Song of the Week - O Praise Him (All This For a King)


This wasn't going to be the Song of the Week, but I was driving home yesterday, listening to the David Crowder Remedy Club Tour Live Edition CD, and this song came on. I started singing along so earnestly, and so feeling like I was in a worship moment, I switched out right then and there.

This is a beautiful worship song. It was originally released in 2003 on the Illuminate studio album. I've been at David Crowder concerts; this is absolutely a crowd favorite. Not only that, but when I saw DC*B in New York last November, this was the one true moment of worship that everyone in the room shared.

I love the imagery in this song.

Turn you ears to Heaven
and hear the noise inside.

Ever stop to think what Heaven sounds like? We often try to envision it - what does it look like - but what are the noises of Heaven? Well, if you read your Bible (and you should) you would know that it is filled with the sounds of praise for God. Isaiah wrote that there were angels surrounding the throne, singing to one another the praises of God.

The sound of angels' awe
The sound of angels' songs
All this for a king
We could join and sing

Of course we could. Why wouldn't we? Unless we are just struck dumb with awe. It kind of reminds me of the MercyMe song, "I Can Only Imagine." "...will I sing 'Halleluiah?'/Will I be able to speak at all?"

The quietness of the pre-chourus (..how constant, how divine, this song of ours will rise...) does give rise to the power of the chorus, inspiring in it's simplicity.

O, praise Him
O, praise Him
He is Holy!
He is Holy!

And like any good David Crowder song, there are a lot of "La, la, la's" in it, plus a bunch of "Halleluiah!" choruses.

The song is simple in it's structure as well. The story has it that the song was written on a plane ride from Waco, Texas to Atlanta (the band often flies back to Waco on Sundays to minister in church during tours.) as David listened to the noise of the airplane. They usually sing the song in the key of B flat "so people have no choice but to sing loud" as David puts it. He plays it with a capo in the key of G. Pretty easy G-D/F#- C2 (relative to the capo). The chorus goes G-D/F#-Em-C-Am. (You piano and bass players can do your own transpositions. Oh, all right... Bb-F/A-Gm-Eb-Cm. Happy now?)

So what was the Song of the Week going to be? Well, like the Fifth Cylon, you'll have to wait to find out....

Here's David explaining the song on New Song Cafe:




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