"By the Grace of God" is a song written by Katy Perry and Greg Wells for Perry's fourth studio album, Prism. The song was written about Perry experiencing suicidal thoughts during her divorce from Russell Brand.
Background[]
The song was written and recorded for the album in November 2012, being the first track made for the record. Perry debuted the song by performing it live during the 2013 iTunes Festival in London. Working titles for the song were "Grace of God" and "The Grace of God". The demo track features a more stripped down version of the instrumental, longer intro, and ends on the line "Looked in the mirror and decided to stay". This version was said to have been played during the first few Prism listening parties.
Lyrics[]
Was 27, surviving my return to Saturn
A long vacation didn't sound so bad
Was full of secrets, locked up tight like Iron Mountain
Running on empty, so out of gas
Thought I wasn't enough
Found I wasn't so tough
Laying on the bathroom floor
We were living on a fault line
And I felt the fault was all mine
Couldn't take it anymore
By the grace of God
There was no other way
I picked myself back up
I knew I had to stay
I put one foot in front of the other
And I looked in the mirror
And decided to stay
Wasn't gonna let love take me out that way
I thank my sister for keeping my head above the water
When the truth was like swallowing sand
Now, every morning, there is no more mourning
Oh I can finally see myself again
I know I am enough
Possible to be loved
It was not about me
Now I have to rise above
Let the Universe call the bluff
Yeah, the truth will set you free
By the grace of God
There was no other way
I picked myself back up
I knew I had to stay
I put one foot in front of the other
And I looked in the mirror
And decided to stay
Wasn't gonna let love take me out that way
That way, no
That way, no
Not in the name of love
That way, no
That way, no
I am not giving up
By the grace of God
I picked myself back up
I put one foot in front of the other
And I looked in the mirror (looked in the mirror)
Looked in the mirror (looked in the mirror)
By the grace of God
There was no other way
I picked myself back up
I knew I had to stay
I put one foot in front of the other
And I looked in the mirror
And decided to stay
Wasn't gonna let love take me out that way
