FredMcKinnon.Com

Hey Everyone,

Today’s post is a continuation of an ongoing, yet erratic series that started several weeks ago with my original post where I asked the question, “What Makes a Great Worship Song”?

Since then, we’ve discussed the #1, #2, and #3 top worship songs as reported by CCLI in the USA as of August 2008. Over the next week or two, I’d like for us to come together here on the blog and discuss more of the “Top Worship Songs” according to the most recent, August 2008 CCLI Survey.

Previous Songs:

#1. How Great is our God
#2. Blessed Be Your Name
#3. Here I Am To Worship

CCLI Top 25 Songs

#4: “Open the Eyes of My Heart”
by Paul Baloche

This is definitely one of the most popular songs worldwide. It’s lower #4 spot is reflective in my own thoughts as this one is definitely used the least of the Top 4 in our worship services.

Singable?
Paul Baloche is an incredibly gifted songwriter and knows how to craft a singable melody.  The opening lines are simple and repetitive.

“Open the eyes of my heart, Lord.  Open the eyes of my heart.  I want to see You.  I want to see You.”

The Chorus and Bridge are similarly repetitive and the melodic line is easy to sing.

Theology and Lyrics
This song isn’t saturated with deep theology, but two truths about God are presented clearly:
1.  His being “high and lifted up”
2.  His being “holy”

(see Isaiah 6:1-3 @ YouVersion.Com)

This song brings these two theological statements together with a personal declaration of our desire to have our “eyes opened to see” … a prayer that should always be present in our hearts.

Lyrically the song offers a personal plea … that our eyes be opened.  Even the “high and lifted up” Chorus is a continuation of this personal plea.  With the exception of the Bridge which declares “Holy, Holy, Holy”, the song is more of a personal request than adoration or worship directly to God.  There are some that argue songs like this have no place in our corporate worship … that our music should be full of theology.  Although I agree theology is important, I believe a song like this is vital in ‘preparing’ a worshiper’s heart and helping them engage with God on a more personal level.  The song could be considered a prayer, actually, and I’ve not heard anyone proclaiming that we need to remove prayer from our worship services.  Balance is the key.

Accessibility?
As I’ve said before, I don’t think many songs will make the Top 5 that aren’t accessible.  A few easy chords and easy arrangement make this song special whether it’s a full praise band or a simple guitar or keyboard version.

Personal Arrangement:

As many have discovered, the Bridge segues perfectly into the traditional hymn, “Holy, Holy, Holy”, though you may want to start “Open the Eyes of My Heart” a whole step lower to prevent the hymn from being too high.

Singable? Theology? Lyrics? Simplicity? Accessibility?
What are YOUR thoughts?

Hey Everyone,

Today’s post is a continuation of a new series based on my original post where I asked the question, “What Makes a Great Worship Song”?

Last week we discussed the #1 and #2 worship songs as  reported by CCLI in the USA as of February 2008. Over the next week or two, I’d like for us to come together here on the blog and discuss more of the “Top Worship Songs” according to the most recent, February 2008 CCLI Survey.

Previous Songs:
#1.  How Great is our God
#2.  Blessed Be Your Name

CCLI Top 25 Songs

#3: “Here I Am To Worship”
by Tim Hughes

“Here I Am To Worship” finds it’s home in the #3 spot of most-reported songs in the reporting period ending February 2008.  Once again, I don’t have any problems seeing this song in the Top 5.  I’ll actually be leading this song at a small funeral in a few hours.  I often spontaneously move into this song when I’m leading from the piano alone.  It can be great with a band, but incredible with a solo instrument.

Singable?
Absolutely.  The verse is just short enough that you can easily remember it.  The melodic line flows easily with no tough syncopation and it feels natural.  Would you believe that this entire song only spans the interval of a 5th?  5 scale steps.  That’s it.  No wonder everyone can sing this song.

Theology?
While hanging out in the speaker’s green room at the National Worship Leader Conference I heard Ron Kenoly saying he couldn’t sing the Bridge to this song.  He didn’t agree with the lyrics “I’ll never know how much it cost to see my sins upon that cross”.  He felt like Scripture has made the cost clear – John 3:16.  So, he changes the lyrics to some way of thanking God for the price that Jesus paid.

I watched a few people go down in flames trying to debate with Ron on other subjects so I just kept my peace.  But I disagree with him.  I can “read” what Jesus did for me on the cross. I can be “told” what the price was.  But I’ll never fully comprehend it.  I’ll never “know it” … not mentally, but emotionally and of course, physically.

Lyrics?
The lyrics are simply beautiful.  “Light of the world, You stepped down into darkness”.  What a perfect lyrical description of what God did.  Such contrast – He’s the Light, yet came to darkness for us. I love songs written in such a way where we can vertically express our adoration and worship to God.  The Chorus helps this by humbling us more “Here I am to bow down”.  (I wonder how many people actually have bowed down during that moment?)

Accessibility?
In case you haven’t noticed, songs don’t reach the Top 5 if they aren’t accessible.  Here’s a song that is totally accessible for anyone.  4 chords, 5 notes.

I believe this song will be a legend for decades, if not centuries.  It’s beautiful, well-crafted, and has a timeless message.  The focus of the song is not entirely self and it invokes one to take action in worship to the King.

Personal Arrangement:
This is an addition, on the previous song reviews.  I do this song in the Key of “E”.  Rather than playing the [IV] chord (A) as much, I love substituting the [ii] and adding the 7th and 4th (which actually makes it a 11th).  In other words, in the key of E, I’d play E, B, F#m11, A.

The F#m11 is a beautiful chord on piano and guitar, and includes the F#, A, B, C#, E.  Try it sometime!

Singable? Theology? Lyrics? Simplicity? Accessibility?
What are YOUR thoughts?

Song #3 coming up tomorrow.
(ps: as I’ve been sharing, for some reason, the “subscribe to comments” checkbox is waaay down at the bottom of this page – if you’d like to stay informed when someone posts a comment on this post, leave your comment and scroll way down and check off that box before submitting. Any code monkeys out there that can figure out WHY the seesmic response and email subscribe are stuck at the bottom? I’ve removed the seesmic plugin completely and it had no effect)

Fred