How Great Thou Art Lyrics: Full Text, History & Chords

Ask anyone who’s attended a funeral in the past 80 years what song they most remember, and a surprising number will mention the same hymn. How Great Thou Art began as a Swedish poem written during a thunderstorm and eventually became one of the most sung hymns in the English-speaking world — yet most people don’t know its circuitous route from Karlsborg to Birmingham. This article traces that journey from original Swedish verse to the hymn Billy Graham called his favorite.

Origin: Swedish poem, 1885 · English Translator: Stuart K. Hine · Verses: 4 · Billy Graham’s Favorite: Yes · Common Funeral Use: Popular choice

The table below summarizes key attributes of the hymn from its Swedish origins to its English standardization.

What’s the story behind the hymn How Great Thou Art?

The hymn’s origins trace to a violent thunderstorm on the southeast coast of Sweden in the late 1880s. Swedish minister and poet Carl Boberg (1859-1940) was caught in a midday storm that switched between flashing violence and calm sunshine, with birds singing sweetly in nearby trees. This experience of nature’s extremes moved him to write a nine-verse poem called O Store Gud (“O Great God”), published in his magazine in 1886.

According to Boberg’s great-nephew Bud Boberg, the poem was a paraphrase of Psalm 8 and found use in underground churches during a period when Baptists and Mission Friends faced persecution in Sweden. The melody that became attached to the verses was a Swedish folk song.

Origins in Sweden

The hymn traveled through multiple languages before reaching English. A professor named E. Gustav Johnson created the first English translation in 1925, but it was Stuart K. Hine (1899-1989) who would eventually create the version the world knows today. Hine, a British missionary, first heard the Russian translation while on an evangelistic mission to the Carpathian Mountains in 1931. He and his wife Mercy learned it and began using it in their services, eventually adding two original verses of their own.

English translation by Stuart K. Hine

Stuart Hine published his English version in a Russian magazine in 1949. The copyright and publication rights were assigned to an American publishing firm in 1954, which accelerated the hymn’s spread significantly. George Beverly Shea and Cliff Barrows popularized it during Billy Graham’s crusades, where it became a staple of congregational singing. In April 1974, Christian Herald magazine named How Great Thou Art the No. 1 hymn in America in a poll presented to its readers.

The hymn is based on Psalm 111:2 and Psalm 48:1 according to different hymnals, with the tune titled either O STORE GUD or HOW GREAT THOU ART depending on the publication.

How Great Thou Art Lyrics

The English version of How Great Thou Art contains four verses, each followed by a refrain that repeats the phrase “How great Thou art!” four times — a signature that hymnologist Chris Fenner attributes to Hine hearing the Russian translation that included this distinctive repetition.

Verse 1

O Lord, my God, when I in awesome wonder
Consider all the worlds Thy hands have made,
I see the stars, I hear the mighty thunder,
Thy power throughout the universe displayed.

Verse 2

When through the woods and forest glades I wander,
And hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees,
When I look down from lofty mountain grandeur,
And hear the brook and feel the gentle breeze.

Verse 3

But then I think of what it must have cost Him
To purchase pardon for my broken soul,
Though nails are driven through His hands and feet,
And Christ, my Lord, was slain for me.

Verse 4

When Christ shall come with shout of acclamation
And take me home, what joy shall fill my heart!
Then I shall bow in humble adoration,
And there proclaim, “My God, how great Thou art!”

Chorus

Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to Thee,
How great Thou art! How great Thou art!
Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to Thee,
How great Thou art!

The meter of the hymn is 11 10 11 10 with refrain, giving it a rhythm well-suited for congregational singing — a factor that helped cement its place in church hymnals across denominations.

Is How Great Thou Art a funeral hymn?

How Great Thou Art has become a fixture at funeral services, consistently appearing among the most requested hymns for memorial services. Its combination of nature imagery, redemption theology, and the theme of eternal life makes it particularly suited for farewell gatherings.

Popularity at funerals

Funeral directors and families frequently choose How Great Thou Art for its uplifting yet reverent tone. Unlike some hymns that focus primarily on grief, this one moves from contemplation of nature’s grandeur to thoughts of Christ’s sacrifice and eventual return — a narrative arc that offers comfort to those mourning loss.

Billy Graham connection

Billy Graham reportedly called How Great Thou Art his favorite hymn. George Beverly Shea of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Team played a notable role in popularizing the hymn through decades of crusade services. This association with one of the most influential evangelists of the 20th century cemented the hymn’s place in evangelical worship, which in turn influenced its adoption at memorial services where evangelical traditions held sway.

Do Catholics sing How Great Thou Art?

The hymn has found a place in some Catholic hymnals and is approved for use in funeral Masses within the Catholic Church, though its presence varies by diocese and congregation.

Catholic hymnals

While not universally included in Catholic worship materials, How Great Thou Art has appeared in various Catholic hymn compilations, particularly those intended for ecumenical events or parishes with strong charismatic or evangelical influences. The hymn’s theological content — focusing on creation, Christ’s sacrifice, and eschatology — aligns with Catholic doctrine, making it doctrinally acceptable for liturgical use.

Funeral Mass approval

Catholic funeral liturgy permits hymns that express hope in eternal life and celebrate God’s creation. How Great Thou Art meets these criteria, though priests retain discretion over music selection. The hymn works particularly well during the liturgy of the word or as a concluding hymn as the congregation processes out.

How Great Thou Art Lyrics and Chords

The hymn is typically performed in G major, making it accessible for most congregational settings. The simple chord progression allows amateur musicians to lead without extensive rehearsal.

Standard chords

The verse progression in G major typically uses G — C — G — D as a basic framework, with the refrain resolving on G major. Pianists and guitarists alike can handle the harmonic structure with minimal notation.

Variations in Methodist and LDS hymnals

Both the Methodist Hymnal and the LDS hymnbook include How Great Thou Art, though slight variations in verse selection may occur between editions. Methodist congregations typically use all four verses, while some LDS versions may adjust the third verse for doctrinal consistency. The tune name varies: O STORE GUD in Scandinavian contexts, HOW GREAT THOU ART in American and British publications.

Related reading: forest glades · birds sing sweetly

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