You Take My Rights Away

Album: Invincible (2000)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This song explores the notion of happiness as a Christian. Skillet frontman John Cooper explained in a Listenin.org interview: "'You Take My Rights Away' was an interesting song because there's lots of different facets to the idea. One of them is that it is freeing when, I believe, you find God and all of a sudden you find purpose in life, when you've never had purpose in life - it's everything. But the revelation that I felt I had when I wrote that song was that for so many years growing up in church, I had been told over and over and over basically that God wants me to be happy, and God wants this... and all of a sudden I just kind of realized, you know what? God's ultimate agenda for my life is not that I'm happy, it's that I do what He tells me to do. And I am happy being a Christian, it's kind of like ... it's a result of being a Christian as happiness, but I think true joy comes when you know that you're doing what you're supposed to be doing. So that's what 'You Take My Rights Away' is, it's a bit of a radical concept. I heard someone else talk about it, is where I got it from, so I didn't make it up, haha."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Producer Ron Nevison

Producer Ron NevisonSong Writing

Ron Nevison explains in very clear terms the Quadrophenia concept and how Heart staged their resurgence after being dropped by their record company.

Rock Stars of Horror

Rock Stars of HorrorMusic Quiz

Rock Stars - especially those in the metal realm - are often enlisted for horror movies. See if you know can match the rocker to the role.

Eric Clapton

Eric ClaptonFact or Fiction

Did Eric Clapton really write "Cocaine" while on cocaine? This question and more in the Clapton edition of Fact or Fiction.

Amanda Palmer

Amanda PalmerSongwriter Interviews

Call us crazy, but we like it when an artist comes around who doesn't mesh with the status quo.

Daryl Hall

Daryl HallSongwriter Interviews

Daryl Hall's TV show is a hit, and he's been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame - only one of these developments excites him.

David Clayton-Thomas of Blood, Sweat & Tears

David Clayton-Thomas of Blood, Sweat & TearsSongwriter Interviews

The longtime BS&T frontman tells the "Spinning Wheel" story, including the line he got from Joni Mitchell.