Variations On a Hymn (That Hymn Thing)

Lyrics

Spoken: You're about to hear an example Of how contemporary Christian music got started Some people think it's a new thing But contemporary Christian music Isn't really new at all For centuries, Christians have been using The music of their day To convey their love of God to other man In England, some of the early hymn writers Actually used melodies from bar songs Like this one: I once met a girl And her name was Matilda She hung like a pear And she looked like onе too Spoken: Now great hymn writers Likе Charles Wesley and Martin Luther Would've taken this very melody And used it to the glory of God And when they sang it in church It would've sounded like this: We praise Thee, O God Redeemer, Creator In grateful devotion Our tribute we bring We lay it before You We kneel and adore You We bless Your great name Your praises we sing Spoken: Now here's our idea Of what this same hymn Might've sounded like If it had been written And performed in the 1940's We praise Thee, O God Our redeemer, Creator In grateful devotion Our tribute we bring, ooh-ooh... We lay it before You We kneel and adore You Bless Your great name Your praises we sing Your praises we sing Now sets your toes a-tappin' For the King that's really happenin' We praise Thee, O God Our redeemer, Creator In grateful devotion Our tribute we bring We lay it before You We kneel and adore You We bless Your great name And Your praises we sing Whoa-whoa... We lay it before You We kneel and adore You Whoa, we bless Your great name Yes, we bless Your great name Ooh, we bless Your great name And Your praises we sing Now this is what "We praise Thee O God" Would've sounded like If it were written somewhere In the hills of Tennessee We praise Thee, O God Our redeemer, Creator In grateful devotion Our tribute we bring We lay it before You We kneel and adore You We bless Your great name And Your praises we sing, oh, yeah We worship You God of our fathers Through so many tempests Our Guide You have been When perils o'ertake us Escape You will make us And using Your strength Our battles we win We praise Thee, O God Our redeemer, Creator In grateful devotion Our tribute we bring We lay it before You We kneel and adore You We bless Your great name And Your praises we sing Your praises we sing If this hymn had been sung In the beach in the 1960's I bet it would've sounded like this Grateful, grateful devotion we bring (Praise God) In grateful devotion Our tribute we bring We praise Your name (Grateful, grateful devotion we bring) It's always the same (We bless Your name and the praises we sing) We want a love to all (Grateful, grateful devotion we bring) You have it really tall (We bless Your name and the praises we sing) Praise God Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh... Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh... Grateful, grateful devotion we bring Grateful, grateful devotion All our tribute we bring I'm thinking of good vibrations Grateful, grateful devotion All our tribute we bring He's giving me exortations Grateful, grateful devotion All our tribute we bring Spoken: Music has changed a lot During the past few hundred years But Glad sings these same words Of praise today We praise Thee, O God Our redeemer, Creator In grateful devotion Our tribute we bring We lay it before You We kneel and adore You We bless Your great name And Your praises we sing With voices united Our praises we offer And gladly our song Of true worship we raise Your strong arm will guide us Our God is beside us To Thee, great Redeemer Forever be praise Alleluia, forever be praise (Oh...) Alleluia Alleluia, forever be praise Alleluia, forever be praise Alleluia, forever be praise Alleluia, forever be praise Alleluia, forever be praise