For Forever

The song 'For Forever' from the Broadway musical 'Dear Evan Hansen' is a poignant and emotionally charged piece that delves into themes of friendship, longing, and escapism. The lyrics paint a vivid picture of an idyllic day spent between two friends, immersed in nature and deep conversation, seemingly away from the troubles of the world. The repeated phrase 'All we see is sky for forever' encapsulates a desire to hold onto a moment of pure joy and simplicity, away from life's complexities.

However, the song is not just a simple ode to friendship. In the context of the musical, it gains a deeper, more complex meaning. The protagonist, Evan Hansen, is a high school student with social anxiety who fabricates a friendship with a deceased classmate, Connor, to become closer to Connor's family. The song is a part of this fabrication, a fictional account that Evan creates. This adds a layer of poignancy to the song, as the perfect day described is nothing more than a figment of Evan's imagination, a manifestation of his deep yearning for connection and acceptance.

The song's narrative structure takes the listener on a journey through Evan's imagined day, only to reveal the fragility of this fantasy in the final verses. The mention of a fall from a tree and the numbness that follows serves as a metaphor for Evan's own fall from the fabricated story he has created and the numbness he feels from the isolation and deception. The song ends on a bittersweet note, with the reassurance that 'everything's okay,' highlighting the human need for reassurance and the comfort we find in our imagined realities.