Song Story - Ten Thousand Thousand

The song 'Ten Thousand, Thousand' took about 2 years to write. It started off with the idea of Revelation 5:11-14

I wanted to try to capture the awesome experience of worship as depicted here, where the earth has the honour of joining with heaven in worship of God eternal. So it involved trying to paint a picture of heaven, using this verse as a base, and then echoing our response to it.

Revelation 5:11-14 (NIV)

¹¹Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders. ¹²In a loud voice they sang:
"Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain,
to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength
and honor and glory and praise!"

¹³Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, singing:
"To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb
be praise and honor and glory and power,
for ever and ever!" ¹⁴The four living creatures said, "Amen," and the elders fell down and worshiped.

Initially, the song was called ' As David Sang' because I wanted to try to link in the idea of David being one of the main writers of the Psalms (ancient hymns) writing sung responses to what is going on in heavenly realms. I also included some Revelation images, so the song included Cherubim and Seraphim circling the throne and elders falling sown and throwing down their crowns.

The original melody has remained almost umaltered form the original as it built nicely, however some of these images and ideas I have just mentioned had to go. It was while I was on a Worship Central retreat with Tim Hughes and Al Gordon where I played this song to the group. The main comments were that the overly religious imagery would make it difficult for non-Christians visiting church, or seeking God to understand. For example - David could be anyone, and many people have a warped idea about Cherubs as being flying fat babies with wings - all of which are separate form our real experience with living for God today. So I replaced these images with more easily inderstood ideas to do with heaven and later in the song, with creation responding and joining in with this heavenly praise.

I decided to repeat the 'You are God' at the end of the chorus to make it more punchy - a declaration. I also decided to repeat the final words of each verse to make it link better with the choruses.

It was at this stage, almost a year after having the original idea, when I was playing through the song that the bridge arrived 'For no one and nothing is greater than You'. The reason for our praise and worship explained. I still really love this bridge as it builds very nicely and naturally and springboards the singer/worshipper into the worship of the heavenly realms.

The final version of the song is a great up-beat declaration of praise, earth joining with heaven in worship of the King of kings!

Click here to download the lyrics and chord chart or click here for the leadsheet or click here for the sheet music all absolutely free!

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