One of the Greatest Worship Songs Ever Written

I think you’ll like this idea – that one of the greatest worship songs ever written is not in fact a Christian worship song at all, but was written by a secular musician.

It’s ‘Annie’s Song‘, by the late John Denver

Worship is a love-relationship sort of thing, where the intimacy and closeness of the believer’s relationship with Jesus is expressed, both ways (i.e. us to God; God to us). The word has the flavour of cuddling up; to ‘approach to kiss’ has been another way I have seen it expressed.

And there are times where your love for Jesus, the strong sense of His Presence, consumes all your senses and fills your very being. There’s no place else I’d rather be than right there in His Presence. He literally fills up your senses. He fills you up with His Presence, His Love and His power. And to respond with a song like Annie’s Song seems like exactly the natural thing to do.

And so this is such a great worship song, one which I have sung to Jesus both in private and publicly in worship services, and one which I have worshipped along to ‘in secret’, when everyone around me is just there for the music.

Here it is: Annie’s Song, by John Denver. Worship along with the music!

You fill up my senses like a night in the forest,
like the mountains in springtime, like a walk in the rain,
like a storm in the desert, like a sleepy blue ocean.
You fill up my senses, come fill me again

Come let me love you, let me give my life to you,
let me drown in your laughter, let me die in your arms,
let me lay down beside you, let me always be with you.
Come let me love you, come love me again.

(Instrumental)
Let me give my life to you
Come let me love you, come love me again

You fill up my senses like a night in the forest,
like the mountains in springtime, like a walk in the rain,
like a storm in the desert, like a sleepy blue ocean.
You fill up my senses, come fill me again.

6 thoughts on “One of the Greatest Worship Songs Ever Written

  1. 10/3/16 After my run this evening Annie’s song came on my headphones (the only JD song I have on my run playlist)…I was in my backyard with my dog..and looking up at some majestic pine trees and the lyrics struck me for the first time as a love song to Christ, the creator and sustainer of all the natural images and senses in the song…I was moved once again at the depth of the lyrics that Denver wrote but now not as a human romantic love song to a woman (that can unfortunately be so fleeting) but as a love song to God. I was also reminded of the scene in Forest Gump when Forest is recalling all the places he had been, with the incredible scenery and experiences of his life to Jenny as she lay dying…to me that scene reminds me of how God has been with me (as Forest said Jenny was with him) through all the landscapes of my life much like the images of this song…as I came back inside and cleaned up I sang the song as worship and was moved to a deeper love for God, such is what worship does…and was also struck that the song could also be interpreted as a song sung by Jesus to his Bride….”let me give my life to (or for!) you…let me die in your arms” though I think worship should be theocentric so will stick to my first interpretation as a love song to Him. Then I sat down to Google to see if anyone else had been struck by Denver’s lyrics in Annie’s Song as worship and viola…you beat me to it. Or did Denver? 🙂 It is an incredible song and I will request that my church start playing it as worship too. Thank you sharing this so others can worship God through these lyrics.

    1. Wow what a lovely comment to receive! I’m so glad this has blessed you and I do wonder if anyone else too has thought of this in a similar way to us. It would be great if your church could adopt this song for worship. I feel a particular ‘connection’ to John Denver because he too was a Pilot and he clearly felt a deep connection to the Creation, probably because of that (see my post here for more on this: http://tinyurl.com/gvfvad7). But, like you, this is the only JD song I have on my iPod too 😉

      I think that because human love can be seen as a model of the Divine Love that you and I have experienced, it is perfectly valid for us to use songs about human love, to worship the Divine. Maybe if the church don’t like your idea, that thought might help 🙂

      Thanks for your lovely comment!

  2. Thank you for posting this song. I too sing this song and two others (1. Because of You a 1940 song 2. Only You a 50s song, originally by The Platters) to worship God because the words give words to my feelings. In coming to Jesus (receiving Him, inviting Him to take over my life) I was not only rescued from going down a destructive path but also brought into a life of peace and calmness. Christianity does not promise “life sitting on a beach with no problems” but it has provided me calm in the midst of storms. It allows me to see God’s greatness when I stare at the starry night sky (Psalm 8 verse 3). You may also like Psalm 8 by Keith Green

    1. Thanks for your wonderful comment, Ronald 🙂 You have said so much of value in such a short piece – and it’s so good to read your testimony about God’s goodness towards you. You’ve really made my evening with this; thank you so much!

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