Fernando Ortega is an adult contemporary singer-songwriter in contemporary … Read Full Bio ↴Fernando Ortega is an adult contemporary singer-songwriter in contemporary Christian music. He is noted both for his interpretations of many traditional hymns and songs, such as "Give Me Jesus" and "Be Thou My Vision," and for writing clear, easily understood songs, such as "This Good Day."

Ortega was born and raised in Albuquerque, New Mexico near the banks of the Rio Grande. He started learning piano at eight years of age. Through his father's work with the United States Department of State, he also spent time in Ecuador and Barbados. It is from his heritage and classical training at The University of New Mexico where Ortega derives his sound, embracing country, classical, Celtic, Latin American, world, modern folk, and rustic hymnody. Fernando Ortega currently leads worship at Christ the King Anglican Church in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

His album Storm reached No. 197 on the Billboard 200 in 2002, and Christmas Songs reached No. 36 on the Billboard Christmas Album Chart in 2009.

All Flesh Is Like the Grass
Fernando Ortega Lyrics

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All flesh is like the grass
The grass withers and fades away
All flesh is like the grass
The grass withers and fades away

The glory of man, like a flower
That shrivels in the sun and falls
The glory of man, like a flower

That shrivels in the sun and falls

But the Word of the Lord
Endures forever

The Word of the Lord
Endures forever

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Fernando Ortega's song "All Flesh Is Like the Grass" speak to the fleeting nature of human life and the enduring power of the Word of the Lord. The repeated refrain "All flesh is like the grass, the grass withers and fades away" calls attention to the transience of our physical form, which will eventually return to the earth. The verse "The glory of man, like a flower that shrivels in the sun and falls" paints a vivid image of our lives as a temporary burst of splendor, transient and fragile.

Despite this acknowledgement of our mortality, the song offers a measure of hope in the form of the refrain "But the Word of the Lord endures forever." Here, the focus shifts from the physical realm to the spiritual, as we are reminded that while our earthly lives may be brief, the teachings of Christ are eternal. The repetition of this line underscores the deep, abiding truth that the Word of the Lord is something that cannot be erased, destroyed, or forgotten.

The song's message speaks to a universal human experience – the recognition that our individual lives are finite and fleeting, but that we can find meaning in our connection to something greater. By acknowledging that all flesh is like the grass, we can let go of our attachment to worldly things and focus on the eternal presence of the divine.

Line by Line Meaning

All flesh is like the grass
The essence of humanity is much like the green vegetation.

The grass withers and fades away
In the same manner that the grass loses life and vitality, so does the human body decay with time

All flesh is like the grass
Once again, Fernando emphasizes the impermanence of human existence in the analogy of grass.

The grass withers and fades away
The impermanence of humans is highlighted once again by highlighting the fact that the grass is not permanent and can easily wither and die, just like the human body.

The glory of man, like a flower
The beauty that comes with being a human is similar both to the evanescent nature of flowers and its fragility to the high temperatures of summer. Hence, it doesn't last long.

That shrivels in the sun and falls
When exposed to harsh weather conditions, the beauty of the human body fades away just like a flower does in the scorching sun.

The glory of man, like a flower
The same phrase is repeated to emphasize the fleeting nature of human life.

That shrivels in the sun and falls
The lines are repeated to emphasize the idea that human beauty is temporal and cannot last forever

But the Word of the Lord
However, there is hope, and that may come from the Word of the Lord.

Endures forever
The Word of the Lord is eternal and can withstand the test of time, unlike the human form.

Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JUAN FERNANDO ORGEGA

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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