Hammond gained notoriety while playing the bass guitars for the gospel group The Winans. By 1985 he was one of the six original members of the group Commissioned, participating in 10 of the group's 12 albums.
After his stint with Commissioned ended, he regained fame in the gospel community after selling millions of albums with his musical group Radical For Christ.
In 2002 Hammond returned to the group Commissioned (now with members Keith Staten, Marvin Sapp, Mitchell Jones, Karl Reid, Michael Williams, and Marcus Cole) to produce the Commissioned Reunion Live album.
Hammond produced Make Me Like The Moon, a stirring gospel ballad co-written by Chanté Moore and Kenny Lattimore for their 2006 double-CD of gospel and R&B love songs entitled Uncovered/Covered (released October 10, 2006 by LaFace/Verity/Zomba Music Group). He also performs with Sean Combs on the album Thank You.
Give Me A Clean Heart
Fred Hammond & Radical For Christ Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Please have mercy
Give me a clean heart
To see You like I should, hey
To walk the path that's right
To do the things You would
Give me a clean heart
Give me a clean heart
To lose the double mind
To believe You when You tell me
Everything will be just fine
Just lay Your hands on me, Lord
And I will be brand new
And I am calling out to You
For a strength exchange
I will gladly take Your joy
For my weakness
Give me a clean heart
And I will serve nobody but You, yeah
[Incomprehensible]
Give me a clean heart
A better one I pray
To stay on the path You've chosen
And stick with it all the way
Give me a clean heart
And I will serve nobody but You
Give me a clean heart
I'm coming now to You
To keep my heart from fainting
This is all I know to do
Just lay Your hands on me, Lord
And I will be brand new
And I am worshiping
Your great and holy name
I'm determined to have life
With no chains
Give me a clean heart
And I will serve nobody but You
[Incomprehensible]
Oh yeah, one more time
[Incomprehensible] one more time
Worship
Oh yeah, oh yeah
And I am worshiping
Your great and holy name
I'm determined to have life
With no chains
Give me a clean heart
And I will serve nobody but You
Give me a clean heart
And I will serve nobody but You
And I am calling out to You
For a strength exchange
I will gladly take Your joy
For my weakness
Give me a clean heart
And I will serve nobody but You
[Incomprehensible] give me a clean heart
And I will serve nobody but You, Lord
Halleluiah
'Cause I am worshiping
Your great and holy name
I'm determined to have life
With no chains
Give me a clean heart
And I will serve nobody but You
Nobody but You, yeah
Give me a clean heart
And I will serve nobody but You, Lord, Lord
And I am calling out to You
For a strength exchange
I will gladly take Your joy
For my weakness
Give me a clean heart
And I will serve nobody but You, nobody but you
Hey, give me a clean heart
And I will serve nobody but You
Give me a clean heart
And I will serve nobody but You
Nobody
Yeah, oh yeah
The lyrics to Fred Hammond & Radical For Christ's song Give Me A Clean Heart exude humility and the desire for spiritual growth. The song begs for God's mercy to cleanse and purify the heart, so it can be a vessel for serving and worshiping Him wholeheartedly. The opening lines, "Please have mercy, Give me a clean heart, To see You like I should, hey," set the tone for the entire song. It's a cry to be made new, to see and think differently, and to walk in the path God has set forth.
The chorus, "Give me a clean heart, And I will serve nobody but You," summarizes the essence of the song. It acknowledges that it is impossible to serve two masters and that only by having a pure heart can one offer true worship and service to God. The verses continue to paint a picture of a person whose heart is genuinely seeking after God, asking Him to remove the distractions and doubts and replace them with faith and joy.
Overall, Give Me A Clean Heart is a prayer of repentance, surrender, and devotion. It reminds the listener of the importance of having a humble heart before God, acknowledging and confessing their weaknesses and trusting in His strength, joy, and direction.
Line by Line Meaning
Give me a clean heart
Asking for purity of thoughts and emotions
To see You like I should, hey
Requesting for a clear vision of God's will
To walk the path that's right
Wishing to take action that is morally correct
To do the things You would
Desires to follow God's commands and teachings
And I will serve nobody but You
Devoted to serving God alone
To lose the double mind
To remove the inclination towards duplicity
To believe You when You tell me
Trusting in God's words and promises
Everything will be just fine
Assurance of God's provision and presence
Just lay Your hands on me, Lord
Petitioning for God's touch and grace
And I will be brand new
Will be transformed and renewed by God's power
For a strength exchange
Trading of human weakness for divine strength
I will gladly take Your joy
Willingness to accept God's gladness and delight
A better one I pray
Aspires for a more improved and righteous heart
To stay on the path You've chosen
Desires to remain obedient to God's will and purpose
And stick with it all the way
Resolves to persevere and endure in faith
I'm coming now to You
Approaching God with humility and sincerity
To keep my heart from fainting
Seeking God's strength to overcome weariness and discouragement
I'm determined to have life
Decides to pursue true and abundant life in God
With no chains
Breaking free from sin and bondage
Oh yeah, one more time
Reaffirmation of the request for a pure heart
Worship
Expressing adoration and reverence towards God
I'm determined to have life
Reinforces the previous declaration of determination
Halleluiah
Praising and exalting God's name
'Cause I am worshiping
Reiteration of the act of worshiping God
Nobody but You, yeah
Reaffirmation of devotion to God alone
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Capitol CMG Publishing
Written by: DARRYL DIXON, FRED HAMMOND, NOEL CHRISTOPHER HALL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind