You’ve heard it. Probably in a cold church pew on a Sunday morning or maybe drifting through the speakers at a funeral when the air felt too heavy to breathe. It is well with my soul lyrics have this weird, almost supernatural ability to make people stop what they’re doing. It’s one of those songs that feels like it has always existed, like it was woven into the fabric of the universe rather than written by a guy with a pen and a lot of trauma.
But honestly? The story most people tell about this hymn is a bit "sanitized." We like the version where a grieving man writes a poem and everyone feels better. The reality is much grittier, much more desperate, and frankly, a lot more human.
What Actually Happened on the SS Ville du Havre?
Horatio Spafford wasn't just some poet. He was a high-flying Chicago lawyer and real estate investor. He was doing great until 1871. Then the Great Chicago Fire happened. He lost almost everything financially. But that wasn’t the breaking point. The breaking point came two years later.
Spafford sent his wife, Anna, and their four daughters—Annie, Maggie, Bessie, and Tanetta—on a trip to Europe. He was supposed to go too, but business (the messy aftermath of the fire) kept him back. On November 22, 1873, their ship, the SS Ville du Havre, collided with a British iron vessel. It took only 12 minutes for the ship to sink. Imagine that. Twelve minutes to realize your life is over.
Anna was found unconscious on a piece of floating debris. All four daughters drowned.
When she reached Wales, she sent that famous, gut-wrenching telegram: "Saved alone. What shall I do?"
Spafford hopped on the next ship to get to his wife. As the story goes, the captain called him to the bridge and said, "I believe we are now passing over the place where the Ville du Havre went down."
He didn't write a chart-topping hit. He didn't have a "productive" grieving session. He sat in his cabin and wrestled with the kind of silence that kills people. And that’s where the it is well with my soul lyrics started to take shape. He wrote, "When peace like a river, attendeth my way / When sorrows like sea billows roll."
It’s a brutal metaphor. He wasn't talking about a metaphorical sea. He was looking at the literal grave of his children.
💡 You might also like: Different Kinds of Dreads: What Your Stylist Probably Won't Tell You
Why the Lyrics Hit Different When You’re Actually Hurting
Most modern worship songs are... well, they’re upbeat. They’re "we’re going to win" songs. Spafford’s lyrics are "I’ve already lost everything and I’m still standing" songs.
The First Verse: The Contrast
The opening line sets up a tension that most people miss. "When peace like a river..." sounds lovely. But rivers are relentless. They move. They erode things. Then he hits you with "sea billows." Anyone who has been in the ocean knows a billow isn't just a wave; it’s a wall of water. He’s acknowledging that life alternates between calm flow and violent crashing.
The Middle Verses: The Theology of Survival
A lot of people skip the middle verses of hymns, which is a mistake. In the second verse, Spafford writes about Satan buffeting and trials coming. He isn't being dramatic. He’s documenting a mental state. When you lose everything, "the enemy" isn't some guy with a pitchfork; it’s the voice in your head telling you that your life is meaningless.
Then he pivots. He moves from his own pain to a very specific theological "anchor."
"My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought! / My sin, not in part but the whole, / Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more."
This is the pivot point. He decided that if his eternal status was settled, his temporary tragedy—as horrific as it was—couldn't actually destroy him. That is a massive mental leap. It’s not "positive thinking." It’s a total re-centering of reality.
The Phillip Bliss Factor
Lyrics are just poems until someone adds a melody. Enter Philip Bliss. He was a friend of Spafford and a massive name in the 19th-century music scene. He wrote the tune, which he titled "VILLIE DU HAVRE," naming it after the ship that took the Spafford girls.
Bliss’s composition is genius because it’s simple. It doesn’t try to be fancy. It mirrors the structure of a sigh. The "It is well" refrain is repetitive for a reason. It’s a mantra. It’s what you say when you don’t have anything else left to say.
📖 Related: Desi Bazar Desi Kitchen: Why Your Local Grocer is Actually the Best Place to Eat
Tragically, and this is the part people often forget, Bliss died in a train wreck just a few years after writing the music. The song is literally surrounded by death on both sides of its creation. That’s why it doesn’t feel fake. It has "blood on the tracks," as they say in the music industry.
Misconceptions About the Song
1. He wrote it while watching the daughters drown. No. That’s physically impossible and a bit morbid. He wrote it weeks later, during the crossing of the Atlantic. Reflection is different from immediate reaction. The lyrics are the result of processed pain, not a play-by-play.
2. It’s a "happy" song. It’s a "well" song. There is a huge difference. Being "well" in this context isn't about being happy; it's about being stable. It’s about having a foundation that doesn't shake when the house falls down.
3. The Spaffords lived happily ever after. This is the hardest part. They had more children, but their only son, Horatio Jr., died of scarlet fever at age four. Life kept hitting them. Eventually, they moved to Jerusalem and started the "American Colony," a group that focused on helping people regardless of their religion. They turned their grief into a massive humanitarian effort. It wasn’t a "happily ever after"—it was a "purposeful ever after."
How to Actually Use This Song Today
If you’re looking at it is well with my soul lyrics because you’re going through it right now, don't try to force the feeling.
The song isn't an instruction manual on how to feel. It’s a permission slip to acknowledge the "sea billows" while looking for a horizon.
Practical Ways to Reflect:
- Write your own "When..." verse. What are your current sea billows? Is it a job loss? A breakup? A health scare? Define it. Spafford was specific; you should be too.
- Focus on the "refrain" strategy. In psychology, we talk about grounding techniques. Repeating a single truth—like "it is well"—can physically lower your heart rate. It’s a form of meditative breathing that has been used for centuries.
- Look at the history. Sometimes, knowing that someone else survived the "worst-case scenario" makes your current "bad scenario" feel a bit more manageable.
The Lasting Power of Four Words
The phrase "It is well" comes from the Bible, specifically 2 Kings 4:26. It’s a story about a woman whose son had just died, and when asked how she was, she said, "It is well."
It’s a paradoxical statement. It’s saying "Everything is wrong, but I am okay."
👉 See also: Deg f to deg c: Why We’re Still Doing Mental Math in 2026
That’s why these lyrics still show up in pop culture, from movie soundtracks to covers by artists like Audrey Assad, Chris Rice, or even Bill Gaither. It transcends the "gospel" genre. It’s a human anthem.
If you want to dive deeper into the lyrics, don’t just read the first verse. Read the fourth.
"And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight, / The clouds be rolled back as a scroll."
He’s looking forward to a time when the "why" finally makes sense. Until then, he’s okay with the silence.
Next Steps for Deeper Understanding
To get the most out of this hymn, don't just listen to the polished choir versions. Look up the 1876 Gospel Hymns and Sacred Songs No. 2 version to see the original notation. Better yet, read the letters of Anna Spafford. Her resilience is arguably more impressive than Horatio's. She’s the one who lived through the sinking, after all.
When you sing it next time, or just read it on a screen, remember the ship. Remember the 12 minutes. And remember that "well" doesn't mean "perfect." It just means "held."
Actionable Insight: If you are struggling with grief, use the "Spafford Method": acknowledge the specific sorrow (the billows), identify your non-negotiable truth (your anchor), and focus on the next "refrain" rather than the whole song of your life. Start by writing down three things that remain true even when everything else changes.