The Story Behind "Jesus Loves Me"

(Compiled from info supplied by David Jeremiah's "Turning Point" TV show & Wikipedia)

The story behind this beloved song grew out of a tale of financial upheaval brought on by the Panic of 1837. It begun out of the monetary ruins of a once-wealthy NYC Warner family as a result of this Panic of over one hundred seventy-five years ago.

The patriarch of the Warner family lost practically all his worldly wealth. Having grown up living in the lap of luxury, he and his daughters were forced out of their mansion and lavish lifestyle of the big city to a sparse cottage along the Hudson River. Lacking any real-world skills, the girls had to resort to the only skill they did possess--writing.

Most of their writing was merely short stories written for whatever publishers would purchase. For over 20 years the father and daughters eked out a threadbare existence.

Then in 1860 Anna and Susan Warner compiled a novel entitled Say and Seal -- Susan wrote its narrative body and Anna supplied the lyrics of a poem that was spoken as a comfort to a dying child.

Two years later William Bradbury came across the text of Anna's "Jesus Loves Me" poem. He added the well-know refrain and an additional verse to it. Then he put the work to a simple tune that came to be known as "China."

The rest, as they say, is history.

During WW2, this song again came to notice for it was in 1943 during the Solomon Islands campaign in the Pacific that John F. Kennedy's PT-109 was rammed and sunk. Native islanders from nearby Biuku Dasa and Eroni Kumana who found Kennedy and the survivors recalled that when they rode on PT boats to retrieve the survivors, the Marines sang this song with the natives, who had learned it from some American missionaries.

Jesus loves me---this I know,
For the Bible tells me so;
Little ones to Him belong---
They are weak, but He is Strong.

Yes, Jesus loves me!
Yes, Jesus loves me!
Yes, Jesus loves me!
The Bible tells me so.

Jesus loves me---He who died
Heaven's gate to open wide;
He will wash away my sin,
Let His little child come in.

Jesus loves me---loves me still,
Though I'm very weak and ill;
From His shining throne on high
Comes to watch me where I lie.

Jesus loves me---He will stay
Close beside me all the way,
Then His little child will take
Up to Heaven for His dear sake.