Lyrics
Verse 1
All my words fall short
I got nothing new
How could I express
All my gratitude
Verse 2
I could sing these songs
As I often do
But every song must end
And You never do
Chorus
So I throw up my hands
And praise You again and again
‘Cause all that I have is a hallelujah, hallelujah
And I know it’s not much
But I’ve nothing else fit for a king
Except for a heart singing hallelujah
Hallelujah
Verse 3
I’ve got one response
I’ve got just one move
With my arms stretched wide
I will worship You
Bridge
Come on my soul
Oh don’t you get shy on me
Lift up your song
‘Cause you’ve got a lion inside of those lungs
Get up and praise the Lord
Video
Meaning & Inspiration
"Gratitude" is built on the admission that words feel too small for the thanks the singer wants to express. Verse one opens with "All my words fall short," and the next verse notes that "every song must end" while "You never do," setting the limits of human praise against God's endlessness.
The chorus supplies the answer: raised hands and a repeated "hallelujah." The singer calls it "not much" and says there is "nothing else fit for a king" except "a heart singing hallelujah." The bridge turns inward, telling the soul to stop being shy and to "Get up and praise the Lord," and the third verse commits to a single response, "With my arms stretched wide" and "I will worship You."
The themes parallel the psalmist's call for the soul to bless the Lord, the habit of lifting hands in His name, and Paul's instruction to give thanks in all circumstances. The song keeps its message simple: gratitude expressed as praise, even when the vocabulary runs out.
Related Scripture
- Psalm 103:1-2 The psalmist tells his soul to bless the Lord and forget none of His benefits.
- Psalm 63:4 The psalmist says he will lift up his hands in God's name.
- 1 Thessalonians 5:18 Believers are told to give thanks in all circumstances.