Great Songs: “Hosanna” by Hillsong United

The Australian worship band Hillsong United has been around for over a decade, but their popularity has exploded in just the last few years. The band is an outgrowth of the youth ministry of Hillsong Church in Sydney (the church home of another influential worship leader, Darlene Zschech). The band has contributed a great number of songs to modern worship, the most well-known being “Mighty to Save.” Hillsong United’s album Across the Earth: Tear Down the Walls is one of my favorite albums of any style of music. Most churches doing any kind of contemporary music are probably using some songs by Hillsong United. We certainly sing a lot of them in our SLCC Chapel services.

“Hosanna” was written by Brooke Ligertwood (formerly Brooke Fraser) and is included in Hillsong United’s 2007 album All of the Above. It’s a great song because it creatively combines meaningful lyrics with interesting music. I suppose all great songs have both components, but worship songs can be a special challenge because they have to musically and lyrically interesting, able to be learned and sung by the average person, and they have to express a very familiar story in a new, fresh way. That’s a tall order!

Verse 1 of “Hosanna” contains imagery that is almost prophetic, speaking of the “King of Glory coming on the clouds with fire,” with the whole earth shaking. (It’s reminiscent of scenes from Isaiah 6, Ezekiel 1 and Revelation 4 & 5. Here is a link to the lyrics if you want to have a look.) The chorus is a simple expression of praise, and verse 2 speaks of God’s love and mercy washing over our sin. The bridge is a plea for God to “break my heart for what breaks yours,” and is a call to surrender everything for the cause of God’s kingdom. This is a sort of modern version of “I Surrender All,” except with more electric guitars, and a lot louder.

The blending of the minor key tonality, haunting feel and cryptic imagery complement each other well. The song is also a great example of how to effectively use electric guitars (and digital delay) in modern worship music. Many props to Hillsong for a job well done on this one.

Lift up your heads, O gates!
And be lifted up, O ancient doors,
that the King of glory may come in.
Who is this King of glory?
The LORD, strong and mighty,
the LORD, mighty in battle!
Lift up your heads, O gates!
And lift them up, O ancient doors,
that the King of glory may come in.
Who is this King of glory?
The LORD of hosts,
he is the King of glory!

(Psalm 24.7-10)