We Sing (Joy To The World)

Leanna Crawford's “We Sing (Joy To The World)” takes lines from Isaac Watts' Christmas carol and adds a new chorus. The song opens with the Lord has come and a promise to sing for him, followed by the carol's picture of the Savior reigning while fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains join in.

The chorus pulls in the angels' praise: glory to God in the highest, and hallelujah as all of heaven sings. It then invites everyone to come and adore him, since he is the Lord and will reign forevermore. A short line repeats that he rules the world with truth and grace. The bridge is a list of names for Jesus taken from Scripture, calling him Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Prince of peace, the promised Messiah, Lion of Judah, the Root of Jesse and King of Kings. Each title is placed at the end of the song so the congregation can sing them at full volume. The arrangement keeps the carol's tune in the background and builds with a pop beat, which makes it suitable for a modern service that wants to keep something familiar. Crawford's voice carries the long hallelujah lines, and the repeated we sing at the close gives a clear response from the room. It suits an Advent service, a Christmas concert or a radio playlist in December.

The names of the child are in Isaiah 9:6. The angels' praise is Luke 2:14, and the Root of Jesse standing as a banner is Isaiah 11:10.