It Never Went Away
Trauma echoes through time in Tulsa's darkest hour.
It Never Went Away is a song written by Jon Batiste and Dan Wilson for the documentary American Symphony. The film song won the Grammy Award for Best Song Written for Visual Media at the 67th Annual Grammy Awards. It was also nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song at the 96th Academy Awards.
Quick Facts
- Artist
- Jon Batiste
- Released
- 24 November 2023
- Genre
- Pop
- Length
- 3:48
- Label
- Universal Music Group
- Writer
- Jon Batiste, Dan Wilson
Lore & 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.
Reader's Guide
The episode begins with Angela Abar recovering from injuries sustained during a confrontation with masked vigilantes. Her physical healing parallels a psychological descent into memory and trauma. She navigates a surreal dreamscape constructed by her own mind, where she encounters visions of her past and the people who shaped her identity as Sister Night. Central to this journey is her husband, Jon Keefe, whose involvement in a larger conspiracy is gradually unveiled through fragmented flashbacks. Angela must reconcile her love for him with the realization that his actions contributed to systemic corruption within Tulsa's law enforcement. As the dream sequence progresses, Angela confronts the legacy of the Seventh Doctor and the cover-ups surrounding Will Reeves' true identity as Hooded Justice. This revelation forces her to choose between protecting her family or exposing the truth that could shatter the city's fragile peace. The episode concludes with Angela waking from her stupor, resolved to pursue justice regardless of personal cost.
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