At first glance, it looks like a silly question to tell the difference between hymns and songs. Aren’t hymns are songs sung in praise of the Lord at the church? A song is a collection of words that are composed with the help of rhyming words, and then set to music (or it can be a reverse process where music is present, and words are set according to music). Hymn, as we all know is a song in praise of the Lord. It is a particular case of a song to be sung in religious services in church. This article attempts to highlight the features of both hymn and song to make the differences between them clear.
Hymn
Hymn is a musical composition with words that reflect love for God and his praise. These are text that in itself is enough, and setting to music is not compulsory. A hymn remains a hymn even when it is not set to music. The basic purpose of a hymn is to express one’s love and adoration for God and use it as a form of prayer, to have a direct communication with the Lord. There are also hymns containing lamentation or grief. Hymns often have references to Bible in them. Hymns are in vogue since ancient Romans who sang prayers for their deities. The shortest definition of a hymn would thus be a special poetry set to music and are addressed to God.
Song
Songs of praise are text that rhymes and is set to music to make it easier for the devotees to sing in a tune. Songs are meant to encourage and motivate the believers and are addressed to them. They are also sung before the Lord though addressed to the worshippers rather than God himself.
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What is the difference between Song and Hymn? • A hymn is a formal song or prayer to be sung in congregation. A classic example of a hymn is metrical psalm. • Unlike hymns, songs are dependent upon their music, and no song can be separated from its music. • Songs have short shell life, which implies that these songs keep on changing, and a song hardly lasts for 20-25 years, whereas hymns are forever and look fresh as they were when sung for the first time. • Hymns are believed to be superior to praise songs when it comes to public worship. • Technically, hymn is just the text without music
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