It Is Well with My Soul
Words: Horatio Spafford, 1873 · Tune "Ville du Havre": Philip Bliss, 1876 · Public domain
Free: the 1-5-6-4 in all 12 keys, on one large-print sheet. Get it free →
Verse 1
CWhen peace, like a riv-G7er, Cat-G7tendeth my Cway,
Cwhen Amsor-E7rows Amlike sea Gbil-D7lows Groll;
G7what-Cever Cmaj7my Flot, thou A7hast Dmtaught me D7to Gsay,
"It is Cwell, it Fis Cwell G7with Cmy soul."
Refrain (after every verse)
CIt is well G7with my soul;
Cit is Fwell, it is C/Gwell G7with Cmy soul.
Verse 2
CThough Satan should buf-G7fet, Cthough G7trials should Ccome,
Clet Amthis E7blest Amassur-Gance D7con-Gtrol,
G7that CChrist hath Cmaj7re-Fgarded A7my Dmhelpless D7es-Gtate,
and hath Cshed his Fown Cblood G7for Cmy soul.
Verse 3
CMy sin, oh, the bliss G7of Cthis G7glorious Cthought!
CMy Amsin, E7not Amin part Gbut D7the Gwhole,
G7is Cnailed to Cmaj7the Fcross, and A7I Dmbear it D7no Gmore,
praise the CLord, praise Fthe CLord, G7O Cmy soul!
Verse 4
CAnd Lord, haste the day G7when Cmy G7faith shall be Csight,
Cthe Amclouds E7be Amrolled back Gas D7a Gscroll;
G7the Ctrump shall Cmaj7re-Fsound, and A7the DmLord shall D7de-Gscend,
even Cso, it Fis Cwell G7with Cmy soul.
Chords in the key of C
- C
- G7
- Am
- E7
- G
- D7
- Cmaj7
- F
- A7
- Dm
- C/G
About this hymn
- Words
- Horatio Gates Spafford, 1873
- Music
- VILLE DU HAVRE, Philip P. Bliss, 1876
- Meter
- 11.8.11.9 with refrain
- In
- 601 hymnals
- Scripture
- Psalm 103, Romans 5:1, 1 Corinthians 15:52
The story
Horatio Spafford was a Chicago lawyer. The 1871 fire wiped out his real estate, and the slump of 1873 made things worse. Later that year he sent his wife Anna and their four girls ahead to Europe by ship while he stayed back on business tied to the fire. On November 22, 1873, the Ville du Havre was struck by another ship and went down. Two hundred twenty six people died, the four daughters among them. Anna cabled him two words, saved alone. He wrote this text crossing the Atlantic to reach her, near the water where the girls died. Philip Bliss wrote the tune and named it for the ship. Bliss died in 1876, the year it was printed.
Where it fits in a service
Often used at a homegoing, in a service touching grief or comfort, and as a solo before the sermon. It also works quietly during communion when the room needs settling.
Free: four chords in every key
Get the 1-5-6-4 in all 12 keys, free. It is one large-print sheet with the four chords under a lot of the songs you already know. You also get my three-chord starter guide, and one email when a new hymn goes up. It assumes you do not read music.
No cost, and unsubscribe from any email.
Take it further
This hymn in three keys, and 49 more
The 50 Hymns for the Church Pianist collection has this hymn in three keys with every verse, a Sunday Version with gospel moves, and big keyboard pictures. Large print and regular print.
See the collection →All 21 in one printed book
The Hymn & Carol Chord Chart Book puts 21 hymns and carols on paper, chords over the words, with a lead sheet and the story behind each one. Full-size pages for the music stand.
See it on Amazon →Print this hymn
The same chart as a clean one-page PDF — with large-print lyrics, a guitar chart and a Nashville number chart of the same hymn.
See the printable set →Why these chords work
Gospel Piano Chords by Ear is the book behind these charts — how to hear the I, IV and V, and how to move between them without reading music.
About the book →Learn it with Henry
Online lessons, by ear, from the author of the book — a camera on the keys and this hymn ready for Sunday.
About lessons →