Vertical Worship - 1000 Tongues Lyrics
Lyrics
We are a sea of voices,
We are an ocean of your praise.
Gathered under one name.
We are a tide that's rising,
And we cannot be contained.
Gathered under one name.
O for a thousand tongues to sing,
The glories of our Lord, God Almighty.
O to sing the Saviour's praise,
The triumph of His grace,
You are worthy,
You are worthy God.
We have found our anthem,
At the cross where sin was slain.
Gathered under one name.
Where every chain is broken,
Every sorrow swept away.
Gathered under one name.
O for a thousand tongues to sing,
The glories of our Lord, God Almighty.
O to sing the Saviour's praise,
The triumph of His grace,
You are worthy,
You are worthy God.
With all heaven sing,
And all earth below.
One holy King,
One highest throne.
With all heaven sing,
And all earth below.
One holy King,
One highest throne.
O for a thousand tongues to sing,
The glories of our Lord, God Almighty.
O to sing the Saviour's praise,
The triumph of His grace,
You are worthy,
You are so worthy God.
O for a thousand tongues to sing,
The glories of our Lord, God Almighty.
O to sing the Saviour's praise,
The triumph of His grace,
You are worthy,
You are worthy God.
Video
Vertical Worship - 1000 Tongues
Meaning & Inspiration
Vertical Worship's "1000 Tongues," released on August 4, 2017, as part of their album of the same name, is a powerful declaration of God's worthiness, rooted deeply in the biblical understanding of praise and redemption. The song's genesis appears to draw inspiration from the profound yearning for more than human capacity can offer when contemplating the divine. The central theme, "O for a thousand tongues to sing," echoes the sentiment of Charles Wesley's famous hymn, "Praise My Soul, the King of Heaven," and more directly, Charles Wesley's "O for a Thousand Tongues to Sing," which itself is a paraphrase of Psalm 103:1-5. This desire for an amplified voice to express the fullness of God's glory speaks to the inadequacy of our finite abilities in the face of an infinite Creator. The lyrics paint a vivid picture of the Church as a unified force, "a sea of voices," "an ocean of your praise," united "under one name." This imagery of a rising tide that "cannot be contained" speaks to the unstoppable momentum of the Holy Spirit and the ever-growing nature of God's kingdom, a concept found in passages like Acts 4:20, where the apostles declare they "cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard."
The lyrical narrative quickly pivots to the source of this abundant praise: the sacrifice at the cross. The statement, "We have found our anthem, at the cross where sin was slain," is a direct reference to the redemptive work of Jesus Christ, the cornerstone of Christian faith as articulated in 1 Corinthians 15:3, "that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures." This is where the chains of sin are broken and sorrow is swept away, offering a profound theological message of liberation and healing. The repeated refrain, "You are worthy, You are worthy God," is not merely a musical hook but a theological anchor, aligning with the constant affirmations of God's sovereignty and inherent worth throughout Scripture, such as in Revelation 4:11: "You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being." The inclusion of the phrase "With all heaven sing, and all earth below. One holy King, One highest throne" broadens the scope of worship, encompassing all creation in adoration, reminiscent of Philippians 2:10-11, where it states that at the name of Jesus, every knee should bow and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. This song, therefore, isn't just a beautiful piece of music; it's a theological statement of worship, a testament to the transformative power of the cross, and a fervent prayer for the Church to possess an unending and amplified voice in glorifying the Almighty. The overwhelming message is one of profound gratitude for salvation and an earnest desire to match the magnitude of God's grace with the fullness of our praise, acknowledging His supreme authority and unmatched worthiness.