. Even with this, I could be going too far, since—even as the speaker in the song is longing to go to Neverland—he only asks to go anywhere but where he currently is.
However, the song does not end with the speaker still longing for Neverland. In the bridge, the speaker acknowledges that—perhaps despite the tragedy he himself has faced—it would add yet another tragedy to his life to waste his life away in his longing to escape—never learning “how to stay.”
The repetition of the opening lines at the end of the song might indicate that the speaker has not changed physical locations at all, but this repetition may be irrelevant to the point the speaker is trying to make. By the end of the song, the speaker has learned to ask for to be taken to “a place” where he can be content where he is. Whether he is still in the same place as in the beginning of the song, his outlook on his situation has become more hopeful.
After hearing “Anywhere” for the first time, I was crushed by the fact that Dave Radford said that he was not planning on releasing the song anytime soon. Even still, I held onto hope that someday it would be released. When I attended another Gray Havens’ concert in November, I attended a VIP question-and-answer session where I asked if it would ever be released. To my delight, Radford told me that it would be released in the next few months, and it was finally released on March 1st.
“Anywhere” is in a different vein than the songs The Gray Havens have previously released. While this song still definitely fits in with their “narrative pop folk” genre, this song feels more personal than many of their other songs. Many previous songs include allegories with different characters—but with this song, one could argue that perhaps the narrator of this song is Radford himself. Despite its differences—and even because of them—this song is definitely up there with my favorite songs by The Gray Havens, and it is my current favorite.
Filled with hope, “Anywhere” beckons us to find our grounding in the real world rather than imaginary escape worlds like Neverland. This song is honest about the struggles of living in this world, while also embracing hope for the future.