Album: Satellite (2001)

Charted: 19 41

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Songfacts®:

• This song is about not taking anything for granted, living each day as if it was your last. P.O.D. lead singer Sonny Sandoval, who wrote the lyrics, told Songfacts how it came together: "We were recording in Valley Village, and I was going back home for the weekends to San Diego. So I'd literally leave late Friday night and then come back late Sunday night. And then hit the studio on Monday. But it was my turn to start laying down vocals. And my daughter was very young - she was not even one yet. And so here I was supposed to record the song 'Alive' on Monday, and I hadn't even finished the lyrics yet.
  
  So it's a funny story. My wife's driving so I can sit and just kind of concentrate. I always know what I want to say, and I work better under pressure. So here we are, it's nighttime, we're driving late Sunday on the 405 freeway. It's dark, and from the traffic light, I look back and I look at my daughter. And I don't know if you have kids or not, but you always hear people say, 'He looks just like you,' and 'She looks just like you.' And like forever I never saw that. And everybody's like, 'Oh, she's the spitting image, she looks exactly like you.' And I just didn't see it, because it's just my little baby. And for some reason with the traffic light shining in, I look at her and for the first time I see myself in her. I can finally see it now. And it was like, wow. That was just the moment. That's almost completely what the song's about. For the very first time I see myself in my daughter. It was a beautiful moment. I see me."
• Sonny Sandoval is a Christian who speaks openly about his faith. While this song was inspired by a specific incident in his life, he sees it as having a universal theme. In his Songfacts interview, Sandoval said, "It's just whatever moment that is for anybody. If I'm talking of faith, it has to do with my faith in God. We always keep it open for interpretation, because I never want to sound religious or preachy. It's kind of like a painting: 20 people can look at a piece of art and have 20 different interpretations. I believe it's supposed to speak to your soul. So the same thing with our music.
  
  I've had kids come up to me and tell me what my songs mean to them, and I'm like Wow. You know what, you just spoke to me, because I'm blown away right now. That's amazing. But it's the way they heard it. It's their life, it's their situation. It could be one or two words, it could be a phrase."
• P.O.D. writes their music first, and before they added lyrics to this track, they referred to it as "Beautiful," since that's how the music made them feel. Sandoval wrote appropriately upbeat words to match the music.
• This was the first single from P.O.D.'s album Satellite, which was released on September 11, 2001. Albums are traditionally released on Tuesdays, and the day of the World Trade Center attacks was a popular one for album releases.
• The music video, directed by Francis Lawrence, depicts an accident on the Los Angeles freeway where a bus crashes into the protagonist's car, with the band playing nearby. Lawrence killed off the character, but was forced to bring him back to life when the label thought the original ending was too dark. The crew also encountered some real-life violence when a driver who was upset the freeway was closed for the shoot pulled a gun, but thankfully drove away. Lawrence is also a film director who helmed three of The Hunger Games movies.

Comments: 20

• Jack Bauer from Schenectady, Ny"We always keep it open for interpretation, because I never want to sound religious or preachy"
  It's clearly written about faith lol, specifically Christian faith with Christian lingo/sentiments.
  
  "For the very first time, I can't deny you"
  "Tell the world how I feel inside even though it might cost me everything"
  "And now that I know you, I could never turn my back away"
  "And now that I see you, I could never look away"
  "And now that I see you, I believe, no matter what they say"
  
  Like... I appreciate the sentiment lol, but those words are (A) from a Christian, (B) someone with a strong Christian background, or (C) someone slightly autistic talking about romantic love in slightly atypical ways. All of the above lyrics make perfect sense interpreted as a Christian talking about their faith. But they're fairly atypical phrasings for either (A) people of other religions talking about their faith or (B) non-Christians talking about romantic affection, especially when considered together. Like saying "for the very first time" and "now that I know you" -- have you known them for a while or did you just meet? And you can explain this away by saying "now that I know you" is intended as "now that I've gotten to really know you" towards some romantic interest, but again, the atypical awkwardness just starts to add up when you try to interpret it as a love song. There's nothing atypical about the lyrics if you interpret it as a song about faith.
  
  Christians use the word "deny" all the time when talking about Jesus. They *might* use it sometimes when talking about a romantic interest, but that's simply lingo inherited from their faith, because that's an incredibly rare phrasing for non-Christians to use when talking about a romantic interest. "Deny you XYZ", e.g.: "deny your request" or "deny you that trip"? Sure. But just a simple "deny you" period? No, that's got Christianity written all over it.
  
  Far more Christians (and generally people of Abrahamic traditions) would say that vocalizing their faith "might cost [them] everything" than non-Christians would say that about their romantic interest. I'm not trying to argue whether that's true or compare peoples' persecution/victimization; it is only a comment on the frequency with which you hear those sentiments, especially with that phrasing.
  
  "And now that I see you, I believe, no matter what they say." I mean... come on. Believe in what? True romantic love? That's just slightly weird to say because you "see" someone. Not weird at all for a Christian to say about their faith, though.
  
  Like I'm not mad about it, and I love the song even as a non-Christian. But to say they intentionally left it open to interpretation is such a stretch lol, especially if you consider all of those lyrics together. Thank you for coming to my TED talk.
• Sue55 from Northern CaThis reminds me of how I felt after becoming clean/sober. When I quit I came alive and became alive. God helped me do it and stay clean 10 years now.
• Craigory from NowhereI legit thought it was about being high, but now I know the meaning, I find it really sweet!
• Natalie from Lorena, TxP.O.D often has songs that can very easily be referring to the problems many teenagers may face. I love their music so much, and the reasons behind their work. They have helped in so much charity work, and have voiced their true opinions through their music. I listen to the song and think of how we do things everyday that make us alive. We don't have to go out to do dangerous stuff just to feel like we are here. We need to do our everyday things with passion, then see where it leads us.
  April 1, 2021
  Natalie, Age 15
• Mattie from Anaheim, Cai saw them in concert last year, they were amazing. it was crazy out there.
• Kane from Wytheville, VaWOW p.o.d
  i luv them got there greatest hits album
  did you know
  p.o.d is the only christian rock band to have music videos on MTV
  because they want the whole world to get there message and not just christian listener
  tell me what y'all think of them
• Kane from Wytheville, VaWOW p.o.d
  i luv them got there greatest hits album
  did you know
  p.o.d is the only christian rock band to have music videos on MTV
  because they want the whole world to get there message and not just christian listener
  tell me what y'all think of them
• Chipmonk from Bloomington, Mnp.o.d.=payable on death
• Chicklet from New York, NyWas this written by Stevie Wonder?
• Jim from San Diego, CaBought this CD while on a trip to Chicago just days after 9/11. The whole album, but this song especially, gave me a great spiritual lift considering what had happened on 9/11. Every time I hear this song it reminds me of driving in a rental car in the dark along Lake Michigan.
• James from Arley, AlI think this is how P.O.D. praises God. We all have our own ways of doing it. It is a great Christian theme for life. It is a way to talk to God. Oh Matt from TX, as soon as I get some Project 86 news I'll post it.
• Snowman from St. Louis, MoIt wasn't actually released on 9/11it was scheduled to be but it was delayed (take a guess why)
• Sara from Quinton, OkThis is a great great song. I had forgotten about the album being released on 9-11. This song is outstanding, and the video is very cool, with the kid walking away from a car wreck. This is my theme song for my senior year, "I feel so alive for the very first time and I can't deny You, I feel so alive." P.O.D. friggin rocks.
• Mistik from Sydney, AustraliaYeha this song was good, i remeber hearing it the fist time it came and and i thought hey, this song is awesome. and the other song that goes "we are we are, we are the youth of the nation" its real uplifting this song.
• Shaun from Shelbyville, KyThe best thing about all of P.O.D.'s Lyrics is they are for everyone, you don't need to have to be religious at all to derive meaning from it. Alive is a love song, that can be used for anyone, not just about God.
• Matt from Mesquite, TxWill somebody please post information on Project 86
• Chad from Arvada, Cothe sun shines upon my face, and gives me something for me to see....means.. there is a concrete truth in the bands belief in god.
  shows the world how i feel inside, even though it might cost me everythin... means.. that there is no shame in their faith and the fact that people know about their beliefs, might bring them redicule do to discrimination against god... thats what the song means to me.
• Tim from Pittsburgh, PaThis is the song that got me into P.O.D.
• Jolie from Bellwood, IlThis song is a great song, it's upbeat. It makes you feel alive.
  
• Joe from Lawrenceville, GaThis is a great song! It single handedly got me into rock and metal music!

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