There is no time like the present to be thankful. Synth-pop singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Johnny Stimson counts his lucky stars with a new song called “Hallelujah.” With the lyric video, premiering today on American Songwriter, he sends up a prayer for the whole world to come together.
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“When you are lonely and the world is dark / When tears are flowing from your broken heart / Hold on to hope because you’ve come so far / Just hold on,” he extends a compassionate hand. It’s a raw moment of vulnerability, filtered with enticing vocal effects, that can warm the coldest of hearts.
He turns ever inward on the chorus. “Hallelujah for the good times / Hallelujah for the bad / I am thankful for the ups and downs / Because they make me who I am,” he prays. “And if the good Lord takes me home tomorrow / I can rest and know that it’s all in His hands.”
Originally from Dallas, Texas, Stimson – whose influences include Sam Cooke, Frank Ocean, and the Beatles – has enjoyed a number of previous streaming successes and television placements. Songs like “So. Good.” and “Honeymoon” have collected north of six and seven million streams, respectively, and his music has been featured on such blockbuster shows as The Vampire Diaries and Trophy Wife.
“Hallelujah” is a mark of continued growth. “I wrote [this song] in the middle of the night when I was in South Korea on tour. I couldn’t sleep because I had been away from home for a while, and I was feeling really pretty down and out,” he says. “This melody kept turning over in my head, almost like a prayer.”
The lyric video includes images of ravaging wildfires, sports footage, and a shuttle lift-off, as well as other snippets of both joy and sorrow. “I kept singing it for the rest of that trip, and it was a great reminder to me to be thankful for every moment, no matter how high or how low,” he continues. “I believe that God made us each beautiful and unique, and part of that beauty comes from the different circumstances we all go through.”
“This year, I am grateful for all the ups and downs, love and heartbreak, life and loss, and everything in between. Every breath is a beautiful gift and I hope this song reminds whoever is out there listening to hold on because you are worth it and you are loved.”
Watch the “Hallelujah” lyric video below.
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