Lyrics
Verse 1
Lately, I've been reading, watching the nightly news
Can't seem to find the rhythm, just wanna sing the blues
Feels like a song that never stops
Feels like it's never gonna
Pre-Chorus
Gotta get that fire, fire, back in my bones
Before my heart, heart, turns into stone
So somebody please pass the megaphone
I'll shout it on the count of three
One, two, three
Chorus
Oh, hear my prayer tonight, I'm singing to the sky
Give me strength to raise my voice, let me testify
Oh, hear my prayer tonight, 'cause this is do or die
The time has come to make a choice
And I choose joy
Let it move you, let it move you, let it move you
Yeah, I choose joy
Let it move you, let it move, let it move you
Verse 2
Back when I was young, my eyes were full of life
But now that I am older, I live at the speed of light
Feels like the cycle never stops
Feels like it's never gonna
Pre-Chorus (Repeat)
Chorus (Repeat, extended)
Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of night
Oh, with You by my side, I'm stepping into the light
I choose joy
Let it move you, let it move, let it move you
Bridge (Repeat)
I need that joy, joy, joy, joy
Down in my heart, down in my heart to stay (x2)
Chorus 2 (Repeat, extended)
Outro (Repeat)
I need that joy, joy, joy, joy
Down in my heart, down in my heart to stay (x2)
Video
Meaning & Inspiration
"Joy." opens with weariness rather than celebration, describing exhaustion from constant negative news and a sense that difficulty never lets up. That honest starting point frames joy not as an automatic mood but as something actively sought and chosen against a discouraging backdrop.
The chorus reframes that choice as prayer, asking directly to be heard while raising a determined, public voice. Repeating "I choose joy" as decision rather than feeling, the song ties that choice explicitly to divine companionship, echoing a well-known psalm's picture of walking through a dark valley without being overcome by it.
The bridge simplifies that decision into a plainspoken request, borrowing language from a familiar children's chorus about joy kept "down in my heart." Rooted in contemporary worship's blend of personal honesty and declared resolve, the song functions as an act of will rather than passive optimism, repeating its central choice until joy becomes a settled response to circumstances that have not actually changed.
Related Scripture
- Psalm 23:4 Describes walking through the valley of the shadow of death without fear because of God's presence, directly echoed in the song's chorus.
- Nehemiah 8:10 States that the joy of the Lord is one's strength, echoed in the song's repeated choice of joy as a source of strength.