Creed - What's This Life For - Lyrics Meaning

From the 1997 release My Own Prison, What's This Life For was a song written by front man Scott Stapp and Guitar player Mark Tremonti about a friend that committed suicide. The lyrics touch on the emptiness that life can bring when an individual has no purpose or plan. Like so many of their other songs there is a religious overtone to it. Stapp sings of being under the reign of one king and praying, but the track is not a Christian song. The lyrics touch on a vein that resonates with everyone no matter what race, religion or social economic background. Without a purpose to life the soul looks gray as the lyrics profess.

Lead singer Scott Stapp has experienced these emotions first hand. After Creed broke up in 2004 the singer contemplated committing suicide himself. He had the gun to his head but in the end did not do it. He told Rolling Stone magazine in 2006 that even though he had so much commercial success with Creed, sold millions of albums, had tons of money and fame he felt utterly rejected and despised by his former band mates, business partners and friends.