Ever walked into a Christian bookstore in 2011 and felt like the speakers were about to explode? That was probably Hawk Nelson. Specifically, it was their punk-rock-meets-pop-sensibility take on Christmas classics. If you’re looking for the hawk nelson hark the herald angels sing lyrics, you probably remember the high-energy "whoa-ohs" and that driving beat that made a 300-year-old hymn feel like it belonged on the Warped Tour.
Honestly, it’s a weirdly perfect match.
The band took a song written by a guy who hated the way people changed his words and turned it into a high-octane anthem. It’s loud. It’s fast. Most importantly, it actually keeps the theological meat of the original while ditching the sleepy organ vibes.
The Lyrics: What Hawk Nelson Actually Sings
Most people don't realize that Hawk Nelson’s version is actually a medley. It’s technically titled "Hark the Herald Angels Sing / O Come All Ye Faithful" on their Christmas EP. But for the "Hark" portion, they stay pretty faithful to the standard stanzas we all know from church—just with about 10x the tempo.
The Verse Structure:
Hark! The herald angels sing
"Glory to the newborn King!
Peace on earth and mercy mild
God and sinners reconciled"
Joyful, all ye nations rise
Join the triumph of the skies
With angelic hosts proclaim:
"Christ is born in Bethlehem"
Hark! The herald angels sing
"Glory to the newborn King!"
The Second Movement:
✨ Don't miss: Why the Lion King opening scene is actually the greatest minute of animation ever made
Christ by highest heav'n adored
Christ the everlasting Lord!
Late in time behold Him come
Offspring of a Virgin's womb
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see
Hail the incarnate Deity
Pleased as man with men to dwell
Jesus, our Emmanuel
Hawk Nelson doesn't just sing the words; they shout them. The production on the 2011 Christmas EP (and the subsequent Christmas Top 5 release) features Jason Dunn’s signature vocals before he left the band. It's got that classic "old Hawk" sound. Think power chords and aggressive drumming that makes you want to mosh around a Christmas tree.
Why This Version Hits Different
Most Christmas covers are boring. Let’s be real. Artists usually just copy the Frank Sinatra or Nat King Cole arrangement and call it a day. Hawk Nelson did the opposite.
They treated the song like one of their own tracks, like "California" or "Letters to the President."
The Punk Rock Energy
The song starts with a literal drum fill that sounds like a call to arms. There’s no slow buildup. It’s a 180-BPM sprint from start to finish. If you’re trying to stay awake while driving to your aunt’s house on Christmas Eve, this is the version you put on.
The Theological Punch
The cool thing about the hawk nelson hark the herald angels sing lyrics is that they didn't "modernize" the language. They kept words like "incarnate Deity" and "reconciled." Usually, when pop-punk bands cover hymns, they water them down. Hawk Nelson kept the "heavy" stuff. They just made the music match the intensity of the message.
Charles Wesley, who wrote the original lyrics in 1739, actually intended for the song to be slow and solemn. He probably would’ve had a heart attack if he heard the double-time snare hits in this version. But the message—that God and sinners are reconciled—is a radical, high-energy idea. In a way, the punk rock style actually fits the "shock" of the Christmas story better than a slow ballad.
The History of the Song (Before the Guitars)
To really get why the Hawk Nelson version works, you gotta know where it came from. This song has a history of being "remixed" long before electric guitars existed.
- 1739: Charles Wesley writes "Hark, how all the welkin rings." (Yeah, "welkin" means the sky. It didn't catch on.)
- 1753: George Whitefield, Wesley’s buddy, changes it to "Hark! The herald angels sing." Wesley was apparently pretty annoyed by this change.
- 1840: Felix Mendelssohn writes a cantata to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the printing press. He explicitly said the music should never be used for religious lyrics.
- 1855: William Cummings ignores Mendelssohn and puts Wesley’s words to Mendelssohn’s music.
- 2011: Hawk Nelson adds a distortion pedal.
It’s a song built on people doing exactly what the original creators told them not to do. Hawk Nelson continuing that tradition by turning it into a skate-punk anthem is actually historically poetic.
What Most People Miss About the Lyrics
There’s a line in the second verse that often gets glossed over: "Mild He lays His glory by."
In the Hawk Nelson version, they belt this out. It’s based on Philippians 2, the idea that Jesus didn't just "appear," but he actively set aside his status to be human. When you hear it over a driving bassline, it feels less like a Sunday school lesson and more like a revolutionary statement.
Another subtle thing? The transition. Because they bridge the song into "O Come All Ye Faithful," the energy never drops. It’s a continuous wall of sound. Most lyric sites separate them, but if you’re listening to the track, the "Hark" lyrics are just the fuse for the rest of the explosion.
How to Use This Track Today
If you’re a worship leader or a DJ, this track is a "break glass in case of emergency" song. It’s perfect for:
- Youth Group Christmas Parties: Obviously. It’s the only way to make a hymn cool to a 14-year-old.
- The "Opener": If you’re starting a set and want to wake people up.
- Workout Playlists: Seriously, try running to this. The tempo is perfect for a 5k pace.
The Hawk Nelson era with Jason Dunn was peak Canadian pop-punk. Even though the band eventually moved into a more "AC" (Adult Contemporary) sound with Jon Steingard on vocals later on, this specific recording captures them at their rowdiest.
Final Thoughts on the Hawk Nelson Version
It’s easy to be cynical about Christmas covers. Most of them are cash grabs. But there’s something authentic about how Hawk Nelson handled these lyrics. They didn't try to be "pretty." They tried to be joyful. And "joyful" in the world of 2000s Christian rock meant loud guitars and sweaty performances.
💡 You might also like: Watch DS9 Online Free: How to Stream Benjamin Sisko Without a Subscription
If you’re looking for the lyrics to sing along, remember that the "Hark" section is short—only about two minutes before it shifts gears. But in those two minutes, they cram in more energy than most holiday albums manage in an hour.
Practical Next Steps:
- Check the Album: Make sure you're listening to the version from the 2011 Christmas EP for the original Jason Dunn vocals.
- Compare the Text: Look at the original 10-stanza version by Charles Wesley; you'll see just how much Hawk Nelson (and most modern singers) actually leave out for the sake of brevity.
- Update Your Playlist: Add this to a "High Energy Christmas" folder to balance out all those slow Michael Bublé tracks.
The hawk nelson hark the herald angels sing lyrics are a reminder that some messages are too big for a quiet room. Sometimes you just have to turn the volume up to 11.
Actionable Insight: To get the most out of this track, listen for the transition at the 1:15 mark where the band shifts the arrangement. It’s a masterclass in how to bridge two different keys in a pop-punk context without losing momentum.