You’ve heard it at weddings, funerals, and those Sunday mornings when the sunlight hits the pews just right. It’s one of those songs. You know, the kind that starts as a whisper and ends as a roar. But honestly, when people search for the I Will Rise lyrics, they usually stumble into a bit of a musical identity crisis.
Are we talking about Chris Tomlin? Or maybe the Maya Angelou poem that feels like it should be a song? Or perhaps the Benjamin William Hastings track? Most of the time, the world is looking for Tomlin’s 2008 anthem, but the story behind those words is far grittier than a simple worship hit.
Why Chris Tomlin’s I Will Rise Hits So Different
Music is weird. Some songs are catchy for a week and then vanish into the void of deleted playlists. Then there’s I Will Rise. Released on the album Hello Love, this track didn't just climb the Billboard Christian charts; it became a permanent fixture in the soundtrack of grief and hope.
The I Will Rise lyrics were penned by Tomlin along with Louie Giglio, Matt Maher, and Jesse Reeves. It’s a powerhouse collaboration. If you look at the structure, it’s basically a linear journey from the grave to the sky. It starts with "there's a peace I've settled in my soul." That’s a heavy line. It’s not just "I feel good." It’s "I have come to terms with the end."
I remember talking to a worship leader who mentioned that they struggle to sing this song without choking up. It’s the "Jesus has overcome" part. It shifts from a personal meditation to a collective shout. The repetition of the word "rise" isn't just for a catchy hook. It’s a psychological anchor.
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The Biblical DNA in the Lyrics
You can’t talk about these lyrics without acknowledging where they come from. It’s not just creative writing; it’s basically a remix of 1 Corinthians 15 and Revelation. When the lyrics mention "the grave is overwhelmed," they are pulling directly from the theological concept of Christus Victor—the idea that death isn't just avoided, but defeated.
- The First Verse: It sets the scene of stillness. "Whispering things that I don't know." It’s mystical. It’s about the intuition of something bigger than the physical world.
- The Chorus: This is the payoff. "I will rise on eagles' wings." It’s a direct nod to Isaiah 40:31.
- The Bridge: This is where the song gets its "stadium" feel. "I hear the voice of many angels." This is straight out of the book of Revelation, specifically chapters 4 and 5.
It’s interesting how Tomlin and his team managed to make 2,000-year-old imagery feel like a modern pop ballad.
The Maya Angelou Connection (And the Confusion)
Here is where things get slightly messy for the casual googler. A lot of people looking for the I Will Rise lyrics are actually thinking of "Still I Rise" by Maya Angelou. While Tomlin’s song is strictly liturgical and focused on the afterlife, Angelou’s poem is a rhythmic, percussive masterpiece about survival in the face of systemic oppression.
"You may tread me in the very dirt / But still, like dust, I'll rise."
The cadence is different, but the core human desire—to move upward against gravity—is the same. It’s why both pieces of art occupy the same space in the cultural zeitgeist. If you’re looking for a song that captures that specific Angelou grit, you might be thinking of Ben Harper’s "I Will Not Carry These 22 Months" or even the various musical adaptations of her poem.
Beyond Tomlin: The Benjamin William Hastings Version
Let’s be real. In 2026, the "I Will Rise" landscape has expanded. Benjamin William Hastings, formerly of Hillsong United, released a track that shares a similar title but takes a much more introspective, almost indie-folk approach.
While Tomlin’s version is a broad brushstroke of "we all rise," Hastings gets into the weeds of the "now and not yet." His lyrics often wrestle with the tension of being a broken human while believing in a redeemed future. If Tomlin is the sunrise, Hastings is the 3:00 AM prayer.
People often mix these up on Spotify. You’re looking for a triumphant anthem for a memorial service and you accidentally get a moody, synth-heavy reflection on doubt. Both are great. They just serve different purposes.
The Technical Mastery of the Composition
Why does it work?
Mathematically, the song is a slow burn. It starts in a lower register, almost a mumble. This mirrors the "peace settled in my soul." As the song progresses, the vocal range expands. By the time you reach the final chorus, the notes are higher, the instrumentation is denser, and the volume is peaking.
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It’s a sonic representation of resurrection.
If you’re a musician trying to cover this, pay attention to the dynamics. If you play it loud from start to finish, you lose the "rise." You have to start in the valley to make the mountain peak mean something.
Semantic Variations and What We Call "Hope"
When we talk about the I Will Rise lyrics, we are talking about a specific type of linguistic hope. It’s not "I hope it doesn't rain." It’s "I hope in the face of the impossible." The word "will" is doing a lot of heavy lifting here. It’s a statement of certainty.
- Resurrection: The central theme.
- Transcendence: Moving beyond the physical.
- Victory: The defeat of "the sting of death."
Misconceptions About the Song’s Meaning
A common mistake is thinking this song is only about dying. It isn't.
Actually, many people use these lyrics as a metaphor for overcoming depression or bankruptcy or a messy divorce. The "grave" in the song can be anything that feels like a dead end. When you sing "I will rise," you’re claiming a comeback.
Another misconception? That it’s a solo journey. The bridge mentions "many angels" and "every knee will bow." It’s a communal experience. It’s about being part of a larger story that doesn't end with a period, but an ellipsis.
Real-World Impact: More Than Just Notes
I’ve seen these lyrics printed on everything from tombstone engravings to tattoos. Why? Because the human brain is hardwired for narrative. We need a beginning, a middle, and an end. The I Will Rise lyrics provide that "end" that feels like a new "beginning."
There was a story from a few years back about a hospice nurse who played this song for patients in their final hours. She noted that the repetitive nature of the chorus helped calm the autonomic nervous system. Music therapy is a real thing, and the frequency of this specific track seems to hit a "soothing" sweet spot.
How to Truly Engage with the Lyrics
If you’re analyzing this for a school project, a sermon, or just because you’re a fan, don’t just read the words. Listen to the 2010 Passion live version. There’s a raw energy there—thousands of college students screaming these words—that changes the context. It stops being a "performance" and becomes a "declaration."
- Check the phrasing: Notice how "I" and "You" (referring to the Divine) interact.
- Watch the tempo: It’s around 74 BPM. That’s roughly the speed of a resting heartbeat. That’s not an accident.
- Listen for the silence: The gaps between the lines in the first verse are just as important as the words themselves.
Moving Forward with the Music
To get the most out of the I Will Rise lyrics, you should compare the different versions available. Start with Chris Tomlin’s studio version to hear the "intended" polish. Then, jump over to a live recording to feel the emotional weight. If you’re feeling adventurous, look up the various choral arrangements used by gospel choirs; the harmonies they add to the bridge "Worthy is the Lamb" are frankly superior to the original pop production.
For those trying to learn the song on guitar or piano, focus on the transition from the verse to the chorus. It’s a simple chord progression—mostly G, C, and D in the key of G—but the emotional shift is all in the strumming pattern and the vocal intensity.
Ultimately, these lyrics endure because they address the one thing we all have in common: the fact that things fall apart and the hope that they might come back together again. Whether you view it through a religious lens or a purely poetic one, the idea of rising is universal. It’s the ultimate human "reset" button.
To dive deeper, look into the "Passion" movement’s history. Understanding the culture of the late 2000s Christian music scene explains why the song has such a "stadium" feel. It was literally written to be sung by tens of thousands of people at once. That scale is baked into the very DNA of the words.
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Actionable Insights for Using These Lyrics:
- For Worship Leaders: Don't rush the intro. Let the "whisper" build. Use the bridge as a dynamic peak, not just a transition.
- For Personal Reflection: Use the first verse as a meditative prompt. What are the "things I don't know" that you're currently wrestling with?
- For Content Creators: If you’re using this track in a video, align your visual cuts with the "rise" of the chorus for maximum emotional impact.
- For the Curious: Compare Tomlin’s lyrics with "Still I Rise" by Maya Angelou to see how the theme of resilience manifests in different genres.
Focus on the bridge. It’s the most complex part of the song lyrically and musically. Mastering the "Worthy is the Lamb" section is what separates a mediocre cover from a powerful performance. Keep the tempo steady and avoid the temptation to over-sing the verses; let the chorus do the heavy lifting for you.