He Touched Me Song Lyrics

Shackled by a heavy burden,
'Neath a load of guilt and shame
Then the hand of Jesus touched me,
And now I am no longer the same

He touched me, oh He touched me,
And oh the joy that floods my soul!
Something happened and now I know,
He touched me and made me whole

Since I met this blessed Savior,
Since He cleansed and made me whole,
I will never cease to praise Him,
I'll shout it while eternity rolls

He touched me, oh He touched me,
And oh the joy that floods my soul!
Something happened and now I know
He touched me and made me whole

Songwriters: William J. Gaither

Song by Bill & Gloria Gaither

While Bill Gaither was accompanying Dr. Dale Oldham on his evangelistic crusades, the preacher told him, "Bill, the word 'touch' is quite popular. It appears frequently in New Testament stories about Jesus curing people's sight or transforming their lives. It's a special, spiritual term, and you should write a song to honor His touch." So Gaither did. That week, Dr. Oldham's son Doug Oldham started singing it at meetings. Doug was the first to record the song (in 1964). Shortly after, the Bill Gaither Trio recorded it.

The Imperials covered "He Touched Me" for their 1965 album The Happy Sounds of Jake Hess and the Imperials, followed by a revised version for 1969's Love Is The Thing. Elvis Presley heard this version and decided he wanted to record it himself. On May 5, 1971, Elvis recorded it with the Imperials (as background singers) and released it as a single. It became the title track for his 1972 Grammy Award-winning album, He Touched Me. Terry Meeuwsen did a cover version of the song as her talent for Miss America 1973 in 1972, following the popularity of Elvis' rendition. She won the title.