Iconic Themes & Songs
While this beloved hymn is often played in the key of C Major, Musicnotes offers the original A Major arrangement along with additional transposed versions in B♭ Major, G Major, A♭ Major, and D♭ Major.
Using Musicnotes’ interactive sheet music feature in the free Musicnotes mobile or web app, you can easily transpose to any of the available keys and even hear playback before printing your preferred version.
At Musicnotes, we offer the hymn in interactive digital formats (including high-res PDF downloads) suited for soloists, choirs, guitarists, and full ensembles. You can choose from 26 different “Because He Lives” music sheet arrangements, depending on your vocal range or instrument. Explore options for:
“Because He Lives” is typically performed at a slow, lyrical tempo, usually between 84 and 106 beats per minute (BPM). Its gentle pace allows each note and lyric to resonate fully, giving the hymn a calm, reflective, and deeply moving experience in worship settings.
“Because He Lives” is written in 4/4 time.
The lyrics focus on resurrection hope, God’s sovereign love, the courage to face tomorrow, and life’s eternal assurance. Through the refrain “Because He Lives,” this song emphasizes victory over fear, comfort in sorrow, and confidence in God’s future care.
“Because He Lives” was composed in 1971 by Bill and Gloria Gaither, husband-and-wife songwriters who emerged in the late 1960s and early 1970s as leading voices in contemporary Christian and southern Gospel music.
Conceived in the early 1970s during a time of nationwide social unrest and their own personal challenges, Bill was recovering from illness while Gloria was pregnant with their third child. Inspired by a blade of grass breaking through layers of asphalt — symbolizing life’s hope and resilience — Gloria penned lyrics affirming Christ’s resurrection and her commitment to finding peace amidst turmoil.
During an interview, she noted that clinging to the hope and solace of the Christian Gospel soothed their troubled minds like a cooling breeze in a parched desert. Later, her father’s death deepened the song’s meaning, especially in the third verse about crossing the river to eternal victory and glory.
The hymn “Because He Lives” can be suitable for beginner vocalists, but it may be moderately challenging for beginner pianists, depending on the arrangement.
This hymn typically covers a moderate vocal range. Spanning roughly an octave (depending on the arrangement), this range makes the hymn accessible to most singers, especially in congregational or solo settings.
Most of the available arrangements include chord symbols for guitar.
![Because He Lives [Duet]](/images/productimages/mtd/MN0172235.gif)
![Because He Lives [easy]](/images/productimages/mtd/MN0219548.gif)
![Because He Lives [beginner]](/images/productimages/mtd/MN0233980.gif)
