Hard rock favorite Thousand Foot Krutch recently released radio single "Born This Way," the follow-up to five active rock hits from their no. 1 selling Billboard Hard Rock album The End Is Where We Begin. "Born This Way" introduces fans to their follow-up independent project OXYGEN:INHALE, which releases worldwide August 26.

The album addresses the universal human need to have God breathe through us, to inhale His love so that we can exhale it in turn. The theme leads to some particularly spiritually rich territory for the band to cover on this release. TFK frontman Trevor McNevan shared about the themes of the album and the specific ideas of embracing our identity behind "Born This Way."

Please tell me the personal story behind this song.

On a faith level, we know from the Bible that God says we are fearfully and wonderfully made. We were made to be who we are, and every one of us is unique. We're wired the way we are for a reason. We were all created equal, and this song is an anthem for everyone who's tired of being someone they're not, or has to dumb down who they are for someone else. Be yourself, you're the best version of you. That's who God created us to be.

That's the heartbeat of this song. It's about standing up for what you believe in and being yourself. For us, our faith is our lifestyle. We are the same band no matter the venue we play. It is all about being honest, being who we are and trusting that God will go before us and do what He wants us to do. For this song, regardless of your faith, it is about being who God created you to be. We believe in a big God who did create each of us with a plan for our lives. Live life to the fullest, and live every day like it could be your last. Love people and treat people well.

Which Bible verses connect to the message of the song?

Psalm 119:105 (NIV): "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path."

Psalm 139:14 (NKJV): "I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, And that my soul knows very well."

John 20:21-22 (NIV): Again Jesus said, "Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you." And with that He breathed on them and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit."

What is the takeaway message of the song and album?

We've been working on this album for a while, and it is exciting to hear how the songs are connecting with people. OXYGEN:INHALE was a vision for this record that God gave me a little over a year ago. The idea is that God gives us oxygen, and then we inhale and exhale. We thought the first concept would be about inhaling. I dug into that in the writing process. What does that mean? God, what do You want me to say?

I thought about it on a literal sense. Universally, all of us, regardless of our faith or in which part of the world you live, everybody relies on oxygen and breathes in and out every day. We can't see it, but we need it to live and rely on it.

It became this powerful notion and the heart of living our lives, taking full breaths. We need to live our lives to the fullest. Most of us spend most of our lives taking half breaths. We were created to take full breaths and have the mentality of living every day as if it is our last. That really translates to the way we see people and love people and treat people, being Jesus to the world. Oxygen to me is about that. It unpacks itself as you move through the record.

Another way that "oxygen" rings true to us as a band is that we've been independent for about four years now, and it has been a fresh breath and second wind for us. It's been very refreshing, and God has been so good. We are excited about what He is doing. The terms oxygen, inhale and exhale very much symbolize our journey.

Lyrics:
Because I was born this way,
I got lightning running thru my veins,
Ain't nobody gonna stop this train,
So hop on board, or get out the way
Because I was born this way,
I got lightning running thru my veins,
Ain't nobody gonna stop this train,
You can't stop us, we can't be stopped

Ever since I was an infant, I spit it,
Ate mics, and rocked Lennon,
In first grade, I drank my juice with rocks in it

Never looked down, 'cause up, had more stains in it,
Always been about the heart, never cared who's winning'
Ha!…I chase the light, like emcees on the wrong mic,
My blood was the wrong type,
So I had to give my life
And relearn, the minute that I felt real life,
I'd rather create, than follow, Welcome to the knife 

Because I was born this way,
I got lightning running thru my veins,
Ain't nobody gonna stop this train,
So hop on board, or get out the way
Because I was born this way,
I got lightning running thru my veins,
Ain't nobody gonna stop this train,
You can't stop us, we can't be stopped

Feel that smoke rise, to the sky,
Split, like a dollar sign,
Flip, when ya hear that beat, rip like it's dynamite

Cold, like a winter street, Loud, 'cause I wanna be,
The mic is my weapon, so I spit this artillery
Ha!…I chase the light, like emcees on the wrong mic,
My blood was the wrong type, So I had to give my life
And relearn, the minute that I felt real life,
I'd rather create, than follow, Welcome to the knife

Because I was born this way,
I got lightning running thru my veins,
Ain't nobody gonna stop this train,
So hop on board, or get out the way/
Because I was born this way,
I got lightning running thru my veins,
Ain't nobody gonna stop this train,
You can't stop us, we can't be stopped

I've long been a fan of TFK and FM Static. What I love about this song and album is that it has the spiritual messages of grace and the need for God, along with poetic lyrics and hook-filled melodies that cover any musical preference. OXYGEN:INHALE is my top album from TFK, and one of my top rock albums of the year. I really like the vibe musically, and the messages are poignant and prayerful.

In "Born This Way," I like the imagery in the lyrics of "lightning running through my veins." Once you've accepted Christ as your personal Savior, you are indwelled with a supernatural ability from The Holy Spirit that transcends what you can do on your own. We are all born in sin, but when you are saved and born again, that is truly the transformation that I hear as a follower of Jesus when I sing along at the top of my lungs "Ain't nobody gonna stop this train, so hop on board or get out the way, because I was born this way."

As Trevor said, as Christians we should live our lives to the fullest and take full breaths. That's what OXYGEN:INHALE is all about. Breathe in God's free gift of grace and source of life, and breathe out His love and that life to others. Amen to that!

(Listen to the song here.)