Lyrics Page
Lift Your Head Weary Sinner (Chains)
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Oct 13, 2026 updated
Neon Steeple (Deluxe Edition) album
Verified editorial review
Song Meaning
Crowder's “Lift Your Head Weary Sinner (Chains)” takes an old hymn tune and adds new lines and a rap verse from Tedashii. It opens with an invitation: lift your head, weary sinner, the river is just ahead, and down the path of forgiveness salvation is waiting. The singer says the listener built a mighty fortress ten thousand burdens high, but love is here to lift them up.
The chorus pictures a prodigal child stumbling in, with the walls starting to crumble and the gates of glory opening wide. A later verse is addressed to those who have strayed and done unspeakable things, telling them to fix their eyes on the mountain and let the past be dead and gone. It says all saints and sinners can't outrun God, and that nothing anyone has done can overcome the power of the blood. Tedashii's rap verse changes the sound but keeps the point: Christ paid it all, the chains are off, and he has no plans to hold back. The mix of banjo, gang vocals and hip hop energy made it one of the more unusual hymn adaptations of its time. Its message is that grace reaches past a person's worst mistakes, and the song is a good fit for people who feel too far gone to come back to church or to God.
The father welcoming a returning son is Luke 15:20. Gates that stay open are in Isaiah 60:11, and freedom from the law of sin is Romans 8:2.
Lyrics Verified by Editorial Team
Down the path of forgiveness salvation's waiting there
You built a mighty fortress 10,000 burdens high
Love is here to lift you up, here to lift you high
If you're lost and wandering
Come stumbling in like a prodigal child
See the walls start crumbling
Let the gates of glory open wide
All who've strayed and walked away, unspeakable things you've done
Fix your eyes on the mountain, let the past be dead and gone
Come all saints and sinners, you can't outrun God
Whatever you've done can't overcome the power of the blood
If you're lost and wandering
Come stumbling in like a prodigal child
See the walls start crumbling
Let the gates of glory open wide
If you're lost and wrecked again
Come stumbling in like a prodigal child
See the walls start crumbling
Let the gates of glory be open wide
[Tedashii:]
I ain't from here I'm H-town
But at this stage my place now
It's going down, no parachute
This so sick I need Theraflu
And there might be some they don't have a clue
These moments don't get no rarer dude
Cliqued up, 40 deep right there with you
Unashamed of the name, they can too
We turnt up, that's right
Mind blown no glass pipe
In my zone we pass tight
This right here could be my last night
I count that, I don't doubt that
Going in I shout that
You don't see it I'm about that
This world man, I'm out that
He paid it all, no green backs
With a bruised heel no sling back
The King's back
You've seen that
I mean that, redeem that
So we in here
Better get used to it
Who'll do it you do it
Otherwise you blew it
Flew through it
Trying to be fly
Gassed up, trying to touch the sky
We're blind though these blindfolds
We're rippin' off rickety bifocals
If you can't see, you can't be
Wasting my time by waiting
We're making it moved through
? Los Angeles
We're here to stay so let me hear you say
Here to stay so let me hear you say
Chain's off me I know that's fact
I love God I know that best
Christ saved me he ain't holding back
One more man, no holdin' back
If you're lost and wandering
Come stumbling in like a prodigal child
See the walls start crumbling
Let the gates of glory open wide
If you're lost and wrecked again
Come stumbling in like a prodigal child
See the walls start crumbling
Let the gates of glory be open wide
Let the gates of glory be open wide
Let the gates of glory be open wide