Hearts on Fire

This is a great song. You can buy it in a collection at Litmus Productions.

“Hearts on Fire” by Michael Mangan.  AOV NG 62.

It’s also one of the few in the book I’ve played a lot, so I can offer more practical insights than usual. Firstly, it is somewhat miraculous, in that Michael Mangan has written roughly a million songs for schools (I know – I’ve had to play most of them) and they are somewhat restricted by their context, so much so, that we had thought he wrote them in a special language called manganese. But this song turned up that he wrote for the National Evangelisation Conference in Brisbane in 1999 and, once we learnt it properly (we thought), was the noisiest thing we did at church and a great recessional.

If possible I’d suggest you get his original arrangement and lyrics.  The latest version loses the rush up the fretboard to the chorus and the transition back to the verse has been neutered.  The international lyrics are less specific and less effective and Michael says he only does them outside Australia.

I’d also suggest that his version on the CD is much more quiet and polite than he sings it live and even that is still far too restrained -turn it up to eleven.

You can still have a lot of dynamics, though.  We have vocals only for “With our hearts on” at the start of the chorus and really hit the “fire” with a crashing guitar chord.  It also should stop suddenly at the end – my backing doesn’t stop as abruptly as we do it in church.

In my backing the chords are how we were taught them and I find on real sheet music the intervals are a little different.  I can’t change now so I’ll keep playing it slightly wrong.  These are the original lyrics by the way.  Don’t forget the actions that go with the song.

Verse 1

We come from ancient dreamtime,
From the bush, or by the sea.
We come from a thousand city streets,
We are the rich and lowly,
We are the poor and strong,
We come to share this moment,
Gathering here, singing one song

Chorus

With our hearts on fire with the love of Jesus
Hearts on fire, let’s spread the Word
Hearts on fire, feel the Spirit blazing
Hearts on fire
Called to live the Good News in this land
Setting hearts on fire, with our hearts on fire
Setting hearts on fire

Verse 2

We long to live in freedom, we yearn for unity
We dream of justice, joy and peace
Spirit fill us with your power
Jesus help us live your call
O Creator give us wisdom
So we will be Good News for all

Chorus

Verse 3

We are the voice of Jesus
We are His hearts and hands
We are His body in our land
Stand up! Live the story
To all the world proclaim
Go out to all creation
Lighting the fire, fanning the flames

Chorus

© Michael Mangan 1999.

* Please see an updated post about this song here.