Lyrics
Verse 1
John saw that great city In the Bible we're told
It's walls were of jasper and streets of pure gold
He saw it descending from Heaven above
It has twelve foundations all filled with God's love
Chorus
I'm Bound for That City, blessed city of gold
To live there forever, where none shall grow old
I'll meet friends and loved ones, Oh won't it be grand
I'm Bound for that city, in Canaan's fair land
Verse 2
No thing that defileth or maketh a lie
Can enter that city. Blessed city on high
As clear as a crystal flows the river of life
No death in that homeland no sorrow or strife
Video
Meaning & Inspiration
I’m Bound for That City draws its central picture from Revelation’s vision of the holy city. Jasper walls, golden streets, twelve foundations, and the river of life give the lyrics a specific biblical setting. The chorus responds to that vision with hope: the singer is bound for the city and its promise of life without aging, surrounded by friends and loved ones.
The song also emphasizes what will be absent. Defilement, falsehood, death, sorrow, and strife have no place in the city it describes. The expectation of meeting loved ones adds a personal dimension to the larger vision of restoration. By pairing detailed imagery with a forward-looking chorus, the lyric expresses Christian hope in everlasting life and God’s final renewal of creation. Its images are not merely decorative; they connect the singer’s expectation directly to the biblical promise of a dwelling where suffering and corruption have ended.
Related Scripture
- Revelation 21:2,18-21 John sees the holy city descending from heaven, with jasper walls and streets of gold.
- Revelation 21:27 Nothing impure or false is permitted to enter the city.
- Revelation 22:1-5 The vision includes the river of life and the end of night and the curse.