Following the appropriation of the hymn in secular music , " Amazing Grace " became such an icon in American culture that it has been used for a variety of secular purposes and marketing campaigns , placing it in danger of becoming a cliché . It has been mass-produced on souvenirs , lent its name to a Superman villain , appeared on '' The Simpsons '' to demonstrate the redemption of a murderous character named Sideshow Bob , incorporated into Hare Krishna chants and adapted for Wicca ceremonies . It can also be sung to the theme from '' The Mickey Mouse Club '' , as Garrison Keillor has observed . The hymn has been employed in several films , including '' Alice 's Restaurant '' , '' Invasion of the Body Snatchers '' , '' Coal Miner 's Daughter '' , and '' Silkwood '' . It is referenced in the 2006 film '' Amazing Grace '' , which highlights Newton 's influence on the leading British abolitionist William Wilberforce , and in the film biography of Newton , '' Newton 's Grace '' . The 1982 science fiction film '' Star Trek II : The Wrath of Khan '' used " Amazing Grace " amid a context of Christian symbolism , to memorialise Mr. Spock following his death , but more practically , because the song has become " instantly recognizable to many in the audience as music that sounds appropriate for a funeral " according to a '' Star Trek '' scholar . Since 1954 , when an organ instrumental of " New Britain " became a best-seller , " Amazing Grace " has been associated with funerals and memorial services . It has become a song that inspires hope in the wake of tragedy , becoming a sort of " spiritual national anthem " according to authors Mary Rourke and Emily Gwathmey . For example , President Barack Obama recited and then sang the hymn at the memorial service for Clementa Pinckney , one of the victims of the 2015 Charleston church shooting
2015 Charleston church shooting
Charleston church shooting
Amazing Grace