How Great Thou Art Lyrics: Story, History & Funeral Use

Few hymns still move congregations the way “How Great Thou Art” does—whether thundering from a Billy Graham crusade stage or drifting softly through a funeral parlor. The song that became a global standard started as a nine-stanza Swedish poem written during a violent storm. What followed was a translation journey that took it from Stockholm to Ukraine to Madison Square Garden, and today it sits comfortably in hymnals across denominations. This guide traces the full story behind the lyrics, from Carl Boberg’s 1885 origins to its current place as a go-to selection for memorial services.

English Translator: Stuart Keene Hine · Funeral Hymn: Popular choice · Catholic Usage: Yes · Typical Verses: 4

The key facts table below consolidates verified attributes from multiple tier-2 sources including Wikipedia and The Catholic Thing.

What is the story behind the hymn How Great Thou Art?

The hymn traces back to a Swedish poem called “O Store Gud” written by Carl Boberg in 1885 (Wikipedia). Boberg was a poet and minister born in 1859 who later died in 1940 (Pender UMC). The story goes that he was caught in a violent midday thunderstorm near his home in Mönsterås, and when the sky cleared, he found himself moved to write a poem about God’s majesty displayed in nature.

Original composition

Boberg’s original was a nine-stanza Swedish poem beginning with the line “O Store Gud, nar jag den varld beskader” (The Tabernacle Choir). The melody came from a Swedish folk song that Boberg had adapted for congregational singing. He first published the hymn in his evangelistic magazine in 1885, and it spread through Swedish churches over the following decades.

Carl Boberg himself served as editor of an evangelistic magazine and was converted at age 19 (Luke Powell Ministries). His background in evangelistic work shaped the hymn’s focus on personal faith rather than abstract theology—a quality that would later help the hymn cross cultural boundaries.

English adaptation

The English translation most familiar today was created by Stuart K. Hine in 1949 (Wikipedia). Hine was an English missionary who worked extensively in Ukraine and had encountered Russian Orthodox hymn traditions. His version condensed Boberg’s nine stanzas into four verses while adding material inspired by Ukrainian Christian worshippers he had met.

The fourth verse—sometimes considered the emotional core of the hymn—was reportedly inspired by Russian words about longing for eternal life (Wikipedia). Hine spent 14 years developing his translation before publishing it in his gospel magazine (Premier Christianity).

The hymn’s structure in Hine’s version follows a clear pattern: two verses on God as Creator and two on God as Savior (The Catholic Thing). This duality gives the hymn its distinctive theological weight, described by some commentators as deeply Athanasian in its weaving together of creation and redemption themes.

“The reason I like ‘How Great Thou Art’ is because it glorifies God. It turns Christians’ eyes toward God rather than upon themselves.”

Is How Great Thou Art a funeral hymn?

“How Great Thou Art” has become one of the most requested hymns for memorial services. Its combination of theological depth and emotional resonance makes it a natural choice for funerals where families want something that honors faith without feeling overly somber.

Funeral popularity

The hymn appeared at two high-profile funerals that cemented its association with American religious life: George Beverly Shea’s in 2013 and Billy Graham’s on March 2, 2018 (Wikipedia). Shea, who performed the hymn thousands of times at Graham crusades, heard it played at his own farewell. Graham, who called it his favorite hymn, had it sung at his national memorial service.

The connection to Graham and Shea goes deeper than celebrity endorsement. The hymn was the signature song of Graham’s crusades in the 1950s, performed so often that Shea reportedly sang it 99 times at the 1957 New York City Crusade (West Nidaros). That repetition created generational familiarity—Americans who grew up watching Graham’s broadcasts associate the melody with evangelical worship in a visceral way.

Emotional role

The hymn’s lyrics about nature’s beauty and heavenly longing provide a framework for grief that feels expansive rather than claustrophobic. Verse four (“When there appear the blooming scenes that gladden all my eyes”) speaks directly to loss while pointing toward hope—a balance that funeral directors say families seek.

The melody, based on a Swedish folk song (Pender UMC), has a singable quality that allows mourners to participate rather than simply listen. This congregational element distinguishes funeral hymns from secular music choices at memorial services.

“The hymn is a masterpiece because it is so deeply Athanasian.”

Do Catholics sing How Great Thou Art?

Catholics do sing “How Great Thou Art,” though the hymn is considerably more familiar to Protestants than to Catholic congregations. The song appears in Catholic hymnals, but many parish musicians report that congregations need a moment to warm up to it compared to more traditional Catholic repertoire.

Catholic hymn status

According to analysis from The Catholic Thing, the hymn ranks second in popularity among Protestants, trailing only “Amazing Grace.” Among Catholics, however, it remains less familiar despite its presence in official hymnals (The Catholic Thing). This gap reflects the hymn’s evangelical roots—it spread through Protestant revival movements before Catholic liturgy circles embraced it.

The theological content actually works well for Catholic worship. The hymn’s focus on creation and redemption aligns with Catholic sacramental theology, and verse three’s imagery of “wondrous love” echoes language found in Catholic devotional poetry. Some parishes have adopted it specifically for its universal-sounding lyrics rather than any denominational affiliation.

Comparisons

The denomination gap highlights a broader pattern in American religious music: hymns that originate in one tradition often take decades to cross into others. “How Great Thou Art” moved relatively quickly compared to some standards—it appears in Catholic collections while still retaining its evangelical identity.

The melody’s Swedish folk origins may actually help its Catholic reception. Unlike hymns with overtly Protestant theology embedded in their lyrics, “How Great Thou Art” speaks in more universal terms about God’s creation and providence, making it easier to integrate into Catholic services focused on the same themes.

What was Billy Graham’s favorite hymn?

Billy Graham called “How Great Thou Art” his favorite hymn and made it a centerpiece of his crusade meetings for decades. The connection between the evangelist and the hymn became so strong that having the song at his funeral in 2018 felt like a natural bookend to his public ministry.

Graham’s preferences

Graham explained his attachment to the hymn in simple terms. “The reason I like ‘How Great Thou Art’ is because it glorifies God. It turns Christians’ eyes toward God rather than themselves,” he said (Wikipedia). He used it as often as possible in his crusades because, as he put it, “it is such a God-honoring song” (She Reads Truth).

Graham first encountered the hymn in 1954 and decided immediately to make it a crusade staple (West Nidaros). He first introduced it publicly at a crusade in Toronto, Canada in 1955 (West Nidaros). From there, it became the opening hymn for major crusade events—a role that exposed millions of Americans through television broadcasts in the 1950s and 1960s.

Modern performers

Contemporary artists have continued to record “How Great Thou Art,” including Keith and Kristyn Getty, whose modern arrangement brings the hymn to new audiences while preserving its traditional message.

How Great Thou Art Lyrics

The lyrics most commonly used today come from Stuart K. Hine’s 1949 English adaptation. The four-verse structure builds from awe at creation through to hope for eternal life, providing a complete theological arc that works for both worship services and memorial settings.

Full verses

Verse 1 opens with the natural imagery that made Boberg’s original powerful:

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

Verse 2 shifts to Christ’s salvation:

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 addresses the cross and redemption:

But then my heart weak and weary yearning,
Gazes upon the cross where I can see,
How great Thou art! So great Thou art;
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art! So great Thou art!

Verse 4, the verse Hine added inspired by Russian lyrics about longing for eternal life (Wikipedia), provides the emotional climax:

When there appear the blooming scenes that gladden all my eyes,
And there appear the wondering scenes the glories of the skies;
I’ll stand before the throne of light and see Thee face to face.
Then I’ll adore and magnify and ever praise Thy grace.

Meaning

The hymn’s meaning centers on encountering God’s majesty in nature and then recognizing that same power at work in salvation through Christ. The progression from creation to cross to eternity gives congregants a full narrative of faith—the opening verse reminds them of God’s power in the natural world, the middle verses connect that power to personal redemption, and the final verse points toward ultimate hope.

The Catholic Thing analysis notes the theological structure as “deeply Athanasian”—referring to how the hymn weaves together themes of creation and redemption in a way that reflects the Incarnation theology of the fourth-century bishop Athanasius (The Catholic Thing).

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The hymn’s path from Carl Boberg’s 1885 storm poem to a funeral staple mirrors the full verses history captured in accounts of its global rise.

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