It Never Went Away

It Never Went Away is a song written by Jon Batiste and Dan Wilson for the documentary American Symphony. The film song was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song at the 96th Academy Awards.

Background
While the film American Symphony documents the marriage between Batiste and Suleika Jaouad as Jaoaud battles leukemia, the song is intended to celebrate a serene, enduring love beyond the limitations of the physical world. The piano ballad is inspired by lullabies that Batiste wrote and played for his wife to help her survive.

Release
The song is played at the end of the film after Jon Batiste's titular symphony is played by an orchestra at Carnegie Hall. It Never Went Away not only brings the music down from a whole orchestra to a piano, but is also intended to summarize the documented events.

In November 2023, Jon Batiste released the single It Never Went Away.