How to write hymns

Here's an article I wrote recently for the BBC hymnwriting competition.

There are probably more hymns and worship songs being written today than in any period of church history. But relatively few will stand the test of time. And that has always been the case: for every “Amazing grace” or “And can it be”, you can bet there are several hundred trite, interminably dull ditties that did the rounds at the time, but have now thankfully faded into blissful obscurity.

So how can we make sure what we write is worth singing for years to come? Here are a few ideas that I try to put into practice myself:

1. Study the Scriptures. The best hymns demonstrate insight and understanding of the Bible, and consequently bring the truths of the Christian faith to life. If you don’t know the message of the gospel, you can’t write something that will enable others to worship in spirit and truth.

2. Be poetic, not pompous. Sometimes when people set out to write a hymn, they use phrases which might sound 'hymny’, but actually mean very little. Make your phrases mean something!

3. Combine objective truth and subjective response. When a hymn is just a statement of theological truth, it may be accurate, but it can be dry. Equally, when a hymn is just about how we feel, it’s wishy washy. The best hymns powerfully express the emotions of the worshipper, but as an emotional response to the objective truth of the gospel.

4. Look for musical dynamics. A hymn should have musical peaks and troughs, and there should be a sense of building to a climax where the melody soars while expressing the main theme of the hymn.

5. Make every line count. I see hymns that contain a few good ideas, but some of the lines are clearly there as just ‘filler’, and let the whole thing down. Don’t just stick in a line because it rhymes, or because you couldn’t think of anything else to say.

6. Prune it mercilessly. Once you think you’ve finished, go through it carefully, and get rid of anything that distracts from the main theme you’re expressing. Better to have two compact, punchy verses than four rambling, unfocused ones.

So get writing!

Copyright © 2004 Stuart Townend.

Comments

[Fundamentally Reformed]

Great article!

I really appreciate the depth to the songs you write. I love the songs, "In Christ Alone", "How Deep the Father's Love for Us", "O Church Arise", and "Beautiful Savior".

It would be great if you would showcase the lyrics to your great songs here on your blog. People search for song lyrics alot on line. I get many hits from the blog entries I do giving the words to and links about songs that mean a lot to me. (Incidentally, I did one on "In Christ Alone" [ http://fundyreformed.wordpress.com/2005/12/12/in-christ-alone/ ] and "How Deep the Father's Love for Us" [ http://fundyreformed.wordpress.com/2006/03/28/how-deep-the-fathers-love-by-stuart-townend/ ].)

Many people don't know about some of the deeper, rich songs like yours being written today. Thanks for writing them, and keep them coming.

I'll have to get one of your albums sometime.

God bless,

Bob Hayton
Fundamentally Reformed

[Anders R.]

This is good stuff;
I must say that there are a LOT of songs out there that are full of fluff and sketchy doctrine (there are a few "hymns" that fall into this category as well).
It is refreshing to hear songs that I don't have to stand there and question what I'm singing, where I can stand there, close my eyes and sing with my head, heart, and soul... WORSHIPPING.

[David]

Just want to say "thank you for the music"!

Just been "educated" (a friend bought me the Live album) and I have been humming it ever since. But it is of course the words - as clear expressions of theology - which really impress and stay with me (I have tried writing hymns and songs, and it's not easy!) And now I've discovered the website and the articles on worship etc!

May the Lord bless you (especially as you are in "writing mode" for new album) and use you to encourage others in their worship of, and love for, Him.

Still crying "how long, Lord?"....

[Kelsey S]

What a heartening and to-the-point article. If we all followed your high writing standards, we'd have a lot more "Amazing Grace"'s to sing! Excellent points to keep in mind as we write...thank you so much for sharing them.

I heard "How Deep the Father's Love for Us" two years ago and was struck by its depth. Even now I often can't help weeping when I hear or sing it. How deep is His love!

I love the depth in this song, and also "In Christ Alone". It's so solid -- no "fluff" as the previous poster said. Thank you for letting the Lord use you in this way!

[David Guion]

Hi Stuart,

Thank you so much for the great article on writing the kind of hymns that might have a "shelf-life" of more than 5 or 10 minutes!!

I tend to grow weary of "worship songs" that are more like Top-40 radio hits that could just as well be about your High School girlfriend as about the Almighty God of the universe! (But that's probably better left for another comment.)

I would, however, like to humbly add one thought to this matter of hymn writing in general...

Motivation.

As a Worship Leader, I seem to live with this tension that "why" I'm doing something is sometimes as important (if not more important) as "what" I'm doing.

In other words, I regularly ask myself the question of "why" I'm attempting to write a song on a particular topic or theme - especially when there may already be several other songs or hymns that say essentially the same thing - often much better than I ever could improve upon!

Certainly God has placed creativity within the heart of every former fallen image-bearer. And that creativity yearns to be expressed.

And indeed there's merit in the simple desire of adding at least one more voice (mine!) to the 999 other tongues that already sing our great Redeemer's praise! (I'm aware that Wesley was talking about having 1000 tongues himself in the lyrics to his hymn, "O For A Thousand Tongues To Sing," but I think you get my point.)

So, I see the accessibility and distinct possibility of purity of motive in the art and action of creativity itself.

That said, my friend and songwriter, Billy Foote, wrote an article on songwriting a few years ago in which he quite adeptly addressed this matter of "motive."

He wrote,

"Remember the story of Annanias and Sapphira in Acts 5:1-10? Annanias sold a piece of property, brought the money to the apostles and said they were giving the whole amount to the church. In reality, they were keeping some of it for themselves. They could have kept it all, but they lied to God and His people. Have you ever wondered what motivated them to lie? Pride? Recognition? Glory for themselves? We do not know exactly what their motives were, but we do know that God killed them for their actions that day.

Now, don’t get me wrong. I am not saying that God will kill those who are writing songs with wrong, self-seeking motives. I am suggesting something even worse. If our motives are not pure, He might just remove his hand from the talents and gifts that he has given us. He might just leave us to our own devices with powerless songs that lack the authority that only He can give. He will not yield his glory to another (Isaiah 48:11). Our songs must be for his glory alone."

The entire article can be found here:

http://www.integritymusic.com/worship/musicianship/0205.html

And Billy's website is:

http://www.billyfoote.com

I could ramble on but I'd really love to get your take on this matter of motive in songwriting. Do you have any thoughts that you feel might prove helpful or provocative? And how do you personally wrestle with this issue of motive?

Thanks Stuart. I have great respect for your music and your ministry.

Have a great weekend.

David Guion

http://www.one24worship.com/

[Joel]

Wow. The Church needs more articles like this. Very instructive and incredibly valuable!

[Florence]

Dear Mr Townsend,
March 2 was the first time I sang 'How deep my Father's love' in my church here in Manila, Philippines. The words immediately caught my attention, one verse after the other, it's revealing the biblical truth! When I got home, I searched online. To my surprise, you are from this century! You practise what you teach, indeed, NO FILLERS and you certainly balance the theological truth and emotions. I pray that you will continue serving Him with truthfulness using your bestowed music talent.

[James]

Re: David Guion's comments, if God insisted on waiting for believers to achieve pure motives before they could serve him, the Body of Christ would exist in perfect paralysis throughout history.

For reasons unclear to me, God willingly subverts the triumph of his perfect will in the present to the imperfect obedience of a raggedy body of children who are bent by sin. His perfect will most definitely will triumph someday, but for now he seeks something else, something that encompasses our weakness, our brokenness, our selfishness -- working to transform us, yes, most definitely, but in the full, divine knowledge that we will often disappoint him, fail him, shame him, and soil his name among the world.

The only answer I can find to this otherwise completely unexplainable behavior, of a God who acts so lavishly against his own reputation and pleasure, is that he loves us _that_ deeply. Our rescue and redemption -- as cumbersome and stumbling and painful as we make it -- is more dear to him than enforcing his own perfection now, in this present moment. His perfection in us will come, but his love insists it wait. "How deep the father's love for us..."