The most glaring issue is found in the bridge, exacerbated by the ad nauseam repetition: On the most basic level, this is terrible poetry. So why can’t Hillsong do it?īorders, waters, me, wander, stronger, Savior. Most of us learned to do it in grade school. Those qualities alone should make it a fail for liturgical use. The melody is almost directionless, the rhythm syncopated, the range low and cumbersome. It simply doesn’t work for congregational singing, though. Labored and breathless vocal strains float above the accompaniment, noodling around an awkward, repetitive melodic trail. The drums roll under chords, sparse and sustained. Musically, “Oceans” resembles the rolling tide the lyrics describe. “Um…Music Director, actually,” I replied, aware that she probably didn’t know the difference. “You don’t know?!? I thought you were a worship leader,” she said. “Oh, that’s pretty.” I said, wanting to be supportive. “I-eee will call upon your name…” she crooned, all Sarah McLachlan-like. A 2nd grade teacher came into my classroom, and asked me to help her with a chord progression on the piano.Īfter some piddling around, I figured out she needed a first inversion A major chord. I first learned about “Oceans” when I was still teaching elementary music. While we’re sitting around poolside, let’s evaluate what we’ve just heard. Take me deeper than my feet could ever wanderĪnyone else exhausted? I’m ready for lunch, followed by the compulsory hour wait before jumping back in the water. Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders (Preemptive Dramamine is recommended.) At nearly 9 minutes long, it’s the “American Pie” of worshipy songs. I wonder if Joel Houston owns a surfboard…Īnyway, if you dare to give it a listen, here you go. That’s a lot of vacations to the oceans of Australia’s Gold Coast, friends. Though it’s no “ Place in This World” it also found its place in the world of mainstream music, floating up to number 83 on the Billboard Hot 100.Īltogether, it has gone double platinum, with over 2 million in certified sales. It returned to flood the airwaves for five more weeks in 2015. “Oceans” parked its waterlogged strains atop the Billboard Hot Christian Songs list for some 45 weeks in 2014. “Oceans” is a 2013 hit by the Australian music empire Hillsong. In case you’ve somehow been fortunate enough to avoid it, or you’ve been living under a rock for the past four years, I’ll provide a little background. If you’ve been in contemporary worship circles, you already get what I’m talking about.
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