Photo by Nicola Fioravanti
Matt Redman started his music career by founding Soul Survivor. He was 15 at the time! Later, he transitioned to his solo career, releasing 18 albums, including 14 studio and 4 live albums. I don’t count compilations.
He won numerous awards, including two Grammy’s, ten Dove’s, and one Cranmer Award for his work.
Also, check out my other Matt Redman reviews, including Wonderful Maker, Mercy, Better is One Day, Blessed Be Your Name, and 10,000 Reasons.
Note to new users: This is a different kind of review site! Read About the Berean Test and Evaluation Criteria prior to reading this review.
1. What message does the song communicate?
In those moments when Matt Redman is silent before God, separated from his music, he wants to offer something valuable to God. The only thing Redman can offer is his heart, searched by God and found weak and poor. Redman apologizes for his absence, forgetting that it’s all about Jesus. He fully yields to the God whose value is infinite and rules over all other authorities.
Side Note: To those who are sensitive to massive repetition, Outro contains ten repeats, with a small reprieve in-between.
Score: 10/10
2. How much of the lyrics line up with Scripture?
All the lyrics line up with Scripture.
Lyrics posted with permission.*
[Verse 1]
When the music fades
All is stripped away
And I simply come
Longing just to bring
Something that’s of worth
That will bless Your heart
When all distractions are removed, silence is uncomfortable. Redman wants to bring something worthy of God’s attention, yet, realizes that his works are filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6).
[Pre-Chorus]
I’ll bring You more than a song
For a song in itself
Is not what You have required
Mere music is not what God wants from us.
You search much deeper within
Through the way things appear
You’re looking into my heart
While man looks at Redman’s appearance: his songs, leading others in worship, and behavior, God examines and judges his heart (1 Samuel 16:7, 1 Kings 8:39, Psalm 44:21, Psalm 139:1, Proverbs 16:2, Jeremiah 17:10, and Luke 16:15).
[Chorus]
I’m coming back to the heart of worship
And it’s all about You, it’s all about You, Jesus
I’m sorry, Lord, for the thing I’ve made it
Redman concludes that the core of worship is complete and total surrender to Jesus (Isaiah 64:8, Matthew 10:38, Matthew 11:28-30, Matthew 16:24, Mark 8:34-38, Mark 10:28, Luke 9:23, Luke 14:27, John 15:1-11, Romans 6:13, Romans 12:1-2, Galatians 2:20, Philippians 2:5-8, Hebrews 11:6, James 4:7-10, and 1 Peter 5:6). Redman apologizes to God for faltering from fixing his eyes on Jesus (Hebrews 12:2).
When it’s all about You, it’s all about You, Jesus
Essentially repeats line 2.
[Verse 2]
King of endless worth
Christ is a King (Isaiah 9:6, Isaiah 11:10, Micah 5:2, Matthew 2:1-6, John 12:15, John 18:37, 1 Timothy 6:13-16, Revelation 17:14, and Revelation 19:11-16) whose value is without measure. This is eloquently captured in Philippians 3:8-10.
No one could express
How much you deserve
Mere words are inadequate to show God’s worthiness of praise (1 Chronicles 16:25, 2 Samuel 22:4, Psalm 96:4-5, Psalm 145:3, and Revelation 4:11).
Though I’m weak and poor
Redman is weak to resist sin (Matthew 26:41 and Romans 7:14-25) and spiritually poor, or helpless (Matthew 5:3).
All I have is Yours
Every single breath!
See Chorus.
[Outro]
All about you
Repeats part of Chorus, line 2.
I’ll bring you more than a song
I’ll bring you more than a song
More than a song
I’ll bring you more than a song
I’ll bring you more than a song
(than a song)
Essentially repeats Pre-Chorus, line 1 several times.
You’re looking into my heart, looking into my heart
You’re looking into my heart
Repeats Pre-Chorus, line 6 several times.
I’ll bring You more than a song
I’ll bring You more than a song, yeeeah
I’ll bring You more than a song
I’ll bring You more than a song
Repeats Pre-Chorus, line 1 several times, combined with “yeeeah”.
Score: 10/10
3. How would an outsider interpret the song?
Redman uses everyday language to communicate his message, making it easy for unbelievers to follow. Life for Redman is all about Jesus and he’s sorry for making it about something else.
The only thing that unbelievers could potentially misinterpret is Redman’s usage of “poor”. They will probably think of financial poverty; However, this interpretation still fits with the song’s theme about surrender.
Score: 9/10
4. What does this song glorify?
This song glorifies Jesus as the One worthy of what little praise we can offer.
Score: 10/10
Closing Comments
Matt Redman’s The Heart of Worship is an awesome song. It reminds us to remove distractions and spend time alone with God, bringing Him glory. Unbelievers should find it easy
I highly recommend this song for corporate worship.
Final Score: 9.5/10
Artist Info
Track: The Heart of Worship (listen to the song)
Artist: Matt Redman
Album: Intimacy
Genre: Contemporary Christian Music (CCM)
Release Year: 1998
Duration: 4:16
Agree? Disagree? Don’t be shy or have a cow! Calmly and politely state your case in a comment, below.
*Copyright © 1999 Thankyou Music (PRS) (adm. worldwide at CapitolCMGPublishing.com excluding Europe which is adm. by Integrity Music, part of the David C Cook family. Songs@integritymusic.com) All rights reserved. Used by permission.
Updates:
03/25/2021 – Updated per repetition announcement. I raised section 1’s score. This did not affect the overall rating.
Comments
racefangurl
We heard it on a local Christian station when I was a kid and our current church sang it we went there first. The local station merged into a network in ’06 and the church doesn’t sing the song that much, if ever anymore. However, it might be revived due to our pianist/pastor’s wife’s previously mentioned ’90’s Christian music love.
Paul
This has always been a favorite song of mine, and it’s an important one because of how its message was interpreted to me as a kid. Someone told me that the song was written by a worship leader who had gotten tired of the Sunday worship show and realized that they weren’t actually worshipping anymore. I don’t know how true the story is about the origin of the song, but it’s certainly a true application. Even in small churches, people get caught up in making a fun experience rather than worshipping in Spirit and truth. I even catch myself doing it in my car, listening to music because I like how it sounds rather than how it builds my relationship with God.
Vince Wright
Paul,
Thank you for your thoughts! I agree with you. Sadly, not much has changed since Redman wrote these words. Many churches prioritize experiencing music over the Holy Spirit.
-Vince Wright
Rob
This is my first comment here, so first off, thanks for your ministry and service through this webpage. It provides a lot of great insight for those of us doing song selection for our churches. I know I am in the minority on this, but it seems to me that a song talking about how worship is to mostly be about God is actually more about the songwriter and what he is doing/going to do. This also seems like a strange corporate worship song to me, because it is more of a personal confession of someone’s own struggles that may not be true of everyone, or even most, in the congregation.
J
“For a song in itself
Is not what You have required”
This could be a reference to Amos 5:23; see Amos 5:21-24 for a bit more context.
Amos 6:5 is somewhat related as well.
Tom R
I love this song. And thanks heaps for the detailed lyrical analysis! Can I ask about one line I have always struggled to understand? “I’m sorry Lord for the thing I’ve made it”. What is “the thing”, what is “it”, and what is the thing I’ve made it? Before I googled everything, I once thought the line went “to think I’ve made it”, or even “the things I’ve made” (no it). Help?
Vince Wright
Tom,
Great question!
This line is contrasted with “when it’s all about you, it’s all about You Jesus”, which tells me that whatever this “thing” that Redman made it all about, it doesn’t involve worshipping Jesus. Thus, the “thing I’ve made it” is activities that we do apart from the will and commandments of Christ. It’s the things we do that make life about me and not about Him.
-Vince Wright
Jolee
I was thinking the same.
Tom R
So, I was thinking yesterday along the lines of Vince’s reply (thanks!). I reckon the ambiguous line makes sense when the word “it” refers to “worship” in the Chorus’s first line. The line “I’m sorry, Lord, for the thing I’ve made it” is hence a confession of how the composer/I/you have made worship “a thing”, a something that’s not quite real worship.