Maranatha! Music was founded in 1971 by Chuck Smith Sr. of Calvary Chapel t… Read Full Bio ↴Maranatha! Music was founded in 1971 by Chuck Smith Sr. of Calvary Chapel to promote the “Jesus Music” his young hippie followers were writing and singing up and down the California coast. In the early years, Maranatha! Music signed artists because of their passionate profession of faith through music. These songs became the seminal calling card of the worship music genre of that time and belonged to the Maranatha! song catalog. Back then, these songs were on the fringe of what the established church felt was appropriate for church music but they were being sung by millions of young people around the world.

How Great Thou Art
Maranatha! Music Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

O Lord my God! When I in awesome wonder
Consider all the works Thy hand hath made,
I see the stars, I hear the mighty thunder,
Thy power throughout the universe displayed:

And when I think that God His Son not sparing,
Sent Him to die-I scarce can take it in.
That on the cross my burden gladly bearing,

He bled and died to take away my sin:

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

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

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

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

How great Thou art! How great Thou art!

Overall Meaning

The first stanza in Maranatha! Music's "How Great Thou Art" is a call of awe to God. The singer is amazed by God's power, specifically shown through the stars and thunder. They recognize that God's power is displayed throughout the entire universe. The second stanza shifts focus to Jesus and the singer's awe over God sacrificing His Son for humanity. The singer acknowledges that Jesus took on their sins by dying on the cross, causing the singer to feel overwhelmed. The chorus is a response to both stanzas, with the singer's soul singing to God about how great He is. The final stanza is a response to the hope of being taken to Heaven by Christ. The singer will bow in humble adoration and praise God's greatness. The song ends with a repetition of the chorus, emphasizing the greatness of God.

"How Great Thou Art" is a classic hymn that has been translated into over 100 languages and is one of the most popular hymns in the world. The hymn was originally a poem written by Swedish pastor Carl Boberg in 1885 called "O Store Gud" (O Great God). The tune was later composed by a Swedish musician, Oskar Ahnfelt. The song was translated into German and then into Russian, where it gained popularity. An English missionary, Stuart Hine, heard the song in Russian and translated it into English in 1949. This version is the most commonly sung version in the United States.

The hymn has been covered by many artists, including Elvis Presley, Carrie Underwood, and Pentatonix. The song has also been used in several films, such as "Bridge Over the River Kwai" and "Bandits." In 2019, "How Great Thou Art" was used in the soundtrack for the movie "Jojo Rabbit." Additionally, the hymn was sung by Daniel O'Donnell at the funeral of Princess Diana in 1997.

Chords (Key of A):
Verse 1:
A E F#m D A
O Lord my God! When I in awesome wonder
E F#m D A
Consider all the works Thy hand hath made,
D A/C# Bm E
I see the stars, I hear the mighty thunder,
A F#m D E A
Thy power throughout the universe displayed:

Chorus:
A E/G# F#m D
Then sings my soul, my Saviour God to Thee,
A/C# D A/E A
How great Thou art! How great Thou art!
A E/G# F#m D
Then sings my soul, my Saviour God to Thee,
A/C# D E A
How great Thou art! How great Thou art!

Verse 2:
A E F#m D A
When Christ shall come with shout of acclamation
E F#m D A
And take me home-what joy shall fill my heart!
D A/C# Bm E
Then shall I bow in humble adoration
A F#m D E A
And there proclaim, my God, how great Thou art!

Outro:
A E/G# F#m D
How great Thou art! How great Thou art!
A E/G# F#m D
How great Thou art! How great Thou art!
A E/G# F#m D
How great Thou art! How great Thou art!
A E/G# F#m D
How great Thou art! How great Thou art!
A E/G# F#m D
How great Thou art! How great Thou art!

Line by Line Meaning

O Lord my God! When I in awesome wonder
I am in awe of you, my Lord my God, as I look at all the magnificent things you have made, like the stars and the wondrous thunder that proclaims your great power all over the universe.

Consider all the works Thy hand hath made,
I am reflecting on everything your hands have made, Lord, and it astonishes me.

I see the stars, I hear the mighty thunder,
The stars shining brightly and the mighty thunder that echoes around the world all remind me of your great power and glory, Lord.

Thy power throughout the universe displayed:
And it is evident from all these natural wonders that your power is spread across the whole universe.

And when I think that God His Son not sparing,
When I ponder on the fact that you did not spare your own Son, my Lord, sending Him to die for me, it hardly seems possible that you would do such an amazing thing.

Sent Him to die- I scarce can take it in.
That you made your only son die for me- it is hard to fathom the depth of love you must have for me, my God.

That on the cross my burden gladly bearing,
My sins were carrying a great burden that I couldn't have possibly lifted, but on the cross, Your Son carried them for me, and He did it gracefully, without any objection.

He bled and died to take away my sin:
He lost His precious blood and died so that He could remove all my sins and cleanse me.

Then sings my soul, my Saviour God to Thee,
Then my soul sings aloud to You, my Savior God, to express my overwhelming joy and gratitude.

How great Thou art! How great Thou art!
I keep repeating it, for You are too great, too incomprehensible that I can't get over it.

When Christ shall come with shout of acclamation
And someday, when Christ comes back to take me to His kingdom, everyone will shout praises of your name and sing Your praises.

And take me home- what joy shall fill my heart!
I would feel immense happiness as I get to go back with Him to his kingdom and praise His name continuously.

Then shall I bow in humble adoration
And after getting there, I would be humble, bow down and adore Him only as I get to spend eternity with Him.

And there proclaim, my God, how great Thou art!
I shall proclaim Your greatness, my God, and declare in front of all, how matchless and amazing You truly are.

How great Thou art! How great Thou art!
I cannot stop repeating it, Lord, for You'll forever be too great and too marvelous for anyone or anything to match Your excellency.

Contributed by Lily T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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Comments from YouTube:

Arthur Haro

12y↑8

This is awesome!!!! finally found a complete "How Great Thou Art" song, this is how everyone should sing it, with complete lyrics. Praise God Almighty, Amen!