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How Great Thou Art
The Story Behind "How Great Thou Art"
"How Great Thou Art" is a well known and beloved song that Elvis
Presley not only recorded in the studio, but also included in most
of his live shows throughout the 1970s. He received two of his three
Grammy Awards for this song. The first in 1967 was for Best Sacred
Performance (a 1966 studio recording for the album of the same name)
and the second in 1974 was for Best Inspirational Performance (a
live concert performance in Memphis).
The original version of the song was written in the 1880s as a poem
by a Swedish preacher named Carl Boberg. One summer day he had been
caught in a raging thunderstorm. He was awed by the powerful
lightning and strong winds of the terrific storm that disappeared as
quickly as it had come, leaving in its wake bright sunshine and
singing birds. He made his way home and, inspired by the things he'd
seen and felt, wrote nine verses of poetry, which he set to an old
folk melody. By 1886 it had been published as "O Store Gud" and was
used in worship services throughout Sweden.
By 1907 Pastor Boberg's lyrics had been translated into German and
soon after World War I it the work was also translated into Russian.
In 1927, while serving as a missionary in the Ukraine, Englishman
Stuart K. Hine heard the Russian version. He translated the first
three stanzas--rewriting and adding to them. When World War II
started he returned to England. In 1948, while visiting a refugee
camp in Sussex, England, he overheard a couple of Christians who
were fleeing Communism testify to each other about the joy they
anticipated in the second coming of Christ. This inspired Hine to
write his final verse and to seek out a publisher who printed the
song in a leaflet. During an evangelical crusade by the Reverend
Billy Graham, one of these leaflets was given to one of the
crusade's featured singers, George Beverly Shea, following Graham's
sermon. "How Great Thou Art" became a regular part of the musical
programming for the Billy Graham organization and soon became a song
known worldwide through their crusades.
"How Great Thou Art" was then recorded by many artists, including
The Sons of the Pioneers, The Statesmen and The Blackwood Brothers.
Elvis first recorded the song on May 25, 1966 at Studio B in
Nashville for his "How Great Thou Art" album. Countless artists have
recorded it through the years.
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