Jesus Loves the Little Children: Printable Chords, Lyrics, Alternate Lyrics, Verse, History
The song “Jesus Loves the Little Children” has been such a wonderful pillar gospel song for children and adults alike. I love the message of this song based on Matthew 19:14 “Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to such as these.” I wanted to write some alternative lyrics for the line “red and yellow, black and white, they are precious in his sight”. This line may be misconstrued in modern times as an inaccurate description of diversity. Instead, one could sing: “Every nation tribe and tongue, Jesus loves them every one”. This line conveys the message of the song without oversimplifying the beautiful rainbow of the skin tones of all the children of the world. As I was researching this topic, I found a total of 8 alternative verses which I list below.
This post will discuss the history and impact this song has had over the years. I will also discuss some additional alternative lyrics you can choose from. I believe that with a simple update to a single line, this song can once again be embraced and sung without reservation to celebrate the love of Jesus.
You can click below for an easy- to -use Word document that contains the lyrics and chords for Jesus Loves the Little Children.
It contains:
- A list of 8 alternative lyrics
- Modern version lyric sheet
- Modern version with chords – keys of C and D
- The full original version of lyrics
- Full Original version with chords – key of C
Feel free to make any changes you would like so that you can print and use it for yourself, or a group sing along!
Modern Lyrics in Key of C
C
Jesus loves the little children,
G G7
All the children of the world;
C
(Every color, every race
F C
All are covered by His grace.)
G
Jesus loves the little children
G7 C
Of the world.
Verse 2:
C
Jesus died for all the children
G G7
All the children of the world
C
(Every color, every race
F C
All are covered by His grace.)
G
Jesus died for all the children
G7 C
Of the world.
Verse 3:
C
Jesus rose for all the children,
G G7
All the children of the world;
C
(Every color, every race
F C
All are covered by His grace.)
G
Jesus rose for all the children
G7 C
Of the world
Modern Lyrics in Key of D
D
Jesus loves the little children,
A A7
All the children of the world;
D
(Every color, every race
G D
All are covered by His grace.)
A
Jesus loves the little children
A7 D
Of the world.
Verse 2:
D
Jesus died for all the children
A A7
All the children of the world
D
(Every color, every race
G D
All are covered by His grace.)
A
Jesus died for all the children
A7 D
Of the world.
Verse 3:
D
Jesus rose for all the children,
A A7
All the children of the world;
D
(Every color, every race
G D
All are covered by His grace.)
A
Jesus rose for all the children
A7 D
Of the world.
The story behind "Jesus Loves the Little Children" by C. Herbert Woolston
Clarence Herbert Woolston (1856–1927) was a pastor, magician and songwriter. He grew up in New Jersy and studied for the ministry in Pennsylvania. Becoming a pastor in 1880, he served 2 congregations in New Jersey followed by over 40 years in Philidelphia! While preaching there, his congregation grew from 126 to over 1,000. He passed away shortly after a trip to Europe given to him by his congregation in honor of his 40 year anniversary there.
Woolston had an amazing ministry to children, teaching them the Bible and making it memorable through his sleight of hand magic tricks and his gospel songs.
He wrote “Jesus Loves the Little Children” in 3 stanzas and set it to the tune “Tramp Tramp Tramp” (The Prisoner’s Hope) a civil war tune by George F. Root. Root was a well-known composer in his time and wrote over 35 popular civil war tunes including “The Battle Cry of Freedom”.
Here are the beautiful 3 original Stanzas:
Jesus calls the children dear,
“Come to me and never fear,
For I love the little children of the world.
I will take you by the hand,
Lead you to the better land
For I love the little children of the world”.
Jesus is the Shepherd true,
And he’ll always stand by you,
For he loves the little children of the world.
He’s a Saviour great and strong,
And he’ll shield you from the wrong,
For he loves the little children of the world.
I am coming Lord to Thee,
And thy soldier I will be,
For he loves the little children of the world.
And his cross I’ll always bear,
And for him I’ll do and dare,
For he loves the little children of the world.
Like many songs from our past, the chorus is often all that we currently hear.
Jesus Loves the Little Children, All the children of the world. Red and yellow, black and white, They are precious in His sight. Jesus loves the little children of the world.
The newer version is listed in the next section.
For a more complete biography, umcdiscipleship.org has a wonderful article.
Popular Modern Lyrics to a Classic Song
These verses can be found in the “Baptist Hymnal” published in 1991.
“Jesus loves the little children, All the children of the world.
Red and yellow, black and white, they are precious in His sight,
Jesus loves the little children of the world”
The 2nd verse starts with: “Jesus died for all the children”
The 3rd verse starts with: “Jesus rose for all the children”
Alternative New Inclusive Lyrics that Celebrate Diversity
As I was writing this article, I found that many people over the years have also come up with new words to this song. I’m a music therapist by trade and am very sensitive to the words in lyrics. I also really appreciate the history of songs. Since words flow from the context of the times they were composed in, updating a misunderstood line can help to make a song more comfortable for all to sing again. I don’t want to alienate anyone who prefers to sing this song as written, because I think that the heart of the meaning is the all-inclusive love of Christ. But I also want to provide a resource for those who want to sing this song without the possibility of being misunderstood or appearing insensitive to cultural diversity.
There are so many alternate versions of this line, and you can choose any one of them that speaks to your heart. You can also make up your own substitution or help your children or classroom come up with their own version!
Here is a list of other new lyrics and the sources where they can be found:
- “Every nation tribe and tongue, Jesus loves them everyone”- from this post.
- “Every color, shape and size, they are precious in His eyes.” from: www.letthelittlechildrencome.com
- “Stranger, friend, and neighbor too, He loves them as He loves you.”
- ” Every color, every race, all are covered by His grace.” (“Baptist Hymnal”, 1991.)
- “Every child in every land, Jesus holds them in His Hand” -from letthelittlechildrencome.com
- “Faith and hope, joy and peace, Jesus’ Kingdom will increase” from BelowZeroJoe
“Morning evening day and night, they are precious in His sight” from catholicicing
“Big and little, short and Tall, Does not matter, not at all”
Videos Related to Jesus Loves the Little Children
I love this video from the new series “The Chosen”. It helps me visualize Jesus and the way He honored the children with His time and respect. He wants us to approach His kingdom with the heart of a child.
This video has a beautiful montage of photos of children from many nations. It shows the beauty of each child in God’s eyes. This song is based on the classic hymn but takes it in a new direction.
My girls and I love this song on TJ McCloud’s album “Playground”. It only plays the hymn at the end, but the whole song is describing how Jesus cares about the children and values each of them. It is a great way to teach children about the scriptures about Jesus and the children.
In Conclusion: Celebrate Multicultural Diversity and Christ's Love with This Beloved Song
As we hear and sing this special song, we can remember the simplicity of the message of the love Jesus has for each and every child. This is the heart of Woolston’s hymn. Even though one line is seen now as outdated or not culturally sensitive, it can easily be altered to reflect the timeless truths that Jesus taught. In Matthew 18:3 He tells us that we must turn from our sins and become like the little children to enter the kingdom of heaven.
Please feel free to share this article with others. And if you have any thoughts on this song that you would like to share, or an alternative lyric to add for others to see, please leave a comment below, I really appreciate your ideas!
For more articles about faith, family, parenting and frugal living, visit momumentalyou.com , we’d love you have you stop by! Blessings to you!
