I Love to Tell the Story
Text by A. Catherine Hankey (1866; 1834–1911). Tune HANKEY by William G. Fischer (1869; 1835–1912). Public domain in all jurisdictions.
Verse 1
GI love to tell the Cstory of Gunseen things aDbove,
Of GJesus and His Cglory, of GJesus and His Dlove.
GI love to tell the Cstory, beGcause I know 'tis D7true;
It Gsatisfies my Emlongings as A7nothing else could D7do.
Chorus
GI love to tell the Dstory,
'Twill be my Gtheme in G7glory,
To Ctell the old, old Gstory
Of GJesus D7and His Glove.
Verse 2
GI love to tell the Cstory; more Gwonderful it Dseems
Than Gall the golden Cfancies of Gall our golden Ddreams.
GI love to tell the Cstory, it Gdid so much for D7me;
And Gthat is just the Emreason I A7tell it now to D7thee.
Verse 3
GI love to tell the Cstory, 'tis Gpleasant to reDpeat
What Gseems each time I Ctell it, more Gwonderfully Dsweet.
GI love to tell the Cstory, for Gsome have never D7heard
The Gmessage of salEmvation from A7God's own holy D7Word.
Structure
Playing Tips
🎸 Strum Pattern
The G-C-G-D7 verse pattern is immediately familiar and very singable. Use a steady down-down-up strum at 84 BPM — this hymn sits between a hymn and a march, and the strum should carry that bounce without becoming choppy. The A7 chord in the verse is the harmonic highlight — it arrives on "nothing else could do" and adds a secondary dominant color that makes the resolution to D7 feel especially satisfying. On the chorus, the G7 before C is a I7-IV pivot; let it ring clearly before moving to C so the congregation hears that lift.
🔊 Dynamics
"I Love to Tell the Story" works as an evangelism and proclamation song the whole congregation can own from verse one. We start with moderate energy and build through the verses, saving the fullest sound for verse 3 — "for some have never heard the message of salvation from God's own holy Word" — since that is where the missionary heart of the hymn is clearest. The chorus should be sung joyfully every time through. The repetition of "I love to tell the story" becomes a personal declaration as the congregation sings it together, and that accumulation of meaning is the point.
🎵 Band Direction
All instruments in from the top — this is a declaration hymn and it does not need a quiet intro. Drums play a steady 4/4 march at 84 BPM. Piano doubles the melody in the right hand and holds chord roots in the left. The G7 chord in the chorus leading to C should be voiced so the B-flat is heard as the pivot into C. This hymn suits a gospel-flavored arrangement well — a slight swing feel on the chorus gives it life without losing reverence. For more traditional congregations, keep it straight and in time.
🎤 Vocal
The melody is one of the most singable in the hymn repertoire — nearly every congregation knows it even if they do not know the title. Verse 3 is the missionary verse and the lead vocalist should hold back slightly before "for some have never heard" and then deliver it as a statement of urgent love. The chorus "I love to tell the story" becomes more personal with each pass — encourage your congregation not just to sing the words but to mean them as a declaration about their own faith and witness.
→ Transitions
We use this on evangelism Sundays, outreach Sundays, or any service where the theme is sharing the gospel with others. It works well as a pre-service worship opener that sets the tone for a message about testimony or personal witness. The final verse makes it a natural bridge before a sermon on missions or evangelism — "for some have never heard" lands as a call rather than just a lyric when the message that follows picks up that thread. Pair it with Just As I Am or I Surrender All for a natural move into response.