10,000 Reasons (Bless the Lord)

"10,000 Reasons (Bless the Lord)" is a worship song co-written by the English Christian singer-songwriter Matt Redman and the Swedish songwriter Jonas Myrin,[1] first recorded by Redman for his 10,000 Reasons album, released in 2011 on Kingsway Music, and subsequently included on a number of compilations, covered by other artists and included as congregational worship music in English or in translation around the world. In 2013, the song won two Grammy Awards for "Best Contemporary Christian Music Song" and "Best Gospel/Contemporary Christian Music Performance". After the song's success and impact, Redman also published a book: 10,000 Reasons: Stories of Faith, Hope, and Thankfulness Inspired by the Worship Anthem.

"10,000 Reasons (Bless the Lord)"
Single by Matt Redman
from the album 10,000 Reasons
Released2012
GenreWorship, contemporary Christian music
Length4:22
Labelsixsteps, Sparrow
Songwriter(s)Jonas Myrin, Matt Redman
Music video
"10,000 Reasons (Bless the Lord)" on YouTube

Context

The song is a contemporary version of a classic worship song making the case for "10,000 reasons for my heart to find" to praise God. The inspiration for the song came through the opening verse of Psalm 103: "Praise the Lord, my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name". It is also based on the 19th century English hymn "Praise, My Soul, the King of Heaven" written by Henry Francis Lyte.

Redman recalled the writing of the song was through an initial idea or suggestion from co-writer Jonas Myrin. Redman told Worship Leader magazine: "He [Myrin] played me an idea for some of the chorus melody, and I found it immediately inspiring. In fact, it felt like a perfect fit for a song based on the opening of Psalm 103. The song came together really quickly – a good chunk of the song was actually a spontaneous moment",[2] adding that the song reiterates how "we live beneath an unceasing flow of goodness, kindness, greatness, and holiness, and every day we're given reason after reason why the Lord is so completely and utterly worthy of our highest and best devotion".[2]

The song enumerates various attributes of the love of God for mankind that makes him worthy of "praise unending", worship for "ten thousand years and then forevermore". The song uses these attributes: God's holiness, lovingkindness, slowness to anger, kind heart, His goodness and His great name.[3] The "10,000 Reasons" concept is used in two citations in the song: First in the lyrics "Your name is great and Your heart is kind / For all Your goodness, I will keep on singing / Ten thousand reasons for my heart to find" and the second at the lyrics: "And on that day when my strength is failing / The end draws near and my time has come / Still, my soul will sing Your praise unending / Ten thousand years and then forevermore".

The refrain says:[4]

Bless the Lord, O my soul,
O my soul, worship his holy name.
Sing like never before, O my soul.
I'll worship your holy name.

Music video

A music video was filmed in a church setting in Berlin, Germany. The black and white video, filmed by Andy Hutch of Yodo Creative in 2012, shows Redman singing and playing the guitar accompanied by an acoustic music band and a number of backing vocalists.

Charts

"10,000 Reasons (Bless the Lord)" was released in 2012 as a single and spent 16 weeks at the top spot on Christian Radio and remained No. 1 on the Billboard Christian Songs Chart for 13 weeks[5] and was certified gold. The album containing the song as its title track peaked in its own right on the US Christian Album chart at No. 1.[6][7] and No. 149 on the UK charts.

Weekly charts
Chart (2012) Peak
position
US Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles (Billboard)[8] 3
US Christian Songs (Billboard)[9] 1
US Christian Airplay (Billboard)[10] 1

Decade-end charts
Chart (2010s) Position
US Christian Songs (Billboard)[11] 6

Awards
Year Organization Award Result Ref.
2013 Grammy Award Best Contemporary Christian Music Song Won [12]
Best Gospel/Contemporary Christian Music Performance Won [12]
Gospel Music Association Song of the Year Won [13]
Contemporary Christian Performance of the Year Won [13]
Dove Award Song of the Year Won [14]
Contemporary Christian Performance of the Year Won [14]
Pop Contemporary Song Won [14]

Covers

The song has been covered by a number of artists and bands including:

  • Irish worship band, Rend Collective, in their 2013 album Campfire.[15]
  • Contemporary Christian music group The Katinas in their 2014 album Sunday Set,[16] accompanied by a music video[17]
  • The vocal quintet Veritas in their self-titled 2014 album Veritas[18]
  • The Christian reggae band Christafari in their 2015 album Anthems. Their version features additional vocals by Avion Blackman. The release was accompanied by a music video.[19]

At Passion 2014 in Houston, it was sung by the song's co-writer Matt Redman[20] and Passion 2015 Houston featuring vocals from Chris Tomlin, Brett Younker and Kristian Stanfill.[21]

The song was adapted by rapper KB in his track "10k" in his 2020 album His Glory Alone.[22] It peaked at number 36 on the Billboard Hot Christian Songs chart.

The song has been translated into a number of languages. It was recorded in Spanish as "Diez Mil Razones (10,000 Reasons)" by Evan Craft in an acoustic version in his 2012 album Yo Soy Segundo.[23][24] and in German as "Zehntausend Gründe" ("10,000 Gründe") by the German Christian band Outbreakband and recorded on their album Das ist unser Gott, a live album performed at the Glaubenszentrum Bad Gandersheim.

The book
Cover of 10,000 Reasons: Stories of Faith, Hope, and Thankfulness Inspired by the Worship Anthem

Matt Redman co-authored with Craig Borlase the book 10,000 Reasons (full title 10,000 Reasons: Stories of Faith, Hope, and Thankfulness Inspired by the Worship Anthem). In the 176-page book published in 2017 by David C Cook Publishing Company, and a foreword written by Christian author Max Lucado, Redman shares details behind the song's creation and explores the influences and experiences the song generated with many vivid examples of inspiring stories, experiences and testimonies by individuals in their greatest time of need.[25]

Certifications
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[26] 2× Platinum 2,000,000

sales+streaming figures based on certification alone

References
  1. "SongSelect by CCLI". songselect.ccli.com. Retrieved 14 August 2018.
  2. "10,000 Reasons (Bless the Lord) by Matt Redman Songfacts". Retrieved 4 March 2016.
  3. Vince Wrigh (5 August 2018). "Matt Redman – "10,000 Reasons (Bless The Lord)"". thebereantest.com. Retrieved 4 July 2020.
  4. "10,000 Reasons Chords & Lyrics". We Are Worship. Retrieved 21 August 2019.
  5. Carson, Joseph. "Matt Redman's "10,000 Reasons (Bless The Lord)" Certified Gold". Breathecast. Retrieved 25 October 2014.
  6. "Matt Redman Album & Song Chart History". Billboard.com. Retrieved 28 February 2012.
  7. "Matt Redman becomes first Brit to top US Christian music charts | Christian News on Christian Today". Christiantoday.com. 30 July 2011. Retrieved 28 February 2012.
  8. "Matt Redman Chart History (Bubbling Under Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved October 30, 2020.
  9. "Matt Redman Chart History (Hot Christian Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved October 30, 2020.
  10. "Matt Redman Chart History (Christian Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved October 30, 2020.
  11. "Hot Christian Songs – Decade-End 2010s". Billboard. Retrieved 31 October 2019.
  12. "55th Annual GRAMMY Awards". 28 November 2017. Retrieved 16 August 2018.
  13. Evans-Price, Deborah. "Matt Redman, TobyMac & Jason Crabb Win Big at Dove Awards". Billboard magazine. Retrieved 24 October 2013.
  14. Justin Sarachik (16 October 2013). "44th Annual GMA Dove Awards Winners Announced: Matt Redman and TobyMac Win Big". Christian Post. Retrieved 5 July 2013.
  15. 10,000 Reasons CAMPFIRE – Rend Collective. Rend Collective. 4 February 2013. Retrieved 21 May 2016 – via YouTube.
  16. "The Katinas Release 'Sunday Set'; New Album Features Alternate Arrangements of Popular Worship Songs". BREATHEcast. Retrieved 4 March 2016.
  17. 10,000 Reasons – The Katinas (from the album "Sunday Set"). 29 October 2014. Retrieved 4 March 2016 – via YouTube.
  18. "Classical Group Veritas Perform 'Christmas Time' Live on BC NEWS [WATCH HERE]". BREATHEcast. Retrieved 4 March 2016.
  19. Christafari – 10,000 Reasons (Official Music Video) Bless the Lord. 27 November 2015. Retrieved 4 March 2016 – via YouTube.
  20. Coco Ramos (5 March 2014). "10,000 Reasons – Matt Redman – Passion 2014". Retrieved 3 April 2018 – via YouTube.
  21. Carlos Garcia- LIVE (9 February 2015). "10,000 Reasons (Bless The Lord)(Live Acoustic)- Chris Tomlin, Brett Younker, Kristian Stanfill". Retrieved 3 April 2018 – via YouTube.
  22. New Release Today: His Glory Alone review
  23. iTunes: Evan Craft – Yo Soy Segundo
  24. Evan Craft. Diez Mil Razones (10,000 Reasons). Archived from the original on 5 November 2012 – via archive.is.
  25. Evangelical Alliance UK – Matt Redman: 10,000 reasons and one special song.
  26. "American single certifications – Matt Redman – 10,000 Reasons (Bless The Lord)". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 16 December 2019. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Single, then click SEARCH. 
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