My Redeemer Lives

Planetshakers' “My Redeemer Lives” is a short, repetitive worship song built on the statement in its title. The words repeat many times as a chant, and between them the singer says that he knows God rescued his soul and that his blood has covered his sins.

The line I believe is placed in the middle of the verse, as a personal confession. The song then says that his shame is taken away, and begins a line about his pain that trails off, leaving room for the congregation to fill it in with their own thoughts. In the chorus, the singer says he will raise the banner because his Lord has conquered the grave. The final section lifts the mood, with a promise to dance on the mountain top and see God's kingdom come, and a series of repeated declarations that the Redeemer lives. The lyrics are plain on purpose, since the song is meant to be sung by a large crowd with a band that builds with each repeat. The repetition does the work of a creed, saying out loud the central claim of Easter. It would suit a worship set at a youth conference, an Easter service or any gathering that wants to end on a note of victory. The style is typical of Planetshakers, which keeps the choruses simple and the music loud.

Knowing that the Redeemer lives is Job 19:25. Death's sting being gone is 1 Corinthians 15:55, and beauty in place of ashes is Isaiah 61:3.