Alcatraz
Al Denson Lyrics
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Come outta your cell and follow me close
Down the dark corridors
Past the guards and into the murky moor
Down to the rocky shore
To sail away without a trace
He rescued me from hopelessness
Though I feel like I've escaped
From Alcatraz
Oh, my life was like Alcatraz
I could have died in that Alcatraz
What little hope was fading fast
Then I called His name
Lord, erase this impossible past
And before I even knew it
No more Alcatraz, oh, yeah
This cruel world, cold and dark
Chained to pain and a criminal heart
Lock and key, guns and dogs
Had to have a miracle to beat the odds
Down to the cold concrete
A desperate cry for help
I found Heaven there on my knees
When He saved me from the hell
From Alcatraz
Oh, my life was like Alcatraz
I could have died in that Alcatraz
What little hope was fading fast
Then I called His name
Lord, erase this impossible past
And before I even knew it
No more Alcatraz
He did my time, changed my heart
And set my record straight
He sent me home with a master plan
To help some more escape
Alcatraz
Oh, my life was like Alcatraz
I could have died in that Alcatraz
What little hope was fading fast
Then I called His name
Lord, erase this impossible past
And before I even knew it
No more Alcatraz
Oh, my life was like Alcatraz
I could have died in that Alcatraz
What little hope was fading fast
Then I called His name
Lord, erase this impossible past
And before I even knew it
No more Alcatraz
Oh, my life was like Alcatraz
I could have died in that Alcatraz
What little hope was fading fast
The song "Alcatraz" by Al Denson talks about a person who feels like they were trapped in a miserable state, similar to what life can be like in the prison of Alcatraz. The lyrics highlight the imagery of escaping from prison as a metaphor for finding hope and faith. The song begins with the singer giving instructions to someone to sneak out of their cell, move past the guards, and head towards the shore to sail away without being detected. The melancholic tune of the song portrays the feeling of desperation and a longing for freedom.
Then, the lyrics transition to the singer describing how their life was similar to Alcatraz, and death seemed like the only possible outcome. But, they decided to call upon the Lord to help them remove the impossible past and find a way out of the oppressive and harmful conditions. As a result, they were saved from despair and liberating themselves from the mental cocoon that they were trapped in. The lyrics talk about finding heaven on their knees and the Lord rescuing them from the hell of their life.
In the final verse, the singer describes how the Lord changed their heart, did their time, set their record straight, and gave them hope for the future. The song's message is to encourage people, who are feeling analogous to the inescapable nature of prison-like conditions, to call upon the Lord and trust that there is hope beyond their current situation. The song concludes with repeating the choruses, emphasizing that the Lord can erase anyone's impossible past and liberate them from the prison of their minds.
Line by Line Meaning
Snap the latch, stay down low
Quietly and discreetly open the lock and crouch down.
Come outta your cell and follow me close
Leave the confines of your prison cell and stick with me closely.
Down the dark corridors
Through the dim and shadowy passageways.
Past the guards and into the murky moor
Sneak by the watchful prison guards and out into the hazy marshland.
Down to the rocky shore
Descend to the stony beach.
To sail away without a trace
Leave without any evidence behind.
He rescued me from hopelessness
He saved me from being without hope.
Though I feel like I've escaped
Despite having the sensation of having fled.
This cruel world, cold and dark
This brutal and bleak world.
Chained to pain and a criminal heart
Bound to agony and a wicked spirit.
Lock and key, guns and dogs
Bars, bolts, firearms, and canines.
Had to have a miracle to beat the odds
Needed a divine intervention to defy the probabilities.
Down to the cold concrete
To the frigid, stone floor.
A desperate cry for help
A plea for assistance born of desperation.
I found Heaven there on my knees
I discovered Paradise while I was kneeling.
When He saved me from the hell
When he rescued me from the inferno.
He did my time, changed my heart
He served my sentence, transformed my soul.
And set my record straight
He corrected my reputation.
He sent me home with a master plan
He dispatched me with a detailed strategy.
To help some more escape
To assist others in their flight to freedom.
Lord, erase this impossible past
Supreme Being, eliminate this unfeasible history.
And before I even knew it
And without my comprehension of it at the time.
No more Alcatraz
No more imprisonment or confinement.
Oh, my life was like Alcatraz
My life was equivalent to Alcatraz.
I could have died in that Alcatraz
I might have perished in that Alcatraz.
What little hope was fading fast
The slim hope that remained was quickly diminishing.
Then I called His name
Then I uttered His appellation.
Contributed by Lillian W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.