It is the kind of song that makes the hair on your arms stand up. You know the one. You’re sitting in a wooden pew or maybe just scrolling through YouTube, and suddenly that massive, swelling refrain hits: "Then sings my soul..." It’s everywhere. It has been covered by Elvis Presley, Carrie Underwood, and basically every church choir from Nashville to Nairobi. But here is the thing about the then sings my soul lyrics—they weren’t actually written by an American, and they weren't originally about a religious experience in the way we think of them today.
History is weird like that.
The lyrics we belt out today are actually a translation of a translation. It started with a guy named Carl Boberg. He was a Swedish pastor out walking in 1885 when a sudden thunderstorm rolled in. Imagine the scene: lightning cracking across the sky, wind whipping through the trees, and then, just as quickly, the storm dies down and a calm, clear birdsong fills the air. Boberg was so moved by the shift from chaos to peace that he wrote a poem called "O Store Gud."
He didn't think he was writing a global hit. He was just a guy with a pen and a sense of awe.
The Long, Strange Journey to the Then Sings My Soul Lyrics We Know
Most people assume the song just fell out of the sky in English. Nope. It took decades. It traveled from Sweden to Germany, then to Russia, and finally caught the ear of an English missionary named Stuart Hine. Hine is the real reason the then sings my soul lyrics feel so grounded in nature. He was wandering through the Carpathian Mountains when he heard the Russian version of Boberg's poem.
Hine started adding his own verses based on his surroundings.
The first verse? That came from a thunderstorm in the mountains. The second verse about the "birds gently sing in the trees" was inspired by the woods in Romania. It’s a travelogue of the soul. Honestly, when you look at the progression of the stanzas, you realize the song is building a literal map of human wonder. It moves from the physical world—stars, rolling thunder, glades—to the spiritual heavy lifting of the final verses.
👉 See also: Billie Eilish Therefore I Am Explained: The Philosophy Behind the Mall Raid
Why the Chorus Actually Works (The Science of the Swell)
Musicologists often point to the "hook" of a pop song, but hymns have hooks too. The phrase "then sings my soul" is a linguistic pivot. The verses are descriptive; they look outward. "I see the stars," "I hear the rolling thunder." But the moment the chorus hits, the perspective flips 180 degrees. It moves from the eyes to the chest.
It’s an emotional release.
Musically, the song usually follows a predictable but powerful dynamic shift. You start quiet. You build. Then, you explode. That’s why it’s a staple for vocal powerhouses. When George Beverly Shea sang it at the Billy Graham crusades in the 1950s, he turned it into a cultural phenomenon. Before Shea, it was just another hymn in a book. After Shea, it became an anthem.
He sang it over 100 times during a single New York crusade because people wouldn't stop asking for it. Think about that. People in the 50s were basically hitting "repeat" on a live performance for months straight.
The Most Famous Versions You’ve Probably Heard
If you grew up in the 70s, your version is Elvis. Elvis Presley’s "How Great Thou Art" (which contains the iconic then sings my soul lyrics) is often cited as one of his most sincere recordings. He won a Grammy for it. Unlike his rock and roll tracks, there’s no sneer here—just raw, operatic power.
Then you have the modern era. Carrie Underwood's 2011 performance at the "ACM Girls' Night Out" is basically the gold standard for the YouTube generation. She hits that high note on "How great Thou art," and the audience just loses it. It’s a masterclass in breath control and emotional pacing.
✨ Don't miss: Bad For Me Lyrics Kevin Gates: The Messy Truth Behind the Song
But it’s not just for celebrities.
What makes these lyrics sticky is their versatility. You’ll hear them at funerals, weddings, and sporting events. They occupy a space in the public consciousness that very few songs reach. It’s up there with "Amazing Grace."
Common Misconceptions About the Text
Sometimes people get the words mixed up. I’ve heard "Then sings my heart" more times than I can count. While the sentiment is the same, "soul" is the specific word used in the Hine translation. The distinction matters because, in the context of the poem, the "soul" represents the eternal part of the human experience reacting to the eternal nature of the universe.
Another weird fact? The "rolling thunder" line wasn't always there. In some early versions, it was "mighty thunder." Hine went with "rolling" because it captured the echo he heard in the mountains. It’s more cinematic.
The structure is also unique. Most modern songs are verse-chorus-verse-chorus-bridge-chorus. This hymn is a straight shot. Verse, Chorus, Repeat. It relies entirely on the strength of that one central melody to carry the weight. If that chorus wasn't a masterpiece, the song would have died in a Swedish forest 140 years ago.
How to Truly Experience the Lyrics Today
If you really want to understand why the then sings my soul lyrics matter, don't just read them on a screen. Listen to the 1957 Madison Square Garden recording of George Beverly Shea. It’s scratchy. There’s background noise. But you can hear the thousands of people in the room holding their breath.
🔗 Read more: Ashley Johnson: The Last of Us Voice Actress Who Changed Everything
Or, honestly, go outside.
The song was born from a storm and a walk in the woods. It’s meant to be felt when you’re looking at something bigger than yourself. Whether you’re religious or just someone who likes a good view, there’s a universal truth in the lyrics: the world is massive, and sometimes the only response is to make some noise about it.
The Practical Legacy of the Song
For musicians, the song is a lesson in dynamics. If you start too loud, you have nowhere to go. You have to earn the chorus. For writers, it’s a lesson in imagery. Using specific nouns—stars, thunder, forest glades—makes the abstract feeling of "awe" feel tangible.
The song is currently translated into over 50 languages. It’s one of the few pieces of 19th-century Swedish literature that is still a "hit" in the 21st century. That doesn't happen by accident. It happens because the lyrics tap into a very specific, very human urge to express wonder.
Actionable Steps for Exploring the Music
- Compare the Versions: Listen to the Elvis Presley version followed by the Carrie Underwood version. Notice how the tempo changes the emotional impact of the chorus.
- Check the Hymnal: If you have access to an old hymnal, look up "How Great Thou Art" and check the bottom of the page for the copyright date. You’ll likely see Stuart Hine’s name from 1949 or 1953, marking the song’s official English "birth."
- Contextualize the Poetry: Read Boberg’s original poem (translated back to English) to see how much was lost—or gained—in the transition from Swedish to Russian to English.
- Analyze the Structure: Look at the four verses as a timeline: Creation (V1), Nature (V2), Redemption (V3), and the Future (V4). It covers the entire scope of human history in under five minutes.
The song isn't going anywhere. As long as there are thunderstorms and mountain ranges, people are going to find themselves humming those five specific words. It’s the ultimate tribute to the moment the world takes your breath away.