Lyrics
Verse 1
I can hear the neighbors
They're arguin' again
And there hasn't been peace on our street
Since who knows when
I don't mean to listen in
But the shoutin' is so loud
I turn up the radio to drown it out
And silently I say a little prayer.
Chorus
But for the grace of God, go I
I must of been born a lucky guy
Heaven only knows how I've been blessed
With the gift of your love
And I look around and all I see
Is your happiness embracing me
Oh, Lord I'd be lost
But for the grace of God.
Verse 2
I can see that old man
He's walkin' past our door
And I've been told that he's rich
But he seems so poor
'Cause no one comes to call on him
And his phone, it never rings
He wanders through his empty home
Surrounded by his things
And silently I say a little prayer, yes I do
Chorus
But for the grace of God, go I
I must of been born a lucky guy
Heaven only knows how I've been blessed
With the gift of your love
And I look around and all I see
Is your happiness embracing me
Oh, Lord I'd be lost
But for the grace of God.
Interlude
Whoa, hmm
Chorus
And I look around and all I see
Is your happiness embracin' me
Oh, Lord I'd be lost
But for the grace of God, yeah.
I'd be lost but for the grace of God, yeah.
Outro
Ooh, woh...
Video
Meaning & Inspiration
But For The Grace Of God is a song of thankfulness that grows out of noticing other people's trouble. The first verse describes hearing neighbors argue again and turning up the radio, with a quiet prayer. The second verse notices an old man walking past, said to be rich yet seeming poor, because no one visits him and his phone never rings, and again the singer says a silent prayer.
The chorus, "But for the grace of God, go I," admits that the singer has been blessed beyond what could be earned and would be lost without grace. The pairing of other people's hardships with the repeated prayer gives the song a humble, reflective tone. The central phrase echoes 1 Corinthians 15:10, where Paul says that by the grace of God he is what he is, while Ephesians 2:8 describes salvation as a gift of grace, and 1 Thessalonians 5:17 speaks of praying without ceasing. The easy, singable chorus makes it a country-style song of gratitude.
Related Scripture
- Ephesians 2:8 Believers are saved by grace through faith as a gift of God.
- 1 Corinthians 15:10 Paul says that by the grace of God he is what he is.
- 1 Thessalonians 5:17 Believers are urged to pray without ceasing.