I Need Thee Every Hour Annie S. Hawks, 1872
5 verses and a refrain, sung to I Need Thee Every Hour (10.10.7.6.11), public domain, free to print and project.
The words
Verse 1. I need thee ev’ry hour,
Most gracious Lord;
No tender voice like thine
Can peace afford.
Refrain I need thee, oh, I need thee,
Ev’ry hour I need thee;
Oh, bless me now, my Savior
I come to thee.
Verse 2. I need thee ev’ry hour;
Stay thou near by;
Temptations lose their power
When thou art nigh.
Verse 3. I need thee ev’ry hour,
In joy or pain;
Come quickly and abide,
Or life is vain.
Verse 4. I need thee ev’ry hour;
Teach me thy will;
And thy rich promises
In me fulfill.
Verse 5. I need thee ev’ry hour,
Most Holy One;
Oh, make me thine indeed,
Thou blessed Son.
Sing the refrain after every verse.
Words copied from The Otterbein Hymnal (1892). They were published in 1872, so they are in the public domain in the United States, and your church may print them, show them and sing them without a license.
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The story behind I Need Thee Every Hour
Annie S. Hawks wrote the stanzas of I Need Thee Every Hour in 1872 while she was doing housework. One account says June and another, citing John Julian, says April. She felt God close and wondered how anyone could live without him in joy or in pain. The title came to her. Robert Lowry had been her pastor at a Baptist church in Brooklyn and had urged her to write hymns. He added the refrain, "I need thee, oh, I need thee," and wrote the tune, which hymnals call NEED. The hymn was sung in Cincinnati in 1872 at a national Sunday school meeting. Hymnary calls it the National Baptist Sunday School Association, while another source names the National Convention of Sunday Schools. It was printed in 1873 in Royal Diadem for the Sunday School, which Lowry compiled with William H. Doane. The printing carried John 15:5 under the title. Hawks wrote verses for Sunday school songbooks for years. One account says she wrote about 400 hymns and that this is the only one in common use. The original had five stanzas, and some hymnals drop the fourth or fifth. D. W. Whittle said the hymn's stress on "every hour" led him to write Moment by Moment.
Annie S. Hawks
1835-05-28 to 1918
Annie Sherwood Hawks was born in Hoosick, New York, on May 28, 1835, and died in 1918. She lived for many years in Brooklyn, where she belonged to a Baptist church during Robert Lowry's pastorate. She wrote verses for popular Sunday school songbooks, including Bright Jewels and Royal Diadem. One account says she wrote about 400 hymns and that only I Need Thee Every Hour remains in common use. She wrote that hymn in 1872, and Lowry added the refrain and the tune.
Robert Lowry
1826-03-12 to 1899-11-25
Robert Lowry was born in Philadelphia on March 12, 1826, and died in Plainfield, New Jersey, on November 25, 1899. He studied at Lewisburg University and served Baptist churches in West Chester, Pennsylvania, New York City, Brooklyn, Lewisburg and Plainfield. He taught belles lettres at Lewisburg and received an honorary D.D. in 1875. Lowry edited Sunday school songbooks, including Bright Jewels and Pure Gold (with W. Doane), and wrote many gospel tunes. He is best known for Shall We Gather at the River and for the refrain and tune of I Need Thee Every Hour.
- Hymnary.org, text I need Thee every hour , read 2026-10-16
- Hymn Spotlight: I Need Thee Every Hour (Hymns for Worship) , read 2026-10-16
- Hymnary.org, tune NEED (Lowry) , read 2026-10-16
- Hymnary.org, Robert Lowry , read 2026-10-16
Scripture in I Need Thee Every Hour
The Bible passages behind the words, with the verse of the hymn that draws on each.
- John 15:5 In verse 5 of the hymn
- 2 Corinthians 12:9 In verse 9 of the hymn
- Philippians 4:19 In verse 19 of the hymn
- Acts 17:27-28
I Need Thee Every Hour videos
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I need Thee every hour Savedandkept, Congregation
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The Wartburg Choir: I Need Thee Every Hour, arr. Sam Robson Wartburg College, Choir
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I Need Thee Every Hour - A Cappella Hymn A Cappella Hymns, A cappella
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I Need Thee Every Hour - piano instrumental hymn Kaleb Brasee, Piano
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I Need Thee Every Hour (Official Live Video) - Don Moen Integrity Music, Modern arrangement
Videos play from YouTube, and nothing loads from YouTube until you press play. A video may sing different verses from the ones printed on this page.
Downloads, printing and slides
Sheet music files
- Sheet music PDF 98 KB. Words and all four parts, ready to print.
- Lead sheet PDF 87 KB. Melody, words and chord symbols for piano or guitar.
- MusicXML score XML 64 KB. Opens in MuseScore, Finale, Sibelius and Dorico to change the key or print parts.
- MIDI, all parts MIDI 2 KB. Plays the four-part harmony in any MIDI player or notation app.
- MIDI, melody only MIDI 1 KB. The tune alone, for learning it.
Practice tracks for each voice part, as MIDI: Alto , Tenor , Bass .
Chords and keys
Hymnals print it in A♭ or G.
Questions people ask
What is the story behind I Need Thee Every Hour?
Annie S. Hawks wrote the verses in 1872 while doing housework and felt how much she needed God in joy and in sorrow. Her former pastor Robert Lowry added the refrain and the tune.
Who wrote I Need Thee Every Hour?
Annie S. Hawks wrote the stanzas. Robert Lowry wrote the refrain and the tune NEED.
When was I Need Thee Every Hour written?
1872. It was sung in Cincinnati that year and printed in 1873 in Royal Diadem for the Sunday School.
What key is I Need Thee Every Hour in?
Hymnary lists A-flat major as the most common key. G major also appears often.
Is I Need Thee Every Hour in the public domain?
Yes. The words and Lowry's tune are public domain in the United States, first published in 1872 and 1873. Modern arrangements may be copyrighted.
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