# How Great Thou Art, who is Art? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 16, 2018, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-great-thou-art-who-is-art/818014 "2018-07-16T15:37:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![DavidwithanR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3bc359/32.png) [@DavidwithanR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidwithanR)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2018, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-great-thou-art-who-is-art/818014/21 "2018-07-16T19:20:45Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > It’s Art Garfunkel. > > He never lived up to the original hype, but at that time he was famous due to his association with Paul Simon, plus he’d just appeared in the movie “Goodbye Columbus”. > > After that, his fame waned. But he paints, which suits his name better anyway. He could use it as a nickname: Art “Art” Garfunkel. ---
**Author:** ![CairoCarol](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cairocarol/32/3825_2.png) [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2018, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-great-thou-art-who-is-art/818014/22 "2018-07-16T19:38:25Z")
> [@Ellen\_Cherry](#): > > Jose never forgets to turn on the dawnzer. It gives lee light. And in the lee light, we view the witchet stands - the ones the Republic is for. (Not Richard Sands - that’s a common mishearing of “witchet stands.” 🙂 ) . ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2018, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-great-thou-art-who-is-art/818014/23 "2018-07-16T19:55:02Z")
Ee’d Plebnista… . ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2018, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-great-thou-art-who-is-art/818014/24 "2018-07-16T20:07:44Z")
> [@Musicat](#): > > Probably the same Andy in Post #2. > > Another relative would be Howard. “Our Father who Art in Heaven, Howard be thy name.” Apparently Howard is called Art only when he’s in residence. That would be ‘Harold’. Not Howard. And Harold was just Jesus’ middle name, which is why he always signed autographs ‘Jesus H. Christ.’ Harold be thy middle name. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2018, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-great-thou-art-who-is-art/818014/25 "2018-07-16T20:24:00Z")
So, am I the only one horrified at “How Great Thou Art” being called _Gospel_? ---
**Author:** ![Ulfreida](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ulfreida/32/8014_2.png) [@Ulfreida](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulfreida)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2018, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-great-thou-art-who-is-art/818014/26 "2018-07-16T20:38:27Z")
> [@Sam\_Stone](#): > > That would be ‘Harold’. Not Howard. And Harold was just Jesus’ middle name, which is why he always signed autographs ‘Jesus H. Christ.’ Harold be thy middle name. Oh for pete’s sake. Harold is an angel. Damn atheists never read the bible. ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2018, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-great-thou-art-who-is-art/818014/27 "2018-07-16T20:39:56Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > So, am I the only one horrified at “How Great Thou Art” being called _Gospel_? It’s the other kind of gospel. \*Country \*gospel. ---
**Author:** ![DavidwithanR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3bc359/32.png) [@DavidwithanR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidwithanR)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2018, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-great-thou-art-who-is-art/818014/28 "2018-07-16T20:59:30Z")
> [@EinsteinsHund](#): > > It’s the other kind of gospel. \*Country \*gospel. Country as in Sweden. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![DavidwithanR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3bc359/32.png) [@DavidwithanR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidwithanR)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2018, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-great-thou-art-who-is-art/818014/29 "2018-07-16T21:01:21Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > So, am I the only one horrified at “How Great Thou Art” being called _Gospel_? Some people know there’s a type of music called gospel, and assume that any song with a religious theme must belong to it. I’m guessing that’s all that happened. ---
**Author:** ![eunoia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eunoia/32/97_2.png) [@eunoia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eunoia)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2018, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-great-thou-art-who-is-art/818014/30 "2018-07-16T21:10:13Z")
See? This is why I still pop by SDMB. I’d always taken for granted it was Art Blakey. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2018, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-great-thou-art-who-is-art/818014/31 "2018-07-16T21:14:10Z")
> [@DavidwithanR](#): > > But he paints, which suits his name better anyway. We could always hang him on the wall. 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2018, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-great-thou-art-who-is-art/818014/32 "2018-07-16T21:48:22Z")
The other kind being Western Gospel? ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2018, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-great-thou-art-who-is-art/818014/33 "2018-07-16T21:50:51Z")
While it is indeed a hymn, the version of it that is most common in the US was released by Manna Music. [According to their web page on the song](http://mannamusicinc.com/writers-songs/how-great-thou-art.html), it is the most recorded Gospel song by major Gospel artists, as well as having received an award as the “The All-Time Outstanding Gospel Song” in America by ASCAP in 1978. Not that I know what it is we gosta pull. _Sorry._ ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2018, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-great-thou-art-who-is-art/818014/34 "2018-07-16T21:52:33Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > The other kind being Western Gospel? That’s what I had in the back of my mind :D. ---
**Author:** ![DinoR](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dinor/32/2821_2.png) [@DinoR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DinoR)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2018, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-great-thou-art-who-is-art/818014/35 "2018-07-16T22:39:55Z")
I don’t know Art that well. I can’t tell you who Art is, but I know him when I see him. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2018, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-great-thou-art-who-is-art/818014/36 "2018-07-16T23:09:30Z")
> [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](#): > > Ee’d Plebnista… . You’re such a Yang! ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2018, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-great-thou-art-who-is-art/818014/37 "2018-07-17T00:37:41Z")
No one can forget Grace, the popular cheerleader in high school. Her gymnastics skills, during games, were amazing. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2018, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-great-thou-art-who-is-art/818014/38 "2018-07-17T00:45:55Z")
Here, of course is the actual answer for those that are curious. Art, archaic or dialect second person singular present of be > **[Oxford Languages | The Home of Language Data](https://languages.oup.com/)** > > Explore Oxford Languages, the home of world-renowned language data. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2018, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-great-thou-art-who-is-art/818014/39 "2018-07-17T01:11:08Z")
> [@DavidwithanR](#): > > But he paints, which suits his name better anyway. He could use it as a nickname: Art “Art” Garfunkel. I can see the program heading now: Art “Art” Garfunkel Art ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2018, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-great-thou-art-who-is-art/818014/40 "2018-07-17T02:26:00Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > No one can forget Grace, the popular cheerleader in high school. Her gymnastics skills, during games, were amazing. > > 😉 Where I went to school, she was Jean. Jean the Machine! :o The coach always used to say “She’s going to \*ruin \*this team!” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-great-thou-art-who-is-art/818014.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-great-thou-art-who-is-art/818014.md?page=3)