[Intro]
(Piano/organ, soft dundún pulse, light percussion - 8 bars)
Oh — oh — oh (call) / He paid! He paid! (response)
[Verse 1]
In the midnight valley, where the shadows lie,
He stepped into sorrow, He heard our cry.
Every shame, every scar, He carried all our night,
On Calvary's ridge He fixed our sight.
[Pre-Chorus] (Leader / Choir response)
Leader: From death to life, from night to day — we lift His name!
Choir: We lift His name! We lift His name!
Leader: From chains to joy, from lost to found — we sing His praise!
Choir: We sing His praise!
[Chorus] (Punchy hook + repeated tag)
He paid the price — He paid the price,
On Calvary’s hill He gave His life.
He paid the price — He paid the price,
We live, we rise! (We live, we rise!)
He paid! He paid! He paid! (He paid!)
[Verse 2]
From the Lagos sunrise to the Niger's bend,
Mercy like the river, grace that never ends.
No hand could bear it, no heart could pay,
But Jesus bore the storm, He paved our way.
[Pre-Chorus] (Call-and-response with rhythmic phrasing)
Leader: From sorrow to dancing, from grief to song — we lift His name!
Choir: We lift His name!
Leader: From broken to whole, from night to dawn — we lift His name!
Choir: We lift His name!
[Chorus] (Stronger — drums and choir join)
He paid the price — He paid the price,
On Calvary’s hill He gave His life.
He paid the price — He paid the price,
We live, we rise! (We live, we rise!)
He paid! He paid! (He paid!) He paid! He paid!
[Bridge] (Build — modulation suggested; choir rises)
Oh, the blood that cleanses, the love that frees,
Alagbara! — Mighty One, You reign with ease.
From the grave You rose, from the dark You shine,
Sound the trumpet, lift the sign.
(Ad-lib call)
Leader: Jesus! — Choir: Jesus!
Leader: He paid the price! — Choir: He paid the price!
(Climactic tag — rising)
We shout: He paid! He paid! He paid!
We shout: We live, we rise! (We live, we rise!)
[Extended Vamp / Spoken Testimony (live option)]
(Spoken over a soft piano + dundún groove)
"I was lost, but now I'm found — because He paid the price."
(Choir answers softly) "He paid — He paid — He paid."
[Final Chorus] (Stripped-back first, then swell)
(Piano only for first two lines)
He paid the price — He paid the price,
On Calvary’s hill He gave His life.
(Build with choir and light percussion)
He paid the price — He paid the price,
We live, we rise! (We live, we rise!)
He paid! He paid! He paid! (He paid!)
[Outro] (Gentle, worshipful)
Lift His name, lift His name, forevermore,
He paid the price — our risen Lord.
Amin, Alagbara, Hallelujah — He reigns!
[Production Notes]
- Arrangement: Begin with piano/organ intro (4-8 bars) then bring in a soft dundún/talking-drum pulse for groove. Add layered choir from Pre-Chorus onward.
- Rhythm: Keep a gospel-Afrobeats pocket — steady drums with shakers, congas, and a light dundún to give a distinctly Nigerian worship feel. Use tasteful onomatopoeia (call/response "He paid! He paid!") for congregation participation.
- Vocal: Male
