What a Wonderful Name it is Lyrics
What Song Is “What A Wonderful Name It Is” From?
The line “what a wonderful name it is” belongs to the second chorus of “What A Beautiful Name,” the contemporary worship song written by Ben Fielding and Brooke Ligertwood for Hillsong Worship. Released in January 2017 on the album Let There Be Light, the track went on to top the Christian Airplay chart for nine consecutive weeks, earn RIAA Platinum certification for surpassing 900 million global streams, and win the 2018 Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song. As of late 2025, its official music video has passed 620 million YouTube views, and the song still ranks among CCLI’s most reported titles in churches worldwide. The song is registered with CCLI under song number 7068424, which governs licensed reproduction of its lyrics and chords.
Quick fact: the song builds through three chorus variations — “beautiful,” “wonderful,” and “powerful” — each marking a different emotional stage of the song.
Songwriters and Release Background
Ben Fielding and Brooke Ligertwood, both established Hillsong Worship songwriters, built the track around a deliberately simple, repeatable structure so congregations could learn it in a single service. It debuted live at a Hillsong Conference in Sydney before being recorded for Let There Be Light and released as a single. A widely circulated lyric video, followed by a live performance clip, helped the song cross over into mainstream Christian radio well beyond Hillsong’s home congregation.
Where the Line Appears in the Song Structure
Instead of repeating a single static chorus, the song swaps one adjective across three sections: the opening chorus uses “beautiful,” the middle chorus shifts to “wonderful,” and the closing chorus resolves to “powerful.” The surrounding lines stay nearly identical each time, so the changing word carries the emotional weight — moving the listener from admiration, to awe, to a declared victory over sin and death.
The Meaning Behind “What A Wonderful Name It Is”
This phrase marks a turning point in the song’s emotional arc. Where the opening chorus admires the name of Jesus as “beautiful,” the second chorus reframes that admiration as “wonderful” — a word rooted in awe and astonishment rather than aesthetic appreciation. That shift echoes the lyrical movement from Verse 1’s reflection on Christ’s divine origin to Verse 2’s more personal reflection on grace and sin. Fielding and Ligertwood use this adjective progression as a storytelling device, letting the congregation move from quiet reverence toward bold declaration by the time the bridge and final chorus arrive.
Why the Chorus Repeats With Different Adjectives
Worship songwriting leans on repetition so large groups can sing together without needing lyrics in front of them for long. Here, repetition pairs with subtle variation so the song never feels static: “beautiful” evokes admiration of Christ’s nature, “wonderful” evokes awe at what that name accomplishes, and “powerful” declares victory over death. The result plays out like a sermon arc — introduction, deepening reflection, triumphant conclusion — built around one repeated subject rather than three separate ideas.
Biblical Basis (Philippians 2:9-11)
The song’s central idea draws heavily on this passage, where Scripture describes God exalting Jesus and giving him a name above every other name. Worship songwriters frequently return to this text because it frames Jesus’ name itself as an object of reverence and authority, not merely a label. Fielding and Ligertwood built the entire lyrical concept around this progression — from humility to exaltation — using the shifting chorus adjectives to mirror it.
Full Song Structure Breakdown
The song follows a traditional worship format: two verses, three choruses, a bridge, and a closing tag. Verse 1 focuses on Christ’s pre-existence and divine identity, describing him as present “at the beginning” alongside God. Verse 2 turns more personal, reflecting on human sin against the scale of divine grace. The three choruses carry the emotional payload, the bridge functions as the climax by declaring victory over death, and the closing tag repeats the final chorus’s key phrase to end the song on its most triumphant note.
- Verse 1 — Christ’s divine origin and pre-existence
- Verse 2 — personal reflection on sin and grace
- Chorus 1–3 — escalating adjectives: beautiful, wonderful, powerful
- Bridge — resurrection and victory over death
- Tag — closing repetition of the final chorus
Verse 1 & 2 Themes
Verse 1 leans on high Christology, portraying Jesus as present at creation and one with God before time began — language that echoes the opening of John’s Gospel. Verse 2 pivots to a first-person tone, weighing the enormity of human sin against the greater measure of divine love. This movement from cosmic to personal gives listeners two entry points into the song, one theological and expansive, the other relational and confessional, before both converge in the choruses.
Bridge Meaning (“Death Could Not Hold You”)
The bridge is the song’s emotional peak, describing Christ’s resurrection in vivid, declarative language — death losing its grip, the veil tearing, heaven responding to victory over the grave. This section reads more like a proclamation than a reflection, shifting from describing Jesus to speaking directly to him. It’s this bridge that sets up the final chorus’s shift to “powerful,” since the resurrection imagery directly earns the stronger, more triumphant adjective used in that closing section.
Chords & Key Info
“What A Beautiful Name” is most commonly played in the key of D major, though many worship teams transpose it to fit vocal range or instrumentation. Music analysts have also pointed to its narrow melodic range — roughly one note over an octave — as a reason it’s so easy for congregations to sing without straining. Its chord progression relies on just a handful of chords throughout, making it accessible for beginner and intermediate guitarists and pianists alike, and its moderate tempo suits both congregational singing and acoustic covers.
Common chords used:
D A Bm G F#mChord Progression Overview
The verses and choruses mostly cycle through D, A, Bm, and G — a familiar progression in contemporary worship known for delivering emotional lift without unnecessary complexity. The bridge shifts to G and A paired with Bm and F#m, adding a slightly different harmonic color that matches its more intense lyrical content. This simplicity is intentional: worship songwriters often prioritize accessibility so congregations with varying musical backgrounds can join in without rehearsal time.
Where to Find Licensed Lyrics & Chord Sheets
Because the song is copyrighted and registered under CCLI, churches and individuals should source full lyrics and chord charts through licensed platforms rather than unofficial lyric sites. Hillsong.com hosts the official lyrics directly, while CCLI SongSelect provides licensed chord charts and lead sheets for congregational use. Essential Worship and similar CCLI-affiliated platforms also offer properly licensed versions, which keeps churches compliant when reproducing lyrics for services or printed materials.
Why This Song Resonates in Worship Settings
“What A Beautiful Name” has become a staple in churches worldwide partly because of its structural simplicity and partly because of its theological depth. Its narrow, accessible melody lets congregations of any size join in quickly, while its lyrical content carries enough substance for repeated use without feeling shallow. The song’s popularity around Easter services in particular stems from its bridge and resurrection-focused content, making it a natural fit for services centered on Christ’s death and resurrection, and it continues to be one of the most reported titles in CCLI’s global song rankings.
Common Worship Service Placements
Many churches place this song during Easter or Good Friday services specifically because of its bridge content addressing resurrection and victory over death. It’s also frequently used during baptism services or moments of testimony, where the personal reflection in Verse 2 resonates with individual stories of grace. Its moderate tempo makes it suitable for both high-energy worship sets and quieter, reflective moments, giving worship leaders flexibility in how and when they use it.
Cover Versions & Notable Performances
Beyond Hillsong Worship’s original recording, the song has been reworked in live medleys — including a widely streamed pairing with “Fresh Wind” featuring Hillsong United’s Taya Gaukrodger and Hillsong Worship’s David Ware — and covered by numerous artists across the Christian music space. Its crossover into mainstream Christian radio was notable for a worship song of its style, and it remains a frequently covered track at church conferences, youth events, and worship team showcases.
Note: Song statistics referenced here (streams, chart weeks, certifications) reflect publicly reported figures as of late 2025 and are updated periodically as new data becomes available.
Frequently Asked Questions
What song has the lyric “what a wonderful name it is”?
This lyric comes from the second chorus of “What A Beautiful Name” by Hillsong Worship, released in January 2017 on the album Let There Be Light. The song has three chorus variations, and “wonderful” appears specifically in the middle one, marking a shift in tone from admiration to awe as the song builds toward its bridge and final chorus.
Who wrote “What A Beautiful Name”?
The song was written by Ben Fielding and Brooke Ligertwood, both longtime songwriters and worship leaders associated with Hillsong Worship. Their collaboration focused on pairing a simple, repeatable structure with theologically rich lyrics — a combination that helped the song become one of the most widely sung congregational worship songs of its era and earn a Grammy Award in 2018.
What key is “What A Beautiful Name” in?
The song is most commonly performed in the key of D major, though many worship teams transpose it to suit vocal range or instrumentation. Its narrow melodic range and small set of chords make it accessible to guitarists and pianists at a range of skill levels without sacrificing its emotional impact.
What is the biblical reference behind the song’s bridge?
The bridge draws on resurrection imagery describing Christ’s victory over death, while the overall song concept references Philippians 2:9-11, which describes God exalting Jesus with a name above every other name. This biblical foundation shapes the song’s progression from humble admiration to bold, triumphant declaration by its closing section.
Where can I find official lyrics and chords?
Official, licensed lyrics are available directly through Hillsong.com. CCLI SongSelect and Essential Worship both provide chord charts and lead sheets under proper licensing agreements. Using these sources ensures accuracy and keeps churches and individuals compliant with copyright requirements when using the song publicly.
This article does not reproduce the song’s copyrighted lyrics beyond brief, unavoidable phrase references tied to the topic itself. Full lyrics and chord charts should be sourced directly from Hillsong.com or CCLI SongSelect.
