This week’s featured song story comes to us from Matt Redman. We’re excited to share with you the story behind his song “Hearts Waiting (Joy To The World).”
“‘Hearts Waiting (Joy To The World)’ is probably the most uptempo song on the record. You gotta have some joy in the mix on a Christmas record. This song I wrote with my wife Beth and great friends Chris Tomlin and Jonas Myrin. Good little team right there.Loved getting our hearts around this theme. And one thing that I loved most about this song is my wife had an idea and said hey you should take this bit from Handel’s Messiah and use it in a song and it just fit perfectly as the bridge of this song. And He shall reign forever and ever. He shall reign fore-ver. It was a wonderful thing to take this brand new expression of worship and marry it to this really old fantastic well known piece by Handel.” – Matt Redman
Click on the video below to hear Matt Redman share the story. Scroll down to listen and read the full lyrics of the song.
From the album These Christmas Lights.
“Hearts Waiting (Joy To The World)” Lyrics
Verse 1
Hearts waiting
Waiting on a Savior
Come o come Emmanuel
Hear the prophets
Speaking of the promise
Come o come Emmanuel
A light of glory filled the sky
And we heard the angel choir
Chorus
Joy to the world! Joy to the world!
The Lord has come
The Lord has come to us!
Joy to the world
A Savior for all!
The Lord has come
The Lord has come to us!
interlude
Verse 2
Messiah
Ruler of the nations
Come o come Emmanuel
Our redeemer
God is with us
God is for us, come o come Emmanuel
The doors of heaven open wide
Can you hear the song inside?
Chorus 2
Joy to the world, Joy to the world
The Lord has come
The Lord has come to us
Joy to the world
A Savior for all
The Lord has come
The Lord has come to us
Bridge
And He shall reign forever and ever
He shall reign fore-ver
And he shall reign forever and ever
He shall reign forevermore
REPEAT CHORUS
Bridge 2
And He shall reign forever and ever
He shall reign fore-ver
And he shall reign forever and ever
He shall reign forevermore
Outro
Come o come
Emmanuel
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