For a Time Like This: Can’t Take My Soul

A music podcast featuring Gord Johnson’s “Can’t Take My Soul”

For this episode of our series of music podcasts created for a time like this we are featuring “Can’t Take My Soul” from Gord Johnson’s 1996 album, Stubble and Hay. Many people from saint ben’s aren’t actually aware of Gord’s earlier work as a recording artist and performer, so we’re delighted that he gave us permission to share this song with you.

Of the album a reviewer in Billboard Magazine commented, “Released in September 1996, Johnson’s Stubble and Hay album showcases some of the best songwriting in Canada since the ‘70s folk era of Gordon Lightfoot, Leonard Cohen, Bruce Cockburn and Murray McLauchlan.“ (Billboard, January 18, 1997) As it turns out, the CD version is still easily available on Amazon.

Can’t Take My Soul

You can have my body eight hours a day
Send me home on Friday with my pay
I’ll be back on Monday for another round
You can’t take my soul away from me

You can tell my neighbour I’m the enemy
Come and take my house and my property
You can try and strip me of my dignity
You can’t take my soul away from me

Chorus:

I am own by someone much stronger than you
Owned by Someone with a heart that’s true
I will take of this bread and wine
You can’t take my soul
You can’t take my soul away from me

You can fill my veins full of lead
May me say thing I’d have never said
You can make me sign on the dotted line
You can’t take my soul away from me

Chorus

You can hang my body from the highest tree
Make a public spectacle of me
I’ll be back in spirit for another round
You can’t take my soul away from me
You can’t take my soul away from me…