Ultravox – Hymn
A soaring synth-pop anthem of ambition, faith, and moral fallout
Released on 19 November 1982 as the second single from Ultravox’s Quartet album, “Hymn” stands as one of the band’s most grandiose and thematically ambitious works. With George Martin (yes, that George Martin) in the producer’s seat, the track elevated Ultravox’s sound from brooding new wave to something approaching electronic liturgy — a richly layered, sweeping anthem that questioned the cost of success in a rapidly modernizing world.
A Sound That Reaches for the Heavens
From its opening choral-style synth line to its cathedral-sized chorus, “Hymn” is unmistakably epic. The band’s arsenal of synths — including the PPG Wave, Minimoog, ARP Odyssey, and Yamaha CS-80 — builds a texture that’s both technological and spiritual. The production blends the icy precision of synth-pop with the grandeur of symphonic rock, giving the song a sacred sort of intensity.
Midge Ure’s vocals are commanding, yet reserved — delivering each line like a sermon. The chorus paraphrases Edgar Allan Poe with “All that we see / All that we seem / Is but a dream within a dream”, folding literary melancholy into a cautionary tale of blind ambition.
Lyrical Depth and Dark Irony
“Hymn” isn’t a hymn of praise — it’s one of moral reckoning. While it borrows heavily from Christian liturgy — with lines like “Give us this day all that you showed me / The power and the glory” — it’s not religious in spirit. Rather, it subverts religious language to expose the hollowness of success when it’s rooted in self-interest and ego.
The band outlines a Faustian trajectory — spiritual surrender dressed as social ascension. “They followed the leaders into the temple / They knew that the answers were there” becomes a condemnation of blind faith, whether in religion, politics, or capitalism. It’s chilling in its detachment.
Visuals and Symbolic Power
The music video, co-directed by Midge Ure and Chris Cross, leans into the song’s allegorical themes. Featuring Oliver Tobias as a modern devil figure offering temptation, the band plays characters — businessmen, politicians, celebrities — each willing to trade soul for status. The video is rich in Freemasonry symbolism (compass, square, temple), further anchoring the song in metaphors of secret deals and lost morals.
In the MTV era, where gloss was often the goal, Ultravox dared to deliver something hauntingly reflective.
Chart Performance and Cultural Footing
“Hymn” reached No. 11 on the UK Singles Chart, cracked the Top 10 in Germany and Switzerland, and made a dent across European charts. While not the band’s biggest hit — “Vienna” and “Dancing with Tears in My Eyes” hold that title — it became a cult favorite and live staple, revered for its sonic ambition and thematic weight.
In a decade that glorified image, profit, and upward mobility, “Hymn” dared to ask: At what cost? It turns sacred language inside out to expose our worldly hypocrisies — and does so with unapologetic musical scale. That it still resonates today speaks volumes.
More than a song, “Hymn” is a reckoning draped in synths, a postmodern prayer for lost ideals. And in our era of power plays and performative belief, its echo feels eerily current.