Words: A. Katherine Hankey, 1866

Music: William G. Fischer, 1869

Arabella Katherine Hankey (1834-1911) belonged to an evangelical group known for its anti-slavery and pro-missionary stances. As a young adult she taught Sunday School for girls. She later traveled to South Africa to be a nurse and to help her invalid brother. In her 30s, during a long recovery from a severe illness, she wrote a 50-stanza poem about Jesus. This poem is the source of her hymns I Love to Tell the Story and Tell Me the Old, Old Story.

William Gustavus Fischer (1835-1912) developed his musical ability from an early age, singing in a church in Baltimore, Maryland, and later studying piano and organ. He became a bookbinder by day, but filled his evenings with music. He was a well-known choir director and taught singing, piano, and music theory as well.

Hymn Lyric Video (Embed video here)

I Love to Tell the Story
Words: A. Katherine Hankey, 1866

Music: William G. Fischer, 1869

^{Verse 1}
I love to tell the story
Of unseen things above,
Of Jesus and His glory,
Of Jesus and His love.
I love to tell the story,
Because I know ’tis true;
It satisfies my longings
As nothing else can do.

^Refrain

I love to tell the story,
’Twill be my theme in glory,
To tell the old, old story
Of Jesus and His love.

^{Verse 2}
I love to tell the story;
More wonderful it seems
Than all the golden fancies
Of all our golden dreams.
I love to tell the story,
It did so much for me;
And that is just the reason
I tell it now to thee.

^{Verse 3}
I love to tell the story;
’Tis pleasant to repeat
What seems, each time I tell it,
More wonderfully sweet.
I love to tell the story,
For some have never heard
The message of salvation
From God’s own holy Word.

^{Verse 4}
I love to tell the story,
For those who know it best
|Seem hungering and thirsting
To hear it like the rest.
And when, in scenes of glory,
I sing the new, new song,
’Twill be the old, old story That I have loved so long.