Rise Up, Rise!

Notes from Tom

This song comes from the last verse of Isaiah 40 — verse 31:
“But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.”

Isaiah 40 is one of my favorite chapters in the entire Bible. Honestly, I’ve thought about doing a whole album just on Isaiah texts — and even just on chapter 40. The depth, the comfort, the majesty in those verses is inexhaustible.
Rise Up, Rise isn’t as theologically dense in its lyrics as some of the other songs on this album. There’s no direct mention of Jesus, the cross, or redemption. But all of that is present in the foundation of the song from Isaiah 40.
This final verse of the chapter gives a picture of what it means to be forgiven, to have our guilt removed, and to be comforted and restored by God’s promises. The song is meant to capture thefeeling of being lifted up— soaring because of His mercy, not our effort.
I highly recommend readingall of Isaiah 40before listening. It frames the song perfectly.

A note on the music

The melody of this song is carried entirely by thevocals. The accompanying instruments are there to create a sense offlight— giving an ethereal, soaring feeling, much likeJohn Denver’s ability to evoke wide open skies in songs like Rocky Mountain High or Calypso.
I wanted it to feel like you’re being lifted, steadily and surely, on the strength of His promises, soaring like eagles.