Song Info
Arrangement
Artist: Hillsong United
Album: Wonder
album info: Album Key: A (male), 64 bpm, 4/4 time
The original album version is in the key of A, which is pretty high for a male lead (especially in the bridge). In the acoustic video and our tutorial, we’ve done it in the key of G. To play along with the album, just use a capo on the 2nd fret.
Play it yourself
Chord Diagrams
Strumming Pattern
There are a couple strumming patterns you can use in various places in this song. Here is a basic pattern that will work for the majority of the song:
When a chord changes after just 2 beats (half-measure changes) use this pattern:
The Gear We Use
Song video:
- Guitar: Martin CEO-7, LR Baggs Anthem pickup (recorded direct in)
- Microphone: Shure SM7b
- Interface: UA Apollo Twin Duo – everything was recorded direct into this
Software:
- Audio/recording: Apple Logic Pro X
- Video: Blackmagic DaVinci Resolve
This is one of my favorite Hillsong United songs of all time, too!
As a believer with who worked in the field of geology and now teaches the same science, I completely agree with what you have shared here. I would also like to point out that the words “evolution” and “sanctification” are almost synonymous with one another if “evolution” is looked at as a spiritual word. When we meet Jesus, and His Spirit (breath) fills us, we start a process of being changed over time into His image. For anyone who struggles with the physical concept of evolution, I think this could be interpreted in a parallel way to mean that we are all changing in pursuit of what God is speaking into our lives by His Word and His Spirit. The beauty and power of these lyrics are rare. I pray those struggling with this line latch onto the depth and breadth offered in this song, and let the wonder of all who God is be loosed in their own hearts and the hearts of their congregations.
Thanks Carrie
Great point Carrie, I was about to write something similar, since we are all creatures. I don’t quite understand why Brian didn’t just say its as simple as the difference between Micro-evolution and Macro-evolution, and then give some examples of micro-evolution, like with fruit bats or moths. Because I know most staunch creationists agree with micro-evolution. It’s the only kind of observable evolution, within species. We just don’t have any concrete examples of one species turning into an entirely different one. And this Macro-Evolution THEORY is what most christians associate with the word “evolution”. Sigh. It’s a shame, I can see a lot of needless drama arising from this fantastic song.
This is THE most beautiful song I have heard! It speaks so much on the Love and beauty that is God. I never once thought about evolution, only God’s creation of everything. As I read what others have written, it is exactly how I feel about evolution in general. Thank you because no matter how you slice it, it all boils down to what God is creating. Thank You for this song!!! It reaches into my heart and brings forth so many emotions. I am so inspired by it that I am trying to learn the chords to play it. I haven;t played my guitar since the 80’s and if this is the only song I learn to play, I am ok with that. What better way to worship and thank The One that created me.
The first few times I heard this song I thought it was the most amazing worship songs ever written. I still love it, but…
A little background on me – I am a youth and worship leader, a degreed mechanical engineer with 8 patents in medical devices, guitar builder, and small business owner. I grew up believing in Darwinian evolution. That changed soon after I came to faith when I was 17.
I understand most arguments for and against evolution and creation. It irritates the heck out of me when Christians try to dismiss evolution because it is “just a theory”. The word “theory” means something very different in lay language than it does in science: A scientific theory is an explanation of some aspect of the natural world that has been substantiated through repeated experiments or testing. But to the average Joe, a theory is just an idea that lives in someone’s head, rather than an explanation rooted in experiment and testing. When the word evolution is used, most of us understand it to mean macroevolution – fish to man type of change. Macroevolution is a scientific theory on how all life became what it is today. Macroevolution is the atheistic alternative to creation that says no god is needed to create us. We created ourselves. It is the notion that human beings are but animals, and the offspring of other, more primitive creatures. It is a lie of the enemy.
Microevolution is a well-documented fact. The current kingpin of macroevolution is microevolution – enough small changes over time will produce large changes.
There may be good times to play the semantics game of what type of evolution are we talking about. I do not feel that it belongs in worship. This word is a huge distraction to me in this song. In the context of the song – As You speak, 100 million creatures evolve in pursuit of what You said. That smacks of theistic evolution, which I just cannot sing and worship. If macroevolution has been created to take God out of the equation and 100 million people are believing in that lie, I feel it has no place in worship.
I love everything about this song so much, except for that 1 word, which makes it impossible for me to enjoy it or lead it. I wish it was not in there.
Oh, how I want to be persuaded to understand how I could make it work for me. Please help!
Steve, you asked for help in making this song work for you. Let me share how I am dealing with it (because I, too, think it’s wonderful).
I understand and appreciate your concerns (and to some degree share them). My background is not science (it’s teaching, ministry, and theology, actually), but I have always questioned some of the assumptions required to accept evolution as a full-blown explanation of all living things. Regardless of my thoughts, however, I don’t want to distance myself from people who fully accept evolution as the process by which God has created the diversity we see. In other words, I’m not willing to make evolution/creation a litmus test for who is a true Christian or not. Unfortunately, we, the church, have been very good at excluding those who don’t yet fit our standards–be they doctrinal or behavioral. As a result, we either refuse to accept those who differ from us, or we distance ourselves from them, creating disunity in the body of Christ.
My point? Well, I’m wondering if it’d be ok to give sincere, Spirit-filled, Christ-following believers–who just happen to believe that evolution is true–a song that they can embrace and sing as heartily as the ones I can sing without theological hesitation. After all, is it our doctrine that will prove to the world that we are His disciples, or our love for one another?
Anyway, that’s how I’m dealing with that line. I spin it my own head similarly to the way it’s been presented in this thread, but for those who just accept it as good ol’ evolution, I say, “Yes, let’s sing praises to our God together! (We can sort out some of this doctrine thing when we see Him face-to-face.)
PS – Just in case anyone thinks I’m light on doctrine or theology, I’m truly not. I just see it as a means to an end, not the end itself.
Hey there Brian, I’m having a very hard time putting the chords into this strumming pattern. Any tips? Thank you
I am having the same difficulty Noah!