World-class composer, pianist and arranger, Richard Smallwood has clearly and solidly changed the face of Gospel music. He can impeccably blend classical movements with Traditional Gospel, and arrive at a mix that is invariably Smallwood's alone. A diverse and innovative artist, Richard Smallwood has achieved many honors; Dove Awards, Stellar Awards and a Grammy also attest to his talents.
The Highest Praise
Richard Smallwood Lyrics
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Lord we adore You,
we exalt You,
we lift You up,
all the glory, we give it to You;
for Your blessings, we lift You up.
Chorus:
we love You, we bless You,
we lift lift You up.
Verse 2:
When we think of all Your goodness,
we’re compelled Lord to lift You up;
lifting hands and lifting voices,
with our hearts Lord, we lift You up.
Chorus
Vamp:
Higher
Ending:
We love You, we bless You,
we lift You up.
Richard Smallwood's song "Highest Praise" is a powerful declaration of love, adoration, and exaltation of God. The song begins by acknowledging the love and adoration that they have for God, and then proceeds to lift Him up in every way possible, giving Him all the glory and blessings. The first verse expresses gratitude for God's blessings and for lifting Him up, whereas the chorus exclaims that "Hallelujah is the highest praise". The repetition of this line emphasizes the importance of praise as the ultimate form of expressing one's reverence and worship for God.
The second verse highlights the goodness of God and how it moves the singer to lift Him up, not just with their hands and voices but with their hearts. They are driven by the profound awareness of God's goodness and cannot help but worship Him. The vamp section repeats "Higher" several times, as if to encourage the congregation to lift their hands even higher in worship. The song then ends with a reiteration of their love, blessing, and lifting of God.
Line by Line Meaning
Lord we love You,
We express our affection and devotion to You, Lord.
Lord we adore You,
We have deep reverence and worship for You, Lord.
we exalt You,
We elevate You to the highest position of honor and respect, Lord.
we lift You up,
We raise You up in our hearts and minds, Lord.
all the glory, we give it to You;
We acknowledge that all the honor and praise belongs only to You, Lord.
for Your blessings, we lift You up.
We are grateful for all Your blessings, and we lift You up in response, Lord.
Chorus: Hallelujah is the highest praise (4x); we love You, we bless You, we lift lift You up.
We proclaim that Hallelujah (which means 'praise the Lord') is the ultimate praise, and we express our love, blessing, and adoration for You, Lord, as we lift You up in worship.
Verse 2: When we think of all Your goodness, we're compelled Lord to lift You up; lifting hands and lifting voices, with our hearts Lord, we lift You up.
When we reflect on all the goodness You have shown us, Lord, we feel a strong desire to lift You up in worship by raising our hands and voices and offering our hearts to You.
Vamp: Higher
We continue to lift You higher and higher, Lord, in worship and reverence.
Ending: We love You, we bless You, we lift You up.
We restate our love, blessing, and worship for You, Lord, as we lift You up above all else.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: RICHARD LEE SMALLWOOD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind