The BRUCE Gang: Audio/Video

Free

(Gary)

The imagery that Steven Curtis Chapman used in this song of a prisoner who's free because of his relationship to Jesus even though he's still physically imprisoned is so strong to me. God's grace truly breaks every chain with which Satan tries to bind us. I wrote this arrangement back in 1997 for use at Quail. When sung live we repeat the 'ooo' section at the end while the preacher extends an invitation for responses to the good news this song declares.

LYRICS
The sun was beating down inside the walls of stone and razor wire
As we made our way across the prison yard
I felt my heart begin to race as we drew nearer to the place
Where they say that death is waiting in the dark
The slamming doors of iron echoed through the halls
Where despair holds life within its cruel claws

But then I met a man whose face seemed to strangely out of place
A blindly light of hope was shining in his eyes
And with repentance in his voice he told me of his tragic choice
That led him to this place where he must pay the price
But then his voice grew strong as he began to tell
About the One he said had rescued him from hell

He said I'm free, yeah, O I have been forgiven
God's love has taken off my chains and given me these wings
And I'm free, yeah, and the freedom I've been given
Is something that not even death can take away from me because
I'm free, Jesus set me free.

We said a prayer and said goodbye, tears began to fill my eyes
As I stepped back out into the blinding sun
And even as I drove away I found that I could not escape
The way he spoke of what the grace of God had done
I thought about how sin had sentenced us to die
And how God gave His only Son so you and I

Could say I'm free, yeah, O I have been forgiven
God's love has taken off my chains and given me these wings
And I'm free, yeah, and the freedom I've been given
Is something that not even death can take away from me because
I'm free.

And if the Son has set you free then you are free indeed. Really, really free!

We're free, yeah, O we have been forgiven
God's grace has broken every chain and given us these wings
And we're free, yeah, and the freedom we've been given
Is something that not even death can take from you and me because
we're free.