Dante Bowe - Old Church Basement Lyrics
Lyrics
Verse 1
I don't see anything wrong with the lights or stages
I even love it when the crowd gets loud singing out God's praises
But every now and then, it can get a little complicated
So I remember when I was in that old church basement, singing
Chorus
Hallelujah is all I need
When I think of Your goodness and Your love for me
Oh, the joy of my salvation, is coming back to me
It's just an old hallelujah with a new melody
Post-Chorus
And I'm singing
Oh-oh, oh-oh
Oh-oh, oh-oh
Yeah
Verse 2
We got together every Wednesday night, about thirty teenagers
My friend Josh bought a cheap guitar and barеly knew how to play it
He wasn't putting on a show, wasn't well known, wasn't trying to bе famous
But we sure touched Heaven in that old church basement
Chorus
Hallelujah is all I need
When I think of Your goodness and Your love for me
Oh, the joy of my salvation, is coming back to me
It's just an old hallelujah with a new melody
Post-Chorus
And I'm singing
Oh-oh, (Yeah, yeah) oh-oh
Find me singing
Oh-oh, oh-oh
Oh-oh, oh-oh
Oh-oh, oh-oh
Bridge
Great is Thy faithfulness Lord unto me
It's just an old hallelujah with a new melody
And I once was blind but now I can see
It's just an old hallelujah with a new melody
Oh, over the mountains and the sea, Your river runs with love for me
An old hallelujah with a new melody
Shout to the Lord all the earth, let us sing
It's just an old hallelujah with a new melody
Chorus
(Say hallelujah)
Hallelujah is all I need
When I think of Your goodness and Your love for me
Oh, the joy of my salvation, is coming back to me
It's just an old hallelujah with a new melody
It's just an old hallelujah with a new melody
Post-Chorus
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Oh-oh, oh-oh
Oh-oh, oh-oh
New melody
Oh-oh, oh-oh
Halle to Yahweh
Oh-oh, oh-oh
Refrain
Halle to Yahweh (Sing it your way)
Halle to Yahweh (Sing His glory)
Halle to Yahweh
(It's what the Heavens are declaring)
(It's what the Heavens are declaring)
Halle to Yahweh
(So we will respond, we will respond)
(Say Halle) Halle to Yahweh
(Worthy, worthy, worthy)
(Worthy, worthy, worthy)
Halle to Yahweh
(No greater name, no greater name, no greater name)
(Sing Halle) Halle to Yahweh
(Sing it your way, sing it your way)
Halle to Yahweh
(Sing it your way, sing it your way, sing it your way)
(Sing halle Yahweh) Halle to Yahweh
(Something happens when we praise) Halle to Yahweh
(Something happens when we praise) Halle to Yahweh
(Something happens when we praise) Halle to Yahweh
? Halle to Yahweh
(Worthy is the Lamb) Halle to Yahweh
(To receive glory) Halle to Yahweh
(Power, dominion) Halle to Yahweh
(Power)
Interlude
Oh glory hallelujah (Oh-oh, oh-oh)
Worthy to receive glory, ? 5:49, dominion and power (Oh-oh, oh-oh)
Chorus
And hallelujah is all I need
When I think of Your goodness and Your love for me
Oh, the joy of my salvation, is coming back to me
It's just an old hallelujah with a new melody
It's the same hallelujah that the elders sing
And it's the only hallelujah I will ever need
Video
Old Church Basement | Elevation Worship & Maverick City
Meaning & Inspiration
"Old Church Basement," a collaboration between Elevation Worship and Maverick City, featuring Dante Bowe, emerged on May 3, 2021, offering a powerful anthem rooted in the transformative power of God's presence. The song's narrative centers on the humble beginnings of faith, drawing a poignant parallel between the simple, unadorned spaces where believers first encountered the divine and the profound impact that encounter has on their lives. It speaks to the idea that God can meet us wherever we are, even in the most ordinary of places, and that His glory isn't confined to grand cathedrals or elaborate settings. This resonates deeply with the biblical accounts where significant spiritual awakenings often occurred in unexpected locations, such as Jacob encountering God at Bethel, a place he called "the house of God" (Genesis 28:17), despite it being a desolate place where he rested his head on a stone. The message powerfully echoes Jesus' teaching that "where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them" (Matthew 18:20), emphasizing that the gathering of believers, regardless of the venue, is where His Spirit is actively at work.
The song's core message is one of radical accessibility and the enduring nature of God's love and power, which doesn't diminish with the simplicity of its setting. It encourages a return to a foundational understanding of faith, one that values authentic encounter over outward show. This perspective aligns with the Apostle Paul's reflections in 1 Corinthians 1:27-29, where he highlights that God often chooses what is weak and humble to shame the strong and proud. The “old church basement” becomes a metaphor for this unpretentious starting point, a place where true worship can flourish stripped of pretension. It signifies that the transformative power of the Gospel is available to everyone, everywhere, capable of turning the mundane into the miraculous. The repeated assertion of God's presence in such a place speaks to the promise found in Isaiah 43:2, "When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you." This song invites listeners to recognize and embrace the sacredness of their own everyday experiences, finding God’s faithfulness and power not in grand external displays, but in the enduring reality of His indwelling Spirit, capable of transforming any space into hallowed ground.