Love Lifted Me

Story:

The two huddled together, working line by line, bar by bar, composing this hymn in tandem. The words were jotted down by James Rowe, and the music was hammered out at the piano by his friend. Howard E. Smith, whose hands were so twisted from arthritis that his friends wondered how he could play the piano at all. When they finished the world had "Love Lifted Me."

James Rowe was a New Year's baby, born in Devonshire, England, on the first day of 1865. His father, John Rowe, was a copper miner, As a young man, James went to work for the Irish government, but when he was in his mid-twenties, he decided to immigrate to the United States. He settled down in Albany, New York, got married, and found a job with the railroad. He later became superintendent of the Hudson River Humane Society in Albany before eventually becoming a full-time writer. He composed hymns and edited music journals for several publishers. His last years were spend in Wells, Vermont, where he supported himself by writing messages for greeting card publishers, working alongside his daughter who was an artist.

During his lifetime, James claimed to have written more than 19,000 song texts. James Rowe and Howard Smith created "Love Lifted Me" in Saugatuck, Connecticut, in 1912, and sold the copyright to Charles Tillman, who transferred it to Robert Coleman in 1915 for one hundred dollars.

Bible Verses

Desktop Backgrounds
(Click on picture to view full-size)