O Dara by Nathaniel Bassey proclaims of the goodness and enduring mercy of our God. On account of these two attributes alone, no one—deity, or human—could even come close to comparison to our God. He is enthroned above all, and His unique attributes and mighty deeds point us who He is, which naturally draws us to worship Him in great awe.
The lyrics of the song O Dara deliver just the simple song with a singular emphasis on proclaiming the goodness and enduring mercy of God. From our review criteria, this is a good song, which we’ve rated 8.3/10:
Song rating
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Summary of rating
The Unleash Mag song rating is guided by seven criteria, each with a maximum score of 10. Here’s how we rated O Dara:
| Criteria | Score / 10 |
| Biblical conformity | 10 |
| Avoidance of the prosperity gospel | 10 |
| Focus on Christ, not self | 10 |
| Lyrical depth & substance | 3.3 |
| Repetitiveness | 6.5 |
| Fitness for congregational use | 7 |
| Music quality | 9.6 |
| Average rating | 8.3 |
We’ll analyze the song under each criteria:
1. Biblical Conformity
O Dara is built on the attributes of God, drawn majorly from Psalm 136:
Psalm 136:1-3
[1] O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.
[2] O give thanks unto the God of gods: for his mercy endureth for ever.
[3] O give thanks to the Lord of lords: for his mercy endureth for ever.
2. Prosperity Gospel
This song has steered away from any prosperity gospel ideologies seen in music, such as:
- Undue emphasis on physical wellbeing and material wealth
- Positive confession
- Transactional relationship with Go
3. Focus on Christ
The song solely keeps its core subject on the goodness and enduring mercy of God.
4. Lyrical depth & substance
The rich structure and variety offered by a verse-chorus-bridge structure is not present in this song. Instead the song has adopted the call-and-response structure. This structure often does well in congregational setups.
Even so, it cannot be entirely asserted that the song lacks substance. In fact, it can be argued it holds much substance, given its repeated proclamation of core attributes of God.
5. Repetitiveness
For most of the song, the same line recurs:
For the Lord is good and His mercy endures forever.
Recurring line on O Dara by Nathaniel Bassey
This is for a good reason – to emphasize on these fundamental attributes of God. On Psalm 136, where this song is drawn, the same phrase is repeated 26 times.
6. Congregational use
In congregations where simplicity and substance of song lyrics is demanded, this is an exemplary song.
7. Music quality
Taking into consideration the following, this song is expertly produced:
- Change of keys
- Well structured – with an intro, instrument solo, outro
Song factsheet
| Song title | O Dara |
| Artists | Nathaniel Bassey |
| Recording type | Live recording |
| Release date | December 12, 2025 |
| Genre | Contemporary Nigerian Gospel |
| Song duration | 08:23 |
| Song key | Eb, E, F, F# |
Song lyrics review
Main themes
The following themes can be pointed out from the song lyrics:
- The goodness of God
- The enduring mercy of God
The goodness of God
In all regards, God is perfectly and infinitely good. He is the sole source of all that is truly good, starting with all of creation which He saw as good. The goodness of God is also seen in His provisions that sustain creation.
What’s more, His goodness extends to all—good and evil.
Psalm 145:9 KJV [9]
The LORD is good to all: And his tender mercies are over all his works.
Matthew 5:45 KJV [45]
that ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.
The enduring mercy of God
Mercy is when God, full of compassion withholds punishment that we deserve, and forgives us. The cross is the ulltimate demonstration of God’s mercy.
Lamentations 3:22-23 KJV [22]
It is of the LORD's mercies that we are not consumed, Because his compassions fail not. [23] They are new every morning: Great is thy faithfulness.
God’s covenant love and forgiveness never run out – they are forever enduring.
Audience
This song is good for worship to God for His goodness and enduring mercy. The Yoruba and Igbo expressions used in the song, O Dara and Idinma both translate to “He is good,” ane are fairly simple to pronounce.
Have you listened to the song? Let us know what you think of it. See more song reviews on this magazine.
Cover image credits: YouTube/Nathaniel Bassey