You’ve probably heard it. Maybe in a quiet, candlelit church service, or perhaps through a crackling recording during a funeral. Even if you aren't religious, there is something about the melody that feels like a physical weight. But when you actually sit down and read the It Is Well With My Soul lyrics, the experience shifts from mere music to something much more visceral. It’s not just a song. It’s a survival tactic.
Most people think of hymns as dusty relics. This one is different. It was written by Horatio Spafford in 1873, and honestly, the backstory is so brutal it’s a wonder he could breathe, let alone write poetry. He didn't write these words from a place of peace. He wrote them from the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, staring at the exact spot where his four daughters had just drowned.
The Brutal Reality Behind the It Is Well With My Soul Lyrics
Horatio Spafford was a successful lawyer in Chicago. He had a great life, until he didn't. First, the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 wiped out his real estate investments. He was financially ruined, but he still had his family. A few years later, he decided to take his wife, Anna, and their daughters to Europe for a vacation and to assist with D.L. Moody’s evangelistic campaigns. Because of business delays, he sent his wife and four daughters ahead on the SS Ville du Havre.
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Halfway across the Atlantic, the ship collided with a British iron sailing ship. It sank in twelve minutes.
Anna Spafford was found unconscious on a floating plank, but all four daughters—Annie, Maggie, Bessie, and Tanetta—perished. When Anna reached land in Wales, she sent a telegram that became famous in its own right: "Saved alone. What shall I do?" Horatio immediately boarded a ship to join his grieving wife. According to historical accounts from the Spafford family, the captain of his ship called him to the bridge when they reached the area where the wreck occurred.
That is where the It Is Well With My Soul lyrics were born. Over the very water that claimed his children, he penned the words, "When peace like a river attendeth my way / When sorrows like sea billows roll."
Breaking Down the First Verse
The opening is a masterclass in emotional contrast. He uses the metaphor of a river for peace. It’s steady. It’s calm. But then he immediately pivots to "sea billows." Anyone who has been in a storm at sea knows that billows aren't just waves; they are massive, overwhelming walls of water.
He acknowledges that life isn't a constant state of happiness. He’s basically saying, "Whatever happens to me, I’ve been taught to say it is well." That isn't toxic positivity. It’s a hard-won, grit-your-teeth kind of surrender.
Why These Lyrics Resonate in a Modern World
We live in a culture that is obsessed with "fixing" grief. We want a five-step plan. We want closure. But Spafford’s lyrics don't offer closure. They offer a way to exist within the pain. This is why the song has survived 150 years of cultural shifts.
The second verse mentions "Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come." In the 1870s, this was standard theological language. Today, we might translate that to "even when the world is falling apart" or "even when my mental health is in the gutter." The core sentiment is identical. It’s about the external pressures that try to break a person’s spirit.
Philip Bliss, a famous composer of the era, wrote the tune for these words. He called the melody "Ville du Havre," named after the sunken ship. The music doesn't fight the lyrics. It swells in the same places the heart does.
The Theological Pivot in the Third Verse
There’s a specific shift that happens in the middle of the song. Spafford moves away from his own tragedy and looks toward a larger spiritual context.
"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."
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For many listeners, this is where the song moves from a lament to a declaration. It’s a very Protestant perspective, focusing on the concept of substitutionary atonement. Even if you don't subscribe to that specific theology, you can feel the relief in the phrasing. He’s looking for something—anything—that is bigger than his current agony. He’s looking for a "glorious thought" to act as an anchor so he doesn't drift away in his grief.
Common Misconceptions About the Song
People often get the details of the Spafford story mixed up. You’ll hear some folks say he wrote it while the ship was sinking. That’s not true. He wasn't even on the ship that sank. He was back in Chicago. Others think he was a pastor. He wasn't; he was a layman and a lawyer who was very active in his faith community.
Another big one: people think Spafford lived "happily ever after" once he wrote the song.
Life is rarely that clean. The Spaffords later moved to Jerusalem and founded the American Colony, a group that did incredible humanitarian work. But they also faced intense criticism from their former church in Chicago and dealt with more family tragedy, including the death of a son to scarlet fever. The It Is Well With My Soul lyrics weren't a magic wand that made his life easy. They were a manifesto he had to keep relearning.
A Look at the Unusual Structure
Most modern songs follow a Verse-Chorus-Verse-Chorus-Bridge-Chorus pattern. Hymns from the late 19th century were a bit more linear.
- Verse 1: The setting of the emotional scene.
- Verse 2: The acknowledgement of struggle and faith.
- Verse 3: The theological core (The Cross).
- Verse 4: The future hope (The Second Coming).
The refrain—"It is well, with my soul, it is well, it is well, with my soul"—acts as the heartbeat. It’s repetitive because when you’re in shock, you need simple words. You can’t process complex sentences when your world has ended. You can only manage a few syllables at a time.
The Cultural Impact and Famous Covers
From Mahalia Jackson to modern groups like Hillsong or Joey+Rory, the covers are endless. Each version brings something different. Mahalia Jackson’s version is full of gospel soul that makes the "sea billows" feel literal. Bill Gaither’s arrangements often focus on the communal aspect of singing it together.
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It has been translated into dozens of languages. You can find it in Swahili, Korean, and Spanish. The reason it travels so well is that grief is a universal language. You don't need a degree in musicology to understand what Spafford was feeling when he wrote those lines.
Is the Song Too Dark for Modern Worship?
Some modern critics argue that the song is too focused on tragedy. They prefer songs that are upbeat and "victory-focused." But I’d argue that’s exactly why we need it. If you only have songs for the good days, you have nothing to sing when you're standing in a graveyard.
The song doesn't ignore the darkness. It stares directly at it. "Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight / The clouds be rolled back as a scroll." That’s a desperate plea for reality to change. It’s an honest human emotion.
Applying the Message Today
So, what do you actually do with these lyrics? It’s not just about singing them. It’s about the psychological resilience they represent. Psychologists often talk about "meaning-making" after a trauma. That is exactly what Horatio Spafford was doing. He was taking a chaotic, meaningless tragedy and trying to weave it into a larger narrative of faith.
- Embrace the "Both/And": You can be in deep pain and still have a core of peace. Spafford didn't say "I am happy." He said "It is well." There’s a massive difference.
- Simplify Your Mantra: When things get overwhelming, find a short phrase. "It is well" is three words. It’s a breath.
- Look Outward: Spafford eventually turned his grief into service for others in Jerusalem. Action is often the best antidote to despair.
If you’re going through a "sea billow" moment right now, maybe take a second to read the full text of the It Is Well With My Soul lyrics without the music. Look at the punctuation. Look at the choice of words like "helpless estate." It’s okay to acknowledge that you’re in a helpless spot.
Actionable Steps for Exploring the Hymn Further
If you want to dive deeper into this history or use the song for your own reflection, here is a practical way to engage with it:
- Read the Original Telegram: Look up the "Saved Alone" telegram sent by Anna Spafford. It puts the lyrics into a terrifyingly real perspective.
- Compare Different Versions: Listen to the version by the Tabor College Choir for a traditional feel, and then listen to the Audrey Assad version for something more contemplative. Notice how the emotional resonance changes.
- Journal Your Own "Refrain": If you had to summarize your current state in four words or less—honestly, without the "I'm fine" mask—what would it be?
- Visit the History: If you're ever in Jerusalem, you can visit the American Colony Hotel, which was the home the Spaffords built. It’s a tangible reminder that life continues after the storm.
The power of this song isn't in its rhymes. It’s in the fact that it was written by a man who had every reason to give up, but chose to pick up a pen instead. That's a legacy worth singing.