Jesus loves me
with JESUS LOVES ME (CHINA)
I. Text: Origins
This hymn was originally part of a story written by Anna Bartlett Warner (1824–1915) and her sister, Susan Warner, from Say and Seal, vol. 2 (Philadelphia: J.B. Lippincott, 1860 | Fig. 1), pp. 115–116. The hymn is credited to Anna in other sources. In the context of the story, a sick boy, Johnny, is being comforted by his teacher, Mr. Linden, who offers these words to the child, thus the words relating to weakness, illness, and even the promise of heaven.
Fig. 1. Say and Seal, vol. 2 (1860), pp. 115–116.
Literary scholar Leland Ryken has described the strengths of this hymn in relation to its popularity and endurance:
The subject matter is dear to the heart of every child, who instinctively feels the need to be loved and cared for. The assertions that are made line by line are simple and immediately grasped. Just as most children’s books feature a child protagonist, the references in the hymn to little ones and his little child imply that the speaker in the poem is a child. Once we accept this premise, other declarations in the poem fall into place as expressing a child’s perspective. The lines are short, and the rhyme scheme is simple couplets. A children’s hymn needs to have a firm meter to keep it marching, and the meter of this poem is ingenious: each line has seven syllables, and the first six are trochaic—an accented syllable followed by and unaccented one. The add-on syllable at the end is accented, ending each line emphatically. Putting all this together, we can say that the poem has a strong beat and energetic rhythm.[1]
II. Text: Adaptation
Some modern hymnals utilize a revised text by David McGuire (1929–1971), produced for The Hymn Book (1971 | Fig. 2) of the Anglican Church and United Church of Canada. McGuire’s version shifts the focus away from illness and heaven, instead offering assurances of Jesus’ love during our earthly journeys. The second stanza alludes to the story of Jesus and the children in Mark 10:13–16, while the third reflects ideas expressed in John 15:9–17 and 1 John 2:9–11.
Fig. 2. Anglican Church and United Church of Canada, The Hymn Book (1971).
III. Tune
This poem was set to music by William Bradbury (1816–1868) for his Golden Shower of S.S. Melodies (1862 | Fig. 2). In Bradbury’s collection, he kept all four of Warner’s stanzas, but he altered the final two lines to make the promise of heaven conditional, a change that might or might not align with some theological convictions. He also added the familiar refrain, “Yes, Jesus loves me.” Bradbury’s tune is usually called JESUS LOVES ME, but in some collections it is dubbed CHINA, reportedly because of its favor among missionaries to China.
Fig. 2. William Bradbury, Golden Shower of S.S. Melodies (1862).
by CHRIS FENNER
for Hymnology Archive
12 July 2018
rev. 25 September 2023
Footnotes:
Leland Ryken, “Jesus Loves Me,” 40 Favorite Hymns of the Christian Faith (Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R, 2022), p. 99: Amazon
Related Resources:
Anna Bartlett Warner & Susan Warner, Say and Seal (Philadelphia: J.B. Lippincott, 1860).
Volume 1: Archive.org
Volume 2: Archive.org
“Jesus loves me,” Hymnary.org:
https://hymnary.org/text/jesus_loves_me_this_i_know_for_the_bible
J.R. Watson, “Jesus loves me,” Canterbury Dictionary of Hymnology:
http://www.hymnology.co.uk/j/jesus-loves-me!-this-i-know