The Sobbing of a Thousand Million

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Have you heard the sobbing of a thousand million souls

Author: Haldor Lillenas
Tune: [Have you heard the sobbing of a thousand million souls]
Published in 4 hymnals

Printable scores: PDF, Noteworthy Composer
Audio files: MIDI

Representative Text

1 Have you heard the sobbing of a thousand million souls,
Submerged in darkest heathen night?
Vainly groping for the way that leads to hope and peace,
They plead and wait for Gospel light.

Chorus:
A thousand million souls are dying,
A thousand million souls for whom the Saviour died.
Can you still deny their plea?
Can you longer idle be,
While a thousand million souls are dying?

2 Have you heard the sobbing of a thousand million souls,
By superstitious chains enslaved?
Can you longer be in diff'rent to their sad estate?
Thro' Jesus they can all be saved. [Chorus]

3 Can you hear the sobbing of a thousand million souls,
Who seek relief of heart in vain?
Let them have the blessed Gospel that can freedom give,
And rend the chains of sin in twain. [Chorus]

Source: The Christian Hymnary. Bks. 1-4 #532

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Author: Haldor Lillenas

Rv Haldor Lillenas DMus Norway/USA 1885-1959. Born at Stord, near Bergen, Norway, his father sold their 15 acre farm in Norway and emigrated to the U.S., buying a farm in Colton, SD. After he built a sod house, the family (wife and three chldren) also came to SD in 1887. They moved to Astoria, Oregon in 1889, where Lillenas learned English and began writing song lyrics at an early age. In 1900 the family moved again to Roseville, MN, where he worked as a farm laborer and began attending a Lutheran high school at Hawick, MN. He sold a few songs at age 19. At age 21 he began writing more songs, encouraged by some earlier ones becoming popular (“He set me free” was one). His mother died in 1906 and his father returned to ND, but Li… Go to person page >

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First Line:	Have you heard the sobbing of a thousand million souls
Title:	The Sobbing of a Thousand Million
Author:	Haldor Lillenas
Language:	English
Refrain First Line:	A thousand million souls are dying
Publication Date:	1923
Copyright:	Public Domain