"Love Lifted Me" is a

hymn A hymn is a type of song, and partially synonymous with devotional song, specifically written for the purpose of adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or deities, or to a prominent figure or personification. The word ''hymn'' ...

first published in 1912, with text by English-American lyricist James Rowe and melody by American organist Howard E. Smith.

History

James Rowe, son of an English copper miner, was born in 1865 and emigrated from

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

to the

United States of America The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territo ...

in 1889. The hymn's lyrics are inspired primarily by the 14th chapter of the

Gospel of Matthew The Gospel of Matthew), or simply Matthew. It is most commonly abbreviated as "Matt." is the first book of the New Testament of the Bible and one of the three synoptic Gospels. It tells how Israel's Messiah, Jesus, comes to his people and for ...

, wherein the

Twelve Apostles In Christian theology and ecclesiology, the apostles, particularly the Twelve Apostles (also known as the Twelve Disciples or simply the Twelve), were the primary disciples of Jesus according to the New Testament. During the life and minist ...

, when caught in a storm, see

Jesus Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religious ...

appearing to walk on water. In the account,

Saint Peter Saint Peter; he, שמעון בר יונה, Šimʿōn bar Yōnāh; ar, سِمعَان بُطرُس, translit=Simʿa̅n Buṭrus; grc-gre, Πέτρος, Petros; cop, Ⲡⲉⲧⲣⲟⲥ, Petros; lat, Petrus; ar, شمعون الصفـا, Sham'un ...

attempts to walk toward Jesus while in the water, but begins to sink. Also referenced in the hymn is the same gospel's eighth chapter, wherein Jesus calms a storm after being awakened by the Apostles. Rowe's lyrics use the former as a metaphor for a narrator who is "sinking deep in sin" before being redeemed. Little is known about composer Howard E. Smith. He was a church organist from

Connecticut Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its cap ...

. Although he suffered from

arthritis Arthritis is a term often used to mean any disorder that affects joints. Symptoms generally include joint pain and stiffness. Other symptoms may include redness, warmth, swelling, and decreased range of motion of the affected joints. In som ...

at the time of the composition, he was able to compose the hymn's melody while sitting at a piano with Rowe. According to the database Hymnary.org, "Love Lifted Me" has been published in over 246 hymnals.

Kenny Rogers version

In late 1975, American

country music Country (also called country and western) is a genre of popular music that originated in the Southern and Southwestern United States in the early 1920s. It primarily derives from blues, church music such as Southern gospel and spirituals, ...

singer

Kenny Rogers Kenneth Ray Rogers (August 21, 1938 – March 20, 2020) was an American singer, songwriter, and actor. He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2013. Rogers was particularly popular with country audiences but also charted mo ...

recorded an adaptation of "Love Lifted Me" for an album of the same name. Rogers' version kept the original refrain but rewrote the verses from a secular viewpoint. Released in December 1975 with "Homemade Love" as the

B-side The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph records and cassettes; these terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side usually features a recording that its artist, producer, or record compan ...

, Rogers' version charted on the ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

'' Hot Country Singles chart for 19 weeks, peaking at number 19 early in 1976. In 1981, Kenny also sang the original hymn in the opening scenes of the

Dick Lowry Dick Lowry (born 15 September 1944 in Oklahoma) is an American director and film producer. Productions List films were all made for television unless otherwise indicated. *1975: ''The Drought'' (theatrical film) *1980: '' OHMS'' *1980: '' K ...

movie,

Coward of the County "Coward of the County" is a song written by Roger Bowling and Billy Edd Wheeler, and recorded by American country music singer Kenny Rogers. The song was released in November 1979 as the second single from Rogers' multi-platinum album ''Kenny''. ...

, where he played the uncle of the titular character who is also the pastor of a church.

Chart performance

''Te Aroha''

New Zealand composer and kapa haka leader

Morvin Simon Morvin Te Anatipa Simon (1944 – 14 May 2014) was a New Zealand Māori composer, kapa haka leader, choirmaster and historian. Biography Born at Kaiwhaiki marae on the Whanganui River, Simon was of Te Āti Haunui-a-Pāpārangi, Ngāti Apa and ...

set ''Te Aroha'', a brief song extolling love, faith and peace, to the tune of the chorus of ''Love Lifted Me''. ''Te Aroha'' is often sung at gatherings in New Zealand or by groups arriving at a marae.

References

{{Kenny Rogers 1912 songs 20th-century hymns 1975 singles Kenny Rogers songs United Artists Records singles Song recordings produced by Larry Butler (producer)