Sing it the way Elvis did!
With our trip to Indiana FANtasy Fest coming up this weekend, I thought it would be an appropriate time to discuss the most famous of Elvis’ Gospel music – How Great Thou Art. I’ll be performing it in the second session, so it’s a great time to talk about a song which has been a fan favorite for so many years.
Originally composed in Swedish by Carl Boberg, the hymn was inspired by Boberg’s experience of a short-lived storm – hence, “I hear the rolling thunder.” Soon after the storm departed, he looked up to find a beautiful rainbow painting the sky. Upon his return home, he is said to have composed the hymn in its original form: “O Store Gud.”
But that’s not the name you likely recognize from your hymnal, if you’re a churchgoer. The name we often see is that of Stuart Hine. Hine was a missionary who encountered the hymn for the first time in Russian, as it had started to spread across the world in various translations. It was Hine who was responsible for taking the Russian version and crafting the English, “How Great Thou Art.” Hine is also said to have made some modifications to the melody.
It's amazing to think of the ways in which God uses everyday circumstances to bring about His praise in the hearts of His people! A simple day which had begun with the usual sound of birds calling to one another, a brief storm, and the gentle breeze blowing over the land resulted in one of the most powerful expressions of the beauty and majesty of God in modern hymnody. Truly, each of us has reason to marvel at the awesome wonders of our Creator!
One might be surprised, however, to hear that Elvis’ version of the song was so impactful that it actually changed the way we sing this hymn today. Pay close attention the next time you open up a hymnal and begin singing this one – it’s written slightly differently than the way we sing it now. Why? Because we sing it the way Elvis did!
One of the key changes you’ll notice in the hymnal is the modification of two words: “…consider all the worlds Thy hands have made” was originally “works,” and “I hear the rolling thunder” was originally “mighty” thunder. These two changes aren’t original to Elvis, but come from George Beverly Shea, who modified the lyrics slightly when they would sing the song for the Billy Graham Crusades of the 1950s. Shea recalled his own enjoyment at hearing Elvis adopt his lyrical modifications to the song.
Original to Elvis, however, is the way we sing the chorus of the song. The hymnal has “…my Savior God, to Thee” as essentially the same-length notes. Elvis extended “Savior” and adopted a staccato “God” in his rendition, and when we sing the song in church, you’ll almost always hear it done Elvis’ way. Very few pay attention to the way the song is written musically; we’re just accustomed to Elvis’ version!
Yet ultimately what we take away from Elvis’ version of the song is the emotion connected with the song. There is power in these words because there is power in the One whom they praise. When we lift up our “How Great Thou Art,” may it be with the same passion and conviction which made the song so popular with worshipers everywhere. He is worthy!
