I Bowed On My Knees
Michael English Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴I dreamed of a city called Glory,
So bright and so fair.
When I entered the gates I cried, "Holy"
The angels all met me there:
They carried me from mansion to mansion,
And oh the sights I saw,
But I said, "I want to see Jesus,
The One who died for all."
[Chorus]
Then I bowed on my knees and cried,
"Holy, Holy, Holy."
I clapped my hands and sang, "Glory,
Glory to the Son of God."
I bowed on my knees and cried,
"Holy, Holy, Holy."
Then I clapped my hands and sang, "Glory,
Glory to the Son of God."

As I entered the gates of that city,
My loved ones all knew me well.
They took me down the streets of Heaven;
Such scenes were too many to tell;
I saw Abraham, Jacob and Isaac
Talked with Mark, and Timothy
But I said, "I want to see Jesus,
'Cause He's the One who died for me."

[Chorus]
Then I bowed on my knees and cried,
"Holy, Holy, Holy."
I clapped my hands and sang, "Glory,
Glory, Glory."
I clapped my hands and sang, "Glory"
I clapped my hands and sang, "Glory"
I clapped my hands and sang, "Glory"

"Glory to the Son of God"
I sang, "Glory to the Son of God."

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Michael English's song "I Bowed on My Knees and Cried Holy" describe a dream where the singer enters a city called Glory and is shown around by angels. The sights and experiences are incredible, but the singer's focus is on seeing Jesus, the one who died for all. When the singer finally enters the gates of the city, they are greeted by loved ones who show them around even more. They see famous biblical figures such as Abraham, Jacob, Isaac, Mark, and Timothy but still have a desire to see Jesus.

The song is ultimately about the singer's longing to be in the presence of Jesus, who they believe died for their sins. The chorus, "Holy, Holy, Holy," and "Glory, Glory to the Son of God," are sung with fervor and joy as they express their worship and adoration.

The lyrics of "I Bowed on My Knees and Cried Holy" speak of a powerful religious experience, where the singer is overcome with emotion and a desire to be in the presence of Jesus. The song has resonated with many Christians for its heartfelt expression of faith and devotion.

Line by Line Meaning

I dreamed of a city called Glory,
I had a vision of a city so beautiful, so radiant, and so righteous that it was deserving of the name 'Glory.'

So bright and so fair.
This city was so brilliantly luminous and so perfectly righteous that it was beyond compare.

When I entered the gates I cried, 'Holy'
As soon as I crossed the threshold of that city's gates and caught a glimpse of its extraordinary beauty, my deepest instinct was to recognize the enormous spiritual significance of that place, and I cried out in acknowledgment of the holiness that prevailed there.

The angels all met me there:
Somehow, by God's grace, the angels themselves welcomed me to this magnificent place and offered their companionship as guides through the wonders there unfolded before my eyes.

They carried me from mansion to mansion,
The angels led me through a series of wonderful, awe-inspiring mansions, each impressive in its own unique way, and each a testament to the glory and majesty of God.

And oh the sights I saw,
The splendor of each mansion and the gleaming, holy light that shone upon them was unlike anything I had ever seen before. The majesty I beheld was so otherworldly that mere human words could not describe it in full detail.

But I said, 'I want to see Jesus,
Even as I was taken on this grand tour through the wonders of the holy city, I still yearned with all my heart to see Jesus - the Son of God who gave his life to save me from my sins.

The One who died for all.'
I came to that city because of Jesus' atoning sacrifice. I knew that I would only truly explore and enjoy the wonders of the holy city because of what Jesus had done for me by dying on the cross.

[Chorus]
At this point the song's chorus begins.

As I entered the gates of that city,
The next verse describes another time when the singer entered the gates of the city.

My loved ones all knew me well.
The singer's dearly departed who had arrived at the holy city before him recognized him as they were reunited before God.

They took me down the streets of Heaven;
The singer was again treated to a grand tour of this blessed city, this time escorted by his loved ones who showed him the way.

Such scenes were too many to tell;
The sights he saw and the experiences he had at this place were so glorious that there are no words in any human language sufficient to describe them in entirety.

I saw Abraham, Jacob and Isaac
He saw in his vision some of the great heroes of the faith who had gone on to receive God's eternal reward.

Talked with Mark, and Timothy
He also mixed with some of the great Christian leaders from the early days of the church, with whom he had an intimate conversation.

But I said, 'I want to see Jesus,
But in spite of all the other great people the singer met, he knew that he still desired most strongly to see Jesus, and to be in the presence of the Savior who died for his sins.

'Cause He's the One who died for me.'
The singer knows that his salvation and even his ability to enter the holy city itself was due solely to the sacrifice made by Jesus on the cross - he owes everything to Christ.

[Chorus]
The chorus repeats again to emphasize his joy and awe in the presence of God and in the reality of the holy city.

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Capitol CMG Publishing, Songtrust Ave
Written by: LARI GOSS

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it