Wanted

Album: Haven't Seen It Yet (2019)
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Songfacts®:

  • Danny Gokey wrote this cut with Jess Cates (Backstreet Boys' "Incomplete," David Archuleta's "Crush") and Bernie Herms (Hillary Scott & The Scott Family's "Thy Will," Josh Groban's "River").

    I was there the moment that it happened
    But you couldn't see me through the pain
    I caught every tear as they were falling
    When you lost your heart that day


    The trio penned this as a song of hope for people dealing with rejection; they explain that God is with them in their hurt.
  • The song was inspired by an experience Jess Cates went through when he was younger. Gokey recalled to Billboard that Cates was telling him and the others during their writing session about something he'd shared with his prayer group. The songwriter had been rejected in the past and he told the others that he was struggling to get over it. One of the group told him, "Jess, I want you to close your eyes and go back to that dark place. I want you to ask Jesus where you were when that happened."

    Cates suddenly broke down and said through his tears, "I saw Jesus in the corner. He walked up to me and said, 'I was there the moment when it happened. I saw you lost your heart that day, and I'm giving it back to you.'" Cates then came to the realization that God had been with him all the time, he just couldn't see him through all the pain.

    Inspired the three songwriters and Gokey's producer penned this song. Gokey explained: "'Wanted' is about people who have dealt with massive rejection. But no matter how big or small the trauma was, the creator - the one who's written the story of your life - still wants you. Rejection can really tear people apart and make us own our enemies. So the song is just about restoring hope to a lot of people."

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