Track-by-Track: Hannah Johnson Shares the Truth Behind ‘You Are My Hope’

Hannah Johnson, an independent singer-songwriter passionate about Messianic worship music, offers a unique blend of musical creations in her latest album — You Are My Hope. Hannah’s music is deeply rooted in her rural upbringing, where she honed her craft playing in her family’s bluegrass Gospel band. She blends the rich, traditional sounds of old-time music with an acoustic style, delivering heartfelt songs in both Hebrew and English. Her compositions are deeply inspired by scripture, aiming to bring truth and authenticity to worship.

The album offers a distinctive blend of Hannah’s latest musical creations and fan-favourite tracks. It includes three new tracks and the most popular songs that deeply resonate with her listeners. Each track is inspired by scripture and Hebrew blessings, with some featuring Hebrew lyrics to add a spiritual and authentic touch. The collection comprises original compositions, with one special arrangement of “Good Good Father” by Pat Barrett and Anthony Brown reimagined while respecting its original essence.

The album represents Johnson’s dedication to creating worship music rooted in faith, aiming to provide listeners with an uplifting and meaningful experience. With a mission to continuously inspire His followers, Hannah Johnson shares a Track-by-Track rundown with us.

1. “Ma Tovu”

“‘Ma Tovu’ is Hebrew for ‘how lovely.’ This song was inspired by the Hebrew blessing Ma Tovu which talks about how lovely is the dwelling place of the Most High.”

2. “Come Let Us Return to The Lord”

“There are many verses throughout scripture that tell us to return to our Lord. This song was written from scripture that is telling us to return back to our Lord. Some of the lyrics can be found in these verses. Hosea 6:3, Zechariah 1:3, Job 22:23, Nehemiah 1:9, Jeremiah 24:7, Hosea 6:1. This song also features Middle Eastern instruments played by Israeli artist, Yaron Cherniak.”

3. “Love Letters”

“This song was my first one to record for the album. It came from reading through scripture and noticing how much God loves His children. There is a Hebrew phrase in this song ‘bo Iti,’ which means ‘come with me.’ I learned it from our Israeli friend who was speaking to his children while walking in the streets of Jerusalem. The way a father speaks to his children to come with him or to stay with him is similar to how our Heavenly Father speaks to us. He uses scripture to call us and show us how much He loves us.”

Hannah Johnson ‘You Are My Hope’ album artwork

4. “Refine Me”

“Refine me came from a place of struggles. I felt that I was being pressed and pushed to my limits. I wrote this song inspired by the verses in scripture about spiritual refinement. Psalm 66:10-12, 1 Peter 1:7, Zechariah 13:8-9 and others. It is a blessing to be refined, it is making us stronger, and God will be with us through the struggles.”

5. “May Your Name Be Worshipped”

“This song came directly from a blessing out of a Messianic Machzor and is known as Birkat Hasheer, blessing of song, and is traditionally chanted as high praise to the Lord. I sing the chorus in both English and Hebrew.”

6. “You Love Me”

“I’m sure we are all familiar with the song ‘Jesus Loves Me.’ It was one of the first songs I learned to sing and thus, was the inspiration for this song. We combined the harmony of violin and cello to bring a sweet acoustic string sound to this one.”

7. “Psalms 125”

“A simple worship song is written from a song of ascents. Those who trust in the Lord shall be like Mount Zion, never shaken, never moved. This one I sing in both English and Hebrew.”

8. “Atah Abba Tov (Good Good Father)”

“This song is my unique arrangement of Pat Barrett and Anthony Brown’s song ‘Good Good Father.’ Chris Tomlin made this a widely known worship song, I shortened the lyrics and added Hebrew to the chorus.”

9. “Zion Our Home”

“Inspired by scripture that speaks of our heavenly home Zion. The verses in this song can be found directly in scripture such as Zechariah 8:3, Ezekiel 47:6-12, and Obadiah 1:18. Israeli artist Yaron Cherniak is featured on this song playing the Turkish Ney and the Saz instruments.”

10. “You Are My Hope”

“When I experienced one of the biggest losses, I was able to put some of my pain into words of a song. This song described how I felt during that time and I wrote it to encourage others that no matter what you’re going through there is always Hope. This song is the title of my album.”