I Am Thine, O Lord
Text by Fanny Crosby (1875; 1820–1915). Music by William Howard Doane (1875; 1832–1915). Public domain in all jurisdictions.
Verse 1
GI am Thine O Lord I have Cheard Thy voice
And it Gtold Thy love to Dme
But I Glong to rise in the Carms of faith
And be Dcloser drawn to GThee
Chorus
GDraw me near-er near-er bless-ed CLord
To the Gcross where Thou hast Ddied
Draw me Gnear-er near-er near-er Cbless-ed Lord
To Thy Dpre-cious bleed-ing Gside
Verse 2
GCon-se-crate me now to Thy Cser-vice Lord
By the Gpow'r of grace di-Dvine
Let my Gsoul look up with a Cstead-fast hope
And my Dwill be lost in GThine
Chorus
GDraw me near-er near-er bless-ed CLord
To the Gcross where Thou hast Ddied
Draw me Gnear-er near-er near-er Cbless-ed Lord
To Thy Dpre-cious bleed-ing Gside
Verse 3
GO the pure de-light of a Csin-gle hour
That be-Gfore Thy throne I Dspend
When I Gkneel in prayer and with CThee my God
I com-Dmune as friend with Gfriend
Chorus
GDraw me near-er near-er bless-ed CLord
To the Gcross where Thou hast Ddied
Draw me Gnear-er near-er near-er Cbless-ed Lord
To Thy Dpre-cious bleed-ing Gside
Verse 4
GThere are depths of love that I Ccan-not know
Till I Gcross the nar-row Dsea
There are Gheights of joy that I Cmay not reach
Till I Drest in peace with GThee
Chorus
GDraw me near-er near-er bless-ed CLord
To the Gcross where Thou hast Ddied
Draw me Gnear-er near-er near-er Cbless-ed Lord
To Thy Dpre-cious bleed-ing Gside
Structure
Playing Tips
🎸 Strum Pattern
Three chords — G, C, D — have carried this song for 150 years and they still do. At 80 BPM in 4/4 a down-down-up-down strum pattern feels natural and gives the verse a gentle forward motion. On the chorus strum a little fuller, letting the D chord on "died" ring before pulling into the resolution on G. Capo 2 puts it in A if your vocalist is more comfortable there or if the congregation responds better to that key. The changes are predictable — this is one of the first hymns I teach new guitar players because the payoff is immediate.
🔊 Dynamics
The verse is personal — "I am Thine O Lord" — so it should start quiet. Just guitar, or guitar and piano. The chorus "Draw me nearer" is the asking, and we bring the band in there with a gentle swell. On the second verse pull the band back slightly again so the congregation can hear themselves singing. The final chorus hold back, then open fully for the last phrase. "To Thy precious bleeding side" should feel like an arrival, not a rush.
🎵 Band Direction
This hymn carries well with just acoustic guitar and piano. Bass plays the roots on the quarter note — G, then change on the chord change. No need for a busy pattern here. Keyboard can double the melody lightly in the right hand on the chorus which helps congregational pitch. Drums, if used, should play a brushed pattern on the verse and a light full pattern on the chorus — never loud enough to overpower the vocal on this hymn.
🎤 Vocal
"Draw me nearer" is one of the most singable phrases in all of Fanny Crosby's catalog — and she wrote more than eight thousand hymns. The repetition of "nearer nearer" creates natural emphasis and the congregation will lean into it if you give them space. This hymn works best when the worship leader holds back and lets the congregation's voices carry. I have been in services where the band stopped entirely and the congregation kept singing without any prompting — that is the measure of a great hymn chorus.
→ Transitions
Perfect for an altar call or a moment of consecration after preaching. Also works as a response song after Communion. We use it at the end of services where we want people to leave with a surrendered posture. Pairs naturally with "I Surrender All" or "Just As I Am" in a set focused on dedication. The simplicity of G-C-D means it is easy to hold through multiple repetitions if the Spirit moves and you need to stay in that moment longer.