Awake My Soul

Album: Awake (2020)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Hillsong Worship leader and co-producer Brooke Ligertwood wrote this song about God's majesty. Isaiah 6:1 served as an inspiration: "I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple." (NIV)
  • The song came out of Brooke's personal prayer time as she was driving to pick up her two toddlers from preschool. The first two lines came into her mind a couple of blocks from home and she started singing:

    There is a sound I love to hear
    It's the sound of the Savior's robe
    As He walks into the room where people pray


    She explained to Apple Music: "It's a song about when you hear a group of people in a room praying or singing to God, what we hear is the sound of the music and the sound of singing, but what God hears is the sound that our hearts are making, the sound of faith. In return, when God manifests himself in a place, it's almost as if we can hear him walk into the room by perceiving it with something in our souls that was designed to be that antennae to what's happening in the heavenly realm. So, it's the idea of a sound begetting a sound, in a way."
  • The chorus is inspired by Psalm 57, where the Psalmist exhorts us in times of trials to step out in faith and worship God.

    Awake my soul and sing
    Sing His praise aloud


    Brooke explained to New Release Today: "It's a reminder to open our mouths. What we sing and speak out loud, our soul hears. One of the reasons we fast, as believers, is that we remind our body who is in charge. My spirit is yielded to the Lord. When we open our mouths and pray and sing, we're reminding our body that God's in charge."
  • Brooke Ligertwood is also the vocalist on the track. She has been the singer on many of Hillsong Worship's tunes, including Awake's lead single, "King of Kings."

Comments: 1

  • Brooke H from Merica'This is so beautiful! I love Hillsong Worship!! I think this song hits home for me!! :):)
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Concert Disasters

Concert DisastersFact or Fiction

Ozzy biting a dove? Alice Cooper causing mayhem with a chicken? Creed so bad they were sued? See if you can spot the real concert mishaps.

Tommy James

Tommy JamesSongwriter Interviews

"Mony Mony," "Crimson and Clover," "Draggin' The Line"... the hits kept coming for Tommy James, and in a plot line fit for a movie, his record company was controlled by the mafia.

Jim Adkins of Jimmy Eat World

Jim Adkins of Jimmy Eat WorldSongwriter Interviews

Jim talks about the impact of "The Middle" and uses a tree metaphor to describe his songwriting philosophy.

Kim Thayil of Soundgarden

Kim Thayil of SoundgardenSongwriter Interviews

Their frontman (Chris Cornell) started out as their drummer, so Soundgarden takes a linear approach when it comes to songwriting. Kim explains how they do it.

Graham Nash

Graham NashSongwriter Interviews

Graham Nash tells the stories behind some of his famous songs and photos, and is asked about "yacht rock" for the first time.

Steely Dan

Steely DanFact or Fiction

Did they really trade their guitarist to The Doobie Brothers? Are they named after something naughty? And what's up with the band name?