One Day Too Late

Album: Awake (2009)
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Songfacts®:

  • Vocalist and bassist John Cooper told StereoTruth: "Here's kind of a special song on the record in the sense that it's very introspective and pensive. It has me thinking about life and what really matters, questioning, 'If I die today, would it matter that I was here?' It's about making the most of each moment because tomorrow might be one day too late."
  • Cooper also said this was a reaction to the constant pressures of fulfilling band commitments, such as recording, touring, and promoting - a constant cycle that has repeated since Skillet's debut in 1996. He told New Release Today: "I finally had reached the point where I thought: I don't want my whole life to be wrapped up in this band. I want to be able to spend more time with my wife and kids and to be happy about the life that I'm living. What if my life was all over now? Would I be happy that I spent 95 percent of my time doing this? So the idea behind this song is to be who you want to be today because tomorrow could be one day too late."
  • In another New Release Today interview from 2009, Cooper explained how the song is applicable to both Christian and secular audiences: "People outside of the Christian faith can relate to not wanting to have regrets. Life's too short to live with regrets. Christians can relate to the message that they 'do not know the day or the hour' that God's taking us home. You don't want to wait to live for Christ or do what's right and to have a relationship with the Lord. We need to forgive others as Jesus has forgiven us. We're told in the Bible to 'love our enemies.' Everyone loves people who love them. Jesus tells us even the pagans do that, and He tells us to pray for our enemies."

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