John Driskell Hopkins Wrote a Song for His Kids About His ALS

It’s been over three years since Zac Brown Band bassist and songwriter John Driskell Hopkins was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS, or Lou Gehrig’s disease).

Now, he’s offering an update on his condition, and sharing an emotional new song that he wrote for his wife and daughters, “I Love You Forever.”

• According to the Mayo Clinic, ALS is a “progressive nervous system disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord, causing loss of muscle control.”
• There is no cure for ALS. The average life expectancy for a person with ALS after diagnosis is about 2-5 years.
• When he first announced his diagnosis, Hopkins described his symptoms as “slow-progressing.”
• Today, Hopkins continues to perform with Zac Brown Band.
• He and the band launched a foundation called Hop on a Cure that supports research to prevent, reverse and cure ALS.

Hopkins has made some modifications to his performances, like slowing down his guitar parts, and he no longer jumps onstage like other members of the band.

“I really wish I could run out into the thrust and jump, but I am parked over at my microphone,” he tells People. “And they come run over to me and they never let me feel like I’m not involved. And that’s wonderful.”

He also says that he believes his continuing involvement in his music career is having a positive impact on his health.

“For me, keeping going is really important,” he says elsewhere in his People interview. “I feel like if I did sit in a recliner and play the whole ‘woe is me’ card, I would be a lot worse off.”

He tells Us Weekly that he was inspired to write “I Love You Forever” as a way to bottle up everything he wants his family to know after he loses the ability to communicate with them verbally.

“The only thing I could think of was, ‘What do I say to my girls that will wrap everything up in one phrase?'” he explains.

“‘I Love You Forever’ was the only thing that made sense. I’ve turned the song into a bit of a fatherly advice piece.”

Here Are the Lyrics to John Driskell Hopkins’ “I Love You Forever”:

Today is the only day that we are given / Life is a festival, you should be livin’ / Don’t worry, baby / When things get crazy

True friends are loyal, they love us in spite / Of our faults and bring joy all throughout our whole lives / The slings and arrows are weak / And shallow

Chorus:

And I love you forever / Alone or together / Perfect days, stormy weather / I love you forever

Boys don’t need nearly as much as they tell you / Patience is prudent when all hell breaks loose / Children need holding / Even when scolding

And I don’t know how long this body will hold me / But my hope for you is you will grow old / We will be together in the ever after

Repeat Chorus

Wait / There’s love all around you / Reminds you that all is not lost / Oh, wait / You girls and your mother / You have one another to hold and lean on / Always know that

Repeat Chorus

You are my sunshine in stormy weather / Forever together / I love you forever