Hymn
Barclay James Harvest Lyrics
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If you want to see God you've got to move on the other side
You stand up there with your head in the clouds
Don't try to fly you know you might not come down
Don't try to fly, dear God, you might not come down
Jesus came down from Heaven to earth
The people said it was a virgin birth
The people said it was a virgin birth
The people said it was a virgin birth
He told great stories of the Lord
And said he was the savior of us all
He told great stories of the Lord
And said he was the savior of us all
And said he was the savior of us all
For this we killed him, nailed him up high
He rose again as if to ask us why
Then he ascended into the sky
As if to say in God alone you soar
As if to say in God, alone we fly
Valley's deep and the mountain's so high
If you want to see God you've got to move on the other side
You stand up there with your head in the clouds
Don't try to fly you know you might not come down
Don't try to fly, dear God, you might not come down
Valley's deep and the mountain's so high
If you want to see God you've got to move on the other side
You stand up there with your head in the clouds
Don't try to fly you know you might not come down
Don't try to fly, dear God, you might not come down
The song "Hymn" by Barclay James Harvest is a haunting and thought-provoking exploration of the human desire to understand the divine. The first verse describes the challenges and dangers of attempting to reach God, using the metaphor of a valley and mountain: “Valley’s deep and the mountain’s so high, if you want to see God you’ve got to move on the other side.” The next line, “You stand up there with your head in the clouds,” suggests that such a quest can lead to delusion or hubris. “Don’t try to fly,” the singer warns, “you know you might not come down.” This is repeated in the last line of each verse, reinforcing the idea that there are risks involved in striving for the divine.
The second verse introduces the figure of Jesus Christ, who is described as having come down to earth from heaven. The people claim he was born of a virgin, and he has the role of telling “great stories of the Lord” and proclaiming himself the “savior of us all.” Despite this, “for this we killed him, nailed him up high,” which prompts the question of why humanity would destroy someone who claimed to be a divine messenger. The final lines of the song suggest that the sky is the realm of God and that we can only soar through faith: “As if to say in God alone you soar, As if to say in God, alone we fly.”
Overall, the lyrics of “Hymn” are a meditation on the mysteries of religion and our attempts to reach or understand something beyond the material world. The choice of Jesus as a figure of spiritual aspiration is notable, as is the repeated warning not to fly too close to the sun of the divine. The final message of the song is one of humility and surrender, as we accept that we can never fully comprehend the mysteries of God.
Line by Line Meaning
Valley's deep and the mountain's so high
The majesty of nature is humbling
If you want to see God you've got to move on the other side
To truly understand spirituality, we must look beyond ourselves and our comfort zones
You stand up there with your head in the clouds
Ambition is admirable, but we should be grounded in reality
Don't try to fly you know you might not come down
Taking risks can be dangerous and have serious consequences
Don't try to fly, dear God, you might not come down
Ambition can lead to a dangerous position, so we should be cautious
Jesus came down from Heaven to earth
Jesus was believed to be a divine messenger and lived among mankind
The people said it was a virgin birth
His birth was miraculous and brought the message of God to humanity
He told great stories of the Lord
His teachings conveyed the wisdom and love of God
And said he was the savior of us all
He proclaimed himself as the one who could offer salvation to all of humanity
For this we killed him, nailed him up high
Despite his peaceful teachings, many rejected him and subjected him to a violent death
He rose again as if to ask us why
His resurrection was a sign of God's power and trust in humanity
Then he ascended into the sky
His ascension symbolized his return to God and the hope that we too could reach spiritual heights
As if to say in God alone you soar
True divinity and fulfillment can only be found through a connection with God
As if to say in God, alone we fly
Our spiritual aspirations can only be achieved through faith in a higher power
Lyrics © MUSIC & MEDIA INT'L, INC., Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: John Lees
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@mariaestevaopereira4025
Hymn
Barclay James Harvest
.
Valley's deep and the mountain's so high
If you want to see God you've got to move on the other side
You stand up there with your head in the clouds
Don't try to fly you know you might not come down
Don't try to fly, dear God, you might not come down
Jesus came down from Heaven to earth
The people said it was a virgin birth
Jesus came down from Heaven to earth
The people said it was a virgin birth
The people said it was a virgin birth
He told great stories of the Lord
And said he was the saviour of us all
He told great stories of the Lord
And said he was the savior of us all
And said he was the savior of us all
For this we killed him, nailed him up high
He rose again as if to ask us why
Then he ascended into the sky
As if to say in God alone you soar
As if to say in God, alone we fly
Valley's deep and the mountain's so high
If you want to see God you've got to move on the other side
You stand up there with your head in the clouds
Don't try to fly you know you might not come down
Don't try to fly, dear God, you might not come down
Valley's deep and the mountain's so high
If you want to see God you've got to move on the other side
You stand up there with your head in the clouds
Don't try to fly you know you might not come down
Don't try to fly, dear God, you might not come down
@andystuder8013
Als ich jung war liebte ich diesen song. Heute bin ich 57 Jahre und ich liebe ihn immer noch!😊
@chrisMuc1966
1966 ist ein verdammt guter Jahrgang.
@mazzystarsmith5077
Ich auch😃
@ChrisTian-rm7zm
Als ich jung war, liebte ich diesen Song. Als ich etwas älter war, fand ich ihn ein bisschen peinlich. Heute liebe ich ihn wieder.
@wilfriedengelhardt9713
Bin 64 Jahre und liebe diesen Song auch. Das muss man laut und im Originalen bzw. Live hören
@bettinaadriane64
59 Jahre, finde den Song immer und immer wieder schön.
@paulkey6150
I was driving home last November, 2018, with the radio on but not really listening. Then a song playing caught my attention. It caught my attention so much that I pulled off the road to listen and find the song title and group. Got home and googled Barclay James Harvest and Hymn and the rest is history. Firmly on my favourites list. Great song.
@stevied2635
Paul see my reply to Stephen Moore at the top. I heard it on the radio also.
@Don_Turbulento76
The kind of song, you stay in the car, to hear till the end : ))
@8474Starscream
Sometimes we forget................it's art like this that reminds us we are special. Thank you God!