2012 single by Matt Redman
"
10,000 Reasons (Bless the Lord)
" is a song by the English
worship
singer-songwriter
Matt Redman
from
his tenth album of the same name
(2011). He wrote it with the Swedish singer
Jonas Myrin
.
[1]
The track was subsequently included on a number of compilations, covered by other artists and included as congregational worship music in English or in translation around the world. In 2013, the song won two Grammy Awards for "
Best Contemporary Christian Music Song
" and "
Best Gospel/Contemporary Christian Music Performance
". After the song's success and impact, Redman also published a book:
10,000 Reasons: Stories of Faith, Hope, and Thankfulness Inspired by the Worship Anthem
.
Context
[
edit
]
The song is a contemporary version of a classic
worship song
making the case for "10,000 reasons for my heart to find" to praise God. The inspiration for the song came through the opening verse of
Psalm 103
: "Praise the Lord, my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name". It is also based on the 19th century English hymn "
Praise, My Soul, the King of Heaven
" written by
Henry Francis Lyte
.
Redman recalled the writing of the song was through an initial idea or suggestion from co-writer Jonas Myrin. Redman told
Worship Leader
magazine: "He [Myrin] played me an idea for some of the chorus melody, and I found it immediately inspiring. In fact, it felt like a perfect fit for a song based on the opening of Psalm 103. The song came together really quickly ? a good chunk of the song was actually a spontaneous moment",
[2]
adding that the song reiterates how "we live beneath an unceasing flow of goodness, kindness, greatness, and holiness, and every day we're given reason after reason why the Lord is so completely and utterly worthy of our highest and best devotion".
[2]
The song enumerates various attributes of the love of God for mankind that makes him worthy of "praise unending", worship for "ten thousand years and then forevermore". The song uses these attributes: God's holiness, lovingkindness, slowness to anger, kind heart, His goodness and His great name.
[3]
The "10,000 Reasons" concept is used in two citations in the song: First in the lyrics "Your name is great and Your heart is kind / For all Your goodness, I will keep on singing / Ten thousand reasons for my heart to find" and the second at the lyrics: "And on that day when my strength is failing / The end draws near and my time has come / Still, my soul will sing Your praise unending / Ten thousand years and then forevermore".
The refrain says:
[4]
Bless the Lord, O my soul,
O my soul, worship his holy name.
Sing like never before, O my soul.
I'll worship your holy name.
Music video
[
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]
A music video was filmed in a church setting in Berlin, Germany. The black and white video, filmed by Andy Hutch of Yodo Creative in 2012, shows Redman singing and playing the guitar accompanied by an acoustic music band and a number of backing vocalists.
Charts
[
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]
"10,000 Reasons (Bless the Lord)" was released in 2012 as a single and spent 16 weeks at the top spot on Christian Radio and remained No. 1 on the
Billboard
Christian Songs
Chart for 13 weeks
[5]
and was certified gold. The album containing the song as its title track peaked in its own right on the US Christian Album chart at No. 1.
[6]
[7]
and No. 149 on the UK charts.
Weekly charts
[
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]
Decade-end charts
[
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]
Certifications
[
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]
Awards
[
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]
Covers
[
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]
The song has been covered by a number of artists and bands including:
- Irish worship band,
Rend Collective
, in their 2013 album
Campfire
.
[17]
- Contemporary Christian music group
The Katinas
in their 2014 album
Sunday Set
,
[18]
accompanied by a music video
[19]
- The vocal quintet
Veritas
in their self-titled 2014 album
Veritas
[20]
- The Christian reggae band
Christafari
in their 2015 album
Anthems
. Their version features additional vocals by Avion Blackman. The release was accompanied by a music video.
[21]
At Passion 2014 in Houston, it was sung by the song's co-writer Matt Redman
[22]
and Passion 2015 Houston featuring vocals from
Chris Tomlin
,
Brett Younker
and
Kristian Stanfill
.
[23]
Parts of the song was incorporated by rapper
KB
as part of his track, "10k", on his 2020 album
His Glory Alone
.
[24]
It peaked at No. 36 on the
Billboard
Hot Christian Songs
chart.
The song has been translated into a number of languages. It was recorded in Spanish as "Diez Mil Razones (10,000 Reasons)" by
Evan Craft
in an acoustic version in his 2012 album
Yo Soy Segundo
.
[25]
[26]
and in German as "Zehntausend Grunde" ("10,000 Grunde") by the German Christian band
Outbreakband
and recorded on their album
Das ist unser Gott
, a live album performed at the Glaubenszentrum Bad Gandersheim.
[
citation needed
]
The book
[
edit
]
Matt Redman co-authored with Craig Borlase the book
10,000 Reasons
(full title
10,000 Reasons: Stories of Faith, Hope, and Thankfulness Inspired by the Worship Anthem
). In the 176-page book published in 2017 by David C Cook Publishing Company, and a foreword written by Christian author
Max Lucado
, Redman shares details behind the song's creation and explores the influences and experiences the song generated with many vivid examples of inspiring stories, experiences and testimonies by individuals in their greatest time of need.
[27]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
"SongSelect by CCLI"
.
songselect.ccli.com
. Retrieved
14 August
2018
.
- ^
a
b
"10,000 Reasons (Bless the Lord) by Matt Redman Songfacts"
. Retrieved
4 March
2016
.
- ^
Vince Wrigh (5 August 2018).
"Matt Redman ? "10,000 Reasons (Bless The Lord)"
"
. thebereantest.com
. Retrieved
4 July
2020
.
- ^
"10,000 Reasons Chords & Lyrics"
.
We Are Worship
. Retrieved
21 August
2019
.
- ^
Carson, Joseph.
"Matt Redman's "10,000 Reasons (Bless The Lord)" Certified Gold"
. Breathecast
. Retrieved
25 October
2014
.
- ^
"Matt Redman Album & Song Chart History"
. Billboard.com
. Retrieved
28 February
2012
.
- ^
"Matt Redman becomes first Brit to top US Christian music charts | Christian News on Christian Today"
. Christiantoday.com. 30 July 2011
. Retrieved
28 February
2012
.
- ^
"Matt Redman Chart History (Bubbling Under Hot 100)"
.
Billboard
. Retrieved October 30, 2020.
- ^
"Matt Redman Chart History (Hot Christian Songs)"
.
Billboard
. Retrieved October 30, 2020.
- ^
"Matt Redman Chart History (Christian Airplay)"
.
Billboard
. Retrieved October 30, 2020.
- ^
"Matt Redman Chart History (Heatseekers Songs)"
. Billboard
. Retrieved
29 May
2021
.
- ^
"Hot Christian Songs ? Decade-End 2010s"
.
Billboard
. Archived from
the original
on 31 October 2019
. Retrieved
31 October
2019
.
- ^
"American single certifications ? Matt Redman ? 10,000 Reasons (Bless The Lord)"
.
Recording Industry Association of America
. Retrieved
16 December
2019
.
- ^
a
b
"55th Annual GRAMMY Awards"
. 28 November 2017
. Retrieved
16 August
2018
.
- ^
a
b
Evans-Price, Deborah (16 October 2013).
"Matt Redman, TobyMac & Jason Crabb Win Big at Dove Awards"
.
Billboard magazine
. Retrieved
24 October
2013
.
- ^
a
b
c
Justin Sarachik (16 October 2013).
"44th Annual GMA Dove Awards Winners Announced: Matt Redman and TobyMac Win Big"
. Christian Post
. Retrieved
5 July
2013
.
- ^
10,000 Reasons CAMPFIRE ? Rend Collective
. Rend Collective. 4 February 2013
. Retrieved
21 May
2016
– via YouTube.
- ^
"The Katinas Release 'Sunday Set'; New Album Features Alternate Arrangements of Popular Worship Songs"
.
BREATHEcast
. Retrieved
4 March
2016
.
- ^
10,000 Reasons ? The Katinas (from the album "Sunday Set")
. 29 October 2014
. Retrieved
4 March
2016
– via YouTube.
- ^
"Classical Group Veritas Perform 'Christmas Time' Live on BC NEWS [WATCH HERE]"
.
BREATHEcast
. Retrieved
4 March
2016
.
- ^
Christafari ? 10,000 Reasons (Official Music Video) Bless the Lord
. 27 November 2015
. Retrieved
4 March
2016
– via YouTube.
- ^
Coco Ramos (5 March 2014).
"10,000 Reasons ? Matt Redman ? Passion 2014"
. Retrieved
3 April
2018
– via YouTube.
- ^
Carlos Garcia- LIVE (9 February 2015).
"10,000 Reasons (Bless The Lord)(Live Acoustic)- Chris Tomlin, Brett Younker, Kristian Stanfill"
. Retrieved
3 April
2018
– via YouTube.
- ^
"His Glory Alone by KB | CD Reviews And Information | NewReleaseToday"
.
www.newreleasetoday.com
. Retrieved
13 July
2021
.
- ^
iTunes: Evan Craft ?
Yo Soy Segundo
- ^
Evan Craft.
Diez Mil Razones (10,000 Reasons)
.
Archived
from the original on 5 November 2012.
- ^
Evangelical Alliance UK ? Matt Redman: 10,000 reasons and one special song
.