Lyrics
Everybody gather 'round
Come on, lay your burdens down
You don't have to shoulder the weight
It don't matter where you're from
Where you've been or what you've done
Love has come to show you the way
And grace will always be
Our common ground, hey now
Anybody with a heart that's beating
Know how it feels when a heart gets broken
Everybody felt the bitter sting
When careless angry words are spoken
Hey now, hey now
There's a place where healing water
Runs like a river through a barren desert
Hear the Father calling all His children
Bring your troubles and come together
Hey now, hey now
Everybody gather 'round
Come on, lay your burdens down
You don't have to shoulder the weight
It don't matter where you're from
Where you've been or what you've done
Love has come to show you the way
And grace will always be
Our common ground, hey now
Let the Maker of a blue-sky morning
Chase away the night and make you new
Trace the wonders of His mercy
Rising like the sun, they're breaking through
Hey now, hey now
Everybody gather 'round
Come on, lay your burdens down
You don't have to shoulder the weight
It don't matter where you're from
Where you've been or what you've done
Love has come to show you the way
And grace will always be
Our common ground, hey now
Movers, shakers, backseat takers
No one's gone too far
Losers, winners, saints and sinners
Come just as you are
Everybody gather 'round
Come on, lay your burdens down
You don't have to shoulder the weight
It don't matter where you're from
Where you've been or what you've done
Love has come to show you the way
And grace will always be
Our common ground
And grace will always be
Our common ground, hey now
Hey now
Video
Meaning & Inspiration
Hey Now invites people from different histories and circumstances to gather on the common ground of grace. The song acknowledges broken hearts, bitter words, burdens, and regret without dividing people into worthy and unworthy groups. Its recurring call to lay burdens down presents divine love as an open invitation, while the images of healing water and morning light communicate renewal after pain. The Father’s welcome extends to saints and sinners alike, emphasizing mercy rather than social standing.
The invitation closely reflects Matthew 11:28, where Christ calls the weary and burdened to come for rest. The healing river also recalls the biblical use of life-giving water, while the command to come as one is fits the song’s emphasis on grace. Mercy does not erase the reality of wrongdoing in the lyric; instead, it offers a way beyond isolation and shame. By returning to the phrase “common ground,” the song portrays Christian fellowship as a community formed by shared need and the Father’s restoring welcome.
Related Scripture
- Matthew 11:28 Jesus invites the weary and burdened to come to Him for rest.
- Isaiah 55:1 The passage freely invites the thirsty to come to the waters.