As we began to put the final touches on the “Knowing Jesus” project, there were some spaces that I wanted to fill in with some either shorter songs or instrumental pieces. Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem at Passion Week was one of those places.
The moment when Jesus rides into Jerusalem is at the peak of his popularity and also the peak of people hating him. While celebration was breaking out in the streets, in the shadows, the Pharisees conspired together on how to take him out.
Usually, when I have heard a song with “hosanna” in it, the instrumentation and choral structure sounds very regal and majestic. I love all of those songs. But as we tried to tell this story, common folk were singing this on common instruments really on the spot. This wasn’t a song fit for kingly courts. This was a street song.
In my mind, it originally probably sounded like a rowdy hoedown.
So, that’s what we attempted to do. The song is a fast, energetic, escalating declaration of hosanna in the highest! It was trying to convey a spiritually desperate people partying in the streets that finally their long-awaited King had come.
In addition to the rowdy declaration, we also used it as a transition to the darkness of the passion week. We took the end of it and turned the melody into a dramatic minor walkup into “Woe to You.”
We can’t wait to do this live again on March 29 & 30th. Here are some links to keep you informed and to help us get the word out:
Get chord charts for entire album here.
Listen to a snippet below or get your copy on iTunes.
Travis Agnew serves as the Lead Pastor of Rocky Creek Church in Greenville, SC. His most recent book is Just (About) Married.
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