You Set Me Free

Album: The Spirit Room (2001)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This song is about having a new person come into your life that makes you forget everything that has been going wrong. They make you feel like you can fly. >>>
    Suggestion credit:
    Christie - Philadelphia, PA
  • Michelle Branch was just 17 when she signed with Maverick Records. The label paired her with producer John Shanks, who had worked with BBMak, Melissa Etheridge, Stevie Nicks, and Unwritten Law. Shanks and Branch got on quite well; the first day they met, they wrote "You Set Me Free" in just a few hours. When they played it for the label, Maverick agreed to fund more sessions with Shanks, who produced the album's singles: "Everywhere," "All You Wanted" and "Goodbye To You."
  • When John Shanks recorded this song with Branch, he was impressed with her vocal phrasing, especially the way she added an extra sound to words at the end of lines ("deny-ah"). He called these Michelle-isms, and they became her signature sound.
  • This was the first song Branch recorded in a record company-owned studio. It was recorded in the old A&M Records studio, which later became Henson Studios.

Comments: 3

  • Theresa from Murfreesboro, TnEnergetic pop song, the album is awesome!
  • George from Calumet City, IlThis song owns!
  • Shandra from Lincoln, NeThis song gives me chills, it makes me want to find a person that can make me feel that loved and would do anything for me.
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Todd Rundgren

Todd RundgrenSongwriter Interviews

Todd Rundgren explains why he avoids "Hello It's Me," and what it was like producing Meat Loaf's Bat Out of Hell album.

Chris Rea

Chris ReaSongwriter Interviews

It took him seven years to recover from his American hit "Fool (If You Think It's Over)," but Chris Rea became one of the top singer-songwriters in his native UK.

The Evolution of "Ophelia"

The Evolution of "Ophelia"Song Writing

How five songs portray Shakespeare's character Ophelia.

Mick Jones of Foreigner

Mick Jones of ForeignerSongwriter Interviews

Foreigner's songwriter/guitarist tells the stories behind the songs "Juke Box Hero," "I Want To Know What Love Is," and many more.

Michael Glabicki of Rusted Root

Michael Glabicki of Rusted RootSongwriter Interviews

Michael tells the story of "Send Me On My Way," and explains why some of the words in the song don't have a literal meaning.

Scott Gorham of Thin Lizzy and Black Star Riders

Scott Gorham of Thin Lizzy and Black Star RidersSongwriter Interviews

Writing with Phil Lynott, Scott saw their ill-fated frontman move to a darker place in his life and lyrics.