In this section we've posted some of the stories behind the writing of a song.  It can make a song more meaningful if we understand the context in which it is written.  Also, songwriters often use very poetic language when they write worship songs.  It can be helpful to explain a bit more about a song to make it's meaning more powerful.

 

Enjoy!

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"Here Is Our King"  By David Crowder Band 

Behind the Song:
''What you are looking for is what is looking.' - St. Francis of Assisi I wrote this song after watching television for two days straight. The day after Christmas, December 26th, 2004, my eyes were fixed to this thing blinking at me from the dark wooden armoire in our living room. I, along with the rest of the world, watched as the most powerful earthquake in 40 years erupted under the Indian Ocean near Sumatra causing giant, deadly waves to crash ashore in nearly a dozen countries, killing tens of thousands. The death toll would eventually settle somewhere near 200,000.
 
This is tremendously hard to take in. Close to 200,000 people, walking around, going about their business, stepping into eternity all together in a matter of hours. We watched story after story unfold knowing that each would end in either rescue or demise and our hearts broke. Our hearts broke and it is still tremendously hard to take in. It is a difficult thing to observe so vivid and complete, the depth of our fall. I mean we know things aren’t right, we know that things aren’t as they were intended. But here is this thing that comes from the middle of the sea to bring upon us devastation and to take from us our fathers and our mothers and to pull from our hands our children and our friends and our minds cannot fit this in. It is the depth of our fall upon us. Even the ground under our feet is not right. The air we breathe is not right. Here though, the hope I have found in Christ miraculously expands. I believe that we are part of a bigger story unfolding. I believe that the rescue of creation has been coming toward us for a long time. I believe that sure, there was a moment that I was found by this rescue and that I am rescued continually, but the even greater thing, the thing that expands in my chest in this moment is that there is more coming! He is coming to set things right. He is coming to set things straight. He is coming and this is tremendously hard to take in, but our hearts swell and this tide of hope grows and after all of this, after this brokenness, after these tears, after this fury, after this tearing that is life...finally, finally...we will lift up our heads...finally...and the clouds will break...and finally...he who is all light and healing... Finally... Finally... Majesty. Here.'

'Since the writing of this song I have received a number of emails requesting explanation for the verses of this song. Don’t you just love the English language? The complete thought of the first verse is found in the chorus and therefore the whole could read, “here is our king from wherever spring arrives.” In other words, our king comes to us from the same place springtime does. Whatever the source of spring and newness. He comes from the same place that put this thing in our chests that makes it necessary for us to search for him and the fact that we are compelled to search for him gives a hint as to the goodness of him who we search for. The second verse when read one way is a simple redemption metaphor for spring or newness or surrender. Roses fold up at night and open in the light of morning with the sunrise. When one considers that Christ was also referred to as “the rose of Sharon” it takes on a different redemptive metaphor. The main thing I hoped to do with this songs was redeem the images of this massive wave that we saw. There is the biggest wave ever headed for us. It is coming from the place of love and springtime and it is terrifying.' - David Crowder

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"I Will Rise" from Chris Tomlin

I Will Rise

     Toward the end of the “How Great is our God” tour, Louie Giglio challenged me to write a song of worship for people in their hardest time of grief. We were talking about the reality that we need more songs like the hymn “It is Well” that can be sung as worship and hope at a funeral. To be able to find words to say and sing in that moment of sorrow when you lose someone you love. A few days later, Louie sent me an email with a few thoughts about the song and the one line that struck me the most was…the grave is overwhelmed. I took that idea and ran.

     This song speaks the truth that we have a Savior and a God that has defeated death and we have victory over it, as well, in Him. That he has made us alive, and even though all of us one day will say good-bye to our earthly bodies, we will rise when He calls our name. I love the passage in Revelation 4 and 5 where you see the angels and all the creatures gathered round the thr one of God in celebration, singing in a loud voice, “worthy is the Lamb.” That’s what I am pointing to in this song. That we will join those angels and we stand before the throne of our God and our Risen Savior alive forever! Amen!

 

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"It Is Well With My Soul" by Horatio Spafford

 

It is well, with my soul,
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.