Josh Garrels - All Creatures Lyrics
Lyrics
All creatures of our God and King
Lift up your voice and let us sing
O praise Him! O praise Him!
Alleluia.
Creation sent to me the centipede
To witness the complexity
Of one hundred legs that were moving unexpectedly
Ironically, just as they were meant to be
They're fearfully and wonderfully made
An organism prays in circadian rhythms
The sun will rise, and the sun will set
The sun will rise again so lift up your head
This is life, not a static object preserved and displayed
Like a relic of the dead
You are not a fruitless tree with a rootless disease
Growin' in a bucket in a rich man's home
Next to the TV, tamed and alone
Learnin' to lust for the things you don't own
Like an armchair warrior who's been dethroned
Declawed and fixed
Fightin' for your life with unattended slit wrists
Don't let your name get intermingled with a number
Cause it's time to awaken from the devilish slumber
And freely follow the forerunner to the Fatherland
And rally ?round the Renaissance man
And the wisdom of His ways
And all the work of His hands
Catch come as catch can
Concentrating on the good words of the Son of Man
The plan is to withstand the demands of a confused oppressor
A wolf in sheep's clothes with monotonous lectures
And questionable gestures
Unequal measures
Cultural pressures
And synthetic textures
Force fed instead of the most beautiful architecture
Of our long lost, forgotten origins
Earth, seed, fiber and the blood of my kin
And that old rock where we confessed our sins
Oh, my God, fellow man, and this great land
They all cry out for full restoration
And this will take patience
And this will take the tribes and tongues of all the nations
And all of creation groans in anticipation
Waitin' for the Son of God to be manifest
And I can feel it burnin' in my chest
The liberation for the oppressed
And it's beautiful like the feet that bring good news
It's beautiful like this freedom tune
It's beautiful like the power to choose, to change
Beautiful like the long awaited rain
Beautiful like the healing pains
Beautiful like to holy flames
Coming down
All creatures of our God and King
Lift up your voice and let us sing
O praise Him! O Praise Him!
Alleluia
Video
All Creatures
Meaning & Inspiration
Josh Garrels' "All Creatures," released on October 31, 2024, arrives as a potent and reflective spiritual anthem, immediately inviting listeners into a profound meditation on creation, human existence, and the divine. The song does not merely present a collection of thoughts but weaves a complex tapestry of praise, warning, and hopeful anticipation, all rooted deeply in biblical truth. At its core, "All Creatures" is a rallying cry for spiritual awakening and a call to return to our divine origins, urging us to recognize God's hand in all things and to resist the deceptive currents of the modern world.
The song begins with the timeless hymn-like invocation, "All creatures of our God and King, lift up your voice and let us sing," immediately setting a tone of universal worship. This echoes passages like Psalm 148, which calls on everything from sun and moon to mountains and all living creatures to praise the Lord. Garrels then grounds this grand declaration in specific, almost microscopic detail, using the centipede as a metaphor for divine complexity. Observing "one hundred legs that were moving unexpectedly, ironically, just as they were meant to be," he marvels at the intricate design of even the smallest organisms, affirming the truth of Psalm 139:14, that we are "fearfully and wonderfully made." This marvel extends beyond biological design to the rhythm of life itself, as "an organism prays in circadian rhythms," reminding us that creation instinctively follows God's ordained cycles, a constant witness to His glory, much like Romans 1:20 suggests that God’s invisible attributes are clearly seen through what has been made.
From the natural world, Garrels shifts his gaze to the human condition, offering a stark contrast between vibrant life and spiritual stagnation. He declares, "This is life, not a static object preserved and displayed, like a relic of the dead," challenging the passive consumption that characterizes much of contemporary existence. He powerfully warns against becoming "a fruitless tree with a rootless disease," an image that directly recalls Christ's teaching in John 15 about abiding in Him to bear fruit, or Jeremiah 17:5-8, which contrasts the cursed man who trusts in man with the blessed man who trusts in the Lord, like a tree planted by water. The vivid imagery of growing "in a bucket in a rich man's home, next to the TV, tamed and alone, learnin' to lust for the things you don't own," critiques consumerism and spiritual complacency, portraying a dethroned "armchair warrior" who has become declawed and fixed, fighting for life with "unattended slit wrists." This powerful metaphor speaks to the spiritual wounds inflicted by apathy and disconnection, a soul weakened and unable to defend itself against the true battles.
The song then issues a powerful call to action and discernment, urging us not to let our "name get intermingled with a number." This line is a profound warning against dehumanization, conformity, and losing our unique identity in Christ within a system that seeks to categorize and control. It’s "time to awaken from the devilish slumber," a clear echo of Romans 13:11, calling for vigilance and spiritual alertness. The path forward is to "freely follow the forerunner to the Fatherland and rally 'round the Renaissance man," an unmistakable reference to Jesus Christ as our pioneer and perfecter of faith (Hebrews 12:2) and the source of true renewal and wisdom. Garrels contrasts this divine wisdom with the "confused oppressor," a "wolf in sheep's clothes with monotonous lectures" and "questionable gestures." This embodies the biblical warning against false teachers and deceptive ideologies (Matthew 7:15), highlighting "unequal measures, cultural pressures, and synthetic textures" that obscure the "most beautiful architecture of our long lost, forgotten origins." This call back to "Earth, seed, fiber and the blood of my kin, and that old rock where we confessed our sins" speaks to a yearning for a pure, authentic connection to our heritage and to the foundation of faith, emphasizing repentance and shared humanity.
Ultimately, "All Creatures" builds toward a powerful vision of restoration. Garrels asserts that "my God, fellow man, and this great land, they all cry out for full restoration," a sentiment deeply rooted in Romans 8:22, where creation itself "groans" in eager expectation for the revealing of the children of God. This restoration, he explains, "will take patience, and this will take the tribes and tongues of all the nations," pointing to the global, unified effort depicted in Revelation 7:9. The anticipation burns in his chest, a longing for "the liberation for the oppressed," a profound expression of Isaiah 61:1, which speaks of good news for the poor and freedom for captives. The song concludes with a litany of what is "beautiful": "like the feet that bring good news" (Isaiah 52:7), "like this freedom tune," "the power to choose, to change," "the long awaited rain," "the healing pains," and "the holy flames coming down." These images evoke hope, transformation, divine presence, and the promise of God making "all things new" (Revelation 21:5). The final return to "All creatures of our God and King, Lift up your voice and let us sing, O praise Him! O Praise Him! Alleluia" serves not just as a bookend, but as a triumphant affirmation that despite the challenges, praise remains our ultimate and eternal calling. Garrels’ "All Creatures" is a rich, challenging, and deeply encouraging work that calls believers to a more authentic, discerning, and worshipful life, grounded in the unshakeable truth of God's Word.