Born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio, Brickman enrolled in the Cleveland Institute of Music taking courses in composition and performance, while taking business classes at Case Western Reserve University. His music career started when he was nineteen, when Jim Henson hired him to write tunes for Sesame Street. He was also hired to write commercial jingles while in college.
Brickman writes a wide variety of music. Besides his piano compositions and love songs, he has also created arrangements of other songs. Several of his albums feature arrangements of children's music; he has produced two Christmas-themed albums The Gift (1997) and Peace (2003); and his 2005 album Grace concentrates on arrangements of well-known Christian music.
Jim Brickman has also starred in the now-on-DVD PBS specials "My Romance: An Evening with Jim Brickman", "Love Songs & Lullabies" and "The Disney Songbook." In 2006, he sponsored his first Jim Brickman Valentine's Day Cruise with Carnival Cruise Lines which has become an annual event.
How Great Thou Art
Jim Brickman Lyrics
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Consider all the worlds Thy hands have made
I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder
Thy power throughout the universe displayed
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
When Christ shall come with shouts of adulation
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
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, how great Thou art
How great Thou art, how great Thou art
In this beautiful hymn, the singer expresses his profound awe and reverence for the power and greatness of God. The imagery of the stars and thunderbolts (which are often seen as signs of God's majesty) contribute to the sense of wonder and admiration that the singer feels. The phrase "awesome wonder" is particularly striking, as it suggests that the singer is overwhelmed by the sheer enormity and complexity of the universe, and by the knowledge that it was all created by the hands of God.
As the song progresses, the singer's response to God's greatness becomes increasingly emotional and heartfelt. When he sings, "Then sings my soul, my Savior, God, to Thee", it's as if he is overcome with such powerful feelings of gratitude and amazement that he can't help but sing out loud. This sense of joy and wonder is also reflected in the final stanza, in which the singer imagines the joy he will feel when Christ comes to take him home. The words "what joy shall fill my heart" suggest that the singer is eagerly anticipating the moment when he will be reunited with God, and that this thought gives him comfort and reassurance.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh Lord my God when I in awesome wonder
When I am overcome with awe and amazement, Oh Lord my God,
Consider all the worlds Thy hands have made
I reflect upon all the worlds that have been created by Your hands,
I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder
I observe the stars in the sky and hear the thunderous sounds,
Thy power throughout the universe displayed
I witness the power that You have displayed throughout the universe,
Then sings my soul, my Savior, God, to Thee
And my soul responds by singing praises to You, my Savior and God,
How great Thou art, how great Thou art
I am in awe of how great You are,
When Christ shall come with shouts of adulation
When Christ returns with great praise and jubilance,
And take me home, what joy shall fill my heart
And takes me to my true home, I will be filled with indescribable joy,
Then I shall bow in humble adoration
I will then kneel in humble worship,
And there proclaim my God, how great Thou art
And will declare that my God is truly great,
How great Thou art, how great Thou art
Again I am reminded of how great You are,
Lyrics © CAPITOL CHRISTIAN MUSIC GROUP, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Tratore, Songtrust Ave
Written by: Stuart Keene Hine
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind