Bart Millard - I Can Only Imagine Lyrics
Lyrics
I can only imagine what it will be like
When I walk by Your side.
I can only imagine what my eyes will see
When Your face is before me.
I can only imagine.
I can only imagine.
Surrounded by Your glory
What will my heart feel?
Will I dance for You Jesus?
Or in awe of You be still?
Will I stand in Your presence?
Or to my knees will I fall?
Will I sing hallelujah?
Will I be able to speak at all?
I can only imagine.
I can only imagine.
I can only imagine when that day comes,
When I find myself standing in the son,
I can only imagine when all I will do
Is forever, forever worship You.
I can only imagine.
I can only imagine.
Surrounded by Your glory
What will my heart feel?
Will I dance for You Jesus?
Or in awe of You be still?
Will I stand in Your presence?
Or to my knees will I fall?
Will I sing hallelujah?
Will I be able to speak at all?
I can only imagine
I can only imagine
Surrounded by Your glory
What will my heart feel?
Will I dance for You Jesus?
Or in awe of You be still?
Will I stand in Your presence?
Or to my knees will I fall?
Will I sing hallelujah?
Will I be able to speak at all?
I can only imagine.
I can only imagine.
I can only imagine.
I can only imagine.
I can only imagine.
I can only imagine.
I can only imagine
When all I will do
Is forever, forever worship You . . .
I can only imagine.
Video
MercyMe - "I Can Only Imagine" Official Music Video
Meaning & Inspiration
The official music video for "I Can Only Imagine" by MercyMe was released on January 14, 2008, yet its profound impact had already resonated across the world for years prior. Penned by Bart Millard, the band's frontman, this iconic Christian anthem transcends mere musicality to offer a deeply personal and universally comforting meditation on eternity. Its enduring appeal lies not just in its memorable melody, but in the vulnerable and hopeful inquiry it poses about the ultimate encounter with the divine.
The genesis of "I Can Only Imagine" is rooted in Bart Millard's poignant life story, particularly his relationship with his father. Growing up, Bart experienced a tumultuous and abusive childhood, yet witnessed a profound transformation in his father, Arthur Millard, who embraced Christianity and became a man of deep faith before succumbing to cancer when Bart was eighteen. This profound shift, coupled with the inevitable loss, left Bart grappling with the mysteries of heaven and the nature of meeting God face-to-face. The song became his way of processing this deeply spiritual curiosity, giving voice to a yearning that many believers share: what will it truly be like to stand in the presence of the Almighty? It is a testament to the transformative power of faith, born from personal pain and culminating in a universal hope.
The song's lyrical journey invites every soul into a shared contemplation of eternal glory, beginning with the simple, yet profound, question of what it will be like "When I walk by Your side." This opening immediately taps into the biblical promise of intimate fellowship with God, a future where, as Revelation 21:3 assures us, God himself "will be with them." The subsequent lines, "what my eyes will see / When Your face is before me," directly echo the scriptural hope found in 1 John 3:2, stating that "we shall see Him as He is," and 1 Corinthians 13:12, where Paul speaks of a future when "we shall see face to face." This vision of direct, unmediated communion with the Creator and Redeemer is the ultimate aspiration of the believer, a moment of perfect clarity and unfiltered love.
The central questions posed in the recurring section, "Surrounded by Your glory / What will my heart feel?" delve into the almost unfathomable majesty of God's presence. Isaiah 6:3 describes the seraphim proclaiming, "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory!" The song then explores various human reactions to such overwhelming splendor: "Will I dance for You Jesus? / Or in awe of You be still?" These possibilities reflect a spectrum of worship, from the joyful exultation seen in passages like Psalm 149:3 to the reverent silence encouraged by Psalm 46:10, "Be still, and know that I am God." The inquiry continues, "Will I stand in Your presence? / Or to my knees will I fall?" This speaks to the duality of confidence in Christ and profound humility before divine power. Philippians 2:10-11 declares that "at the name of Jesus every knee should bow," a spontaneous act of worship that aligns perfectly with the song's imagery. Finally, "Will I sing hallelujah? / Will I be able to speak at all?" captures the tension between the irresistible urge to praise, as depicted throughout Revelation with choruses of "Hallelujah!" (Revelation 19:1, 3, 4, 6), and the possibility of being utterly speechless, overcome by the sheer weight of God's magnificence, echoing Habakkuk 2:20, "the LORD is in his holy temple; let all the earth keep silence before him."
The repetitive refrain, "I can only imagine," serves as a powerful anchor throughout the song, underscoring the limitations of human comprehension in the face of divine eternity, while simultaneously fueling an earnest longing. It is a humble acknowledgement that our earthly minds cannot fully grasp the glory awaiting us, yet it propels the heart to ponder with hopeful anticipation. The song culminates with the ultimate purpose: "when all I will do / Is forever, forever worship You." This speaks to the eternal state described in Revelation 7:9-12, where a vast multitude stands before the throne, offering ceaseless praise. The imagery of finding oneself "standing in the Son" powerfully points to Jesus Christ, who, as Colossians 1:15-17 reveals, is the "image of the invisible God" and through whom all things were created and sustained. This song serves as a profound theological reflection, a spiritual exercise that encourages contemplation of heaven not as an abstract concept, but as a tangible, glorious reality, prompting believers to live with an eternal perspective that shapes their present existence and inspires a deeper walk of faith.