Everyone has that one song. You know the one—the melody that feels like it’s been around since the dawn of time, even if you only heard it for the first time last Sunday. If you grew up anywhere near a church pew, the this is my story song lyrics are probably burned into your brain. But here’s the thing: most people just call it "Blessed Assurance." It’s one of those rare pieces of music that transcends denominations. It’s played at funerals. It’s belted out at weddings. It’s hummed by grandmothers over kitchen sinks.
What makes it stick? It’s not just the catchy 9/8 time signature or the way the chorus swells. It’s the sheer audacity of the lyrics. In a world where everything feels shaky, this song claims "perfect submission" and "perfect delight." Honestly, it’s a lot to live up to. But when you look at the woman who wrote it, Fanny Crosby, the words start to make a lot more sense. She wasn't writing from a place of easy comfort. She was writing from a life that, on paper, looked pretty difficult.
The Blind Poet and the This Is My Story Song Lyrics
Fanny Crosby was a powerhouse. Let’s just get that out of the way. She lost her sight when she was only six weeks old because of a medical mishap—basically, a doctor applied a mustard poultice to her eyes to treat an infection, and it caused permanent scarring. Most people in the 19th century would have written her off. Instead, she became one of the most prolific hymnists in history, churning out over 8,000 poems and songs.
The story goes that in 1873, her friend Phoebe Knapp—who was a talented musician and the wife of the founder of Metropolitan Life Insurance—came over with a new melody. Phoebe played the tune on the piano and asked, "Fanny, what does the music say to you?"
Without missing a beat, Fanny replied, "Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine!"
The rest of the this is my story song lyrics poured out from there. It wasn't a long, labored process. It was an explosion of what she was already feeling. When you read the lines "Heir of salvation, purchase of God, born of His Spirit, washed in His blood," you aren't just reading theology. You're reading the personal manifesto of a woman who refused to be defined by her lack of physical sight. She was obsessed with the idea of "vision." Notice how many times the lyrics mention seeing? "Visions of rapture now burst on my sight." That’s not an accident. It’s a bold statement from someone who lived in physical darkness but felt they had a clearer view of reality than anyone else.
Why We Keep Singing These Words
Why do we still care about lyrics written over 150 years ago? Seriously. Think about how much music has changed. We’ve gone from ragtime to rock to synth-pop, and yet, the "this is my story" refrain remains a staple.
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Part of it is the psychological power of narrative. Humans are wired for stories. When the chorus kicks in with "This is my story, this is my song," it invites the singer to insert their own life into the music. It’s an ownership thing. You aren't just singing Fanny’s story; you’re claiming your own.
The Breakdowns of the Stanzas
If you look closely at the verses, they follow a very specific emotional arc.
The first verse is all about identity. It establishes who the singer is in relation to the divine. It uses legal and biological terms: "heir," "purchase," "born." It’s about belonging.
The second verse shifts to the supernatural. This is where it gets a bit "trippy" for lack of a better word. "Angels descending, bring from above, echoes of mercy, whispers of love." It’s a sensory overload. For a writer who couldn't see, Fanny relied heavily on sound ("echoes," "whispers") and feeling.
Then you hit the third verse. This is the "zen" moment. "Perfect submission, all is at rest." In our 2026 world of 24/7 notifications and burnout, that line feels like a cool glass of water. It’s the idea that you can stop striving. You can just... be. "Watching and waiting, looking above, filled with His goodness, lost in His love." That "lost" part is key. It’s the total surrender of the ego.
Misconceptions About the Hymn
People often think old hymns are stuffy or rigid. But the this is my story song lyrics are actually pretty radical. In the late 1800s, many religious circles focused heavily on guilt and the "wretchedness" of humanity. Crosby flipped the script. Her lyrics focus almost entirely on joy and assurance.
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There’s also a common mistake where people mix up the lyrics with other "story" songs. Don't confuse this with "I Love to Tell the Story" or the more modern "This Is My Story" by Big Daddy Weave (though that one is also great). Crosby’s version is the blueprint.
Another thing? People assume she was miserable because she was blind. She actually once said that if she could have been born with sight, she wouldn't have wanted it. She believed that when she got to heaven, the first face she would ever see would be her Savior's. That kind of perspective is what fuels the "rapture" mentioned in the second verse. It's not just poetic fluff; it's her literal worldview.
The Technical Side of the Tune
Let’s talk about the music for a second, because the lyrics don’t live in a vacuum. Phoebe Knapp’s melody is what carries the this is my story song lyrics into your soul.
It’s written in 9/8 time. Most pop songs are in 4/4. Most waltzes are in 3/4. A 9/8 time signature gives it a lilting, swaying feel—almost like a cradle rocking. It’s comforting. It doesn’t march; it flows. If you try to sing it like a soldier marching, it feels wrong. You have to lean into the "1-2-3, 4-5-6, 7-8-9" pulse.
Cultural Impact Beyond the Church
The song has leaked into secular culture in ways you might not expect. It’s been covered by everyone from Alan Jackson to Carrie Underwood to CeCe Winans. Each artist brings a different flavor to the this is my story song lyrics.
- Alan Jackson's version: Stripped down, country, feels like a porch at sunset.
- CeCe Winans: Powerful, soulful, emphasizes the "rapture" and "ecstasy" of the lyrics.
- Gospel Choirs: Often turn the chorus into a call-and-response anthem that can last ten minutes.
This versatility is why the song hasn't died. You can play it on a pipe organ or an acoustic guitar, and the message remains intact. It’s "skinny" enough to fit into any genre but "fat" enough to carry heavy emotional weight.
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Real-World Application: How to Use These Lyrics Today
It’s easy to treat these words as a relic. But if you’re looking for a way to actually apply the sentiment of the this is my story song lyrics to your life, you have to look at the "assurance" part. Assurance isn't the same as "knowing everything." It’s a gut feeling. It’s a decision to trust.
If you’re struggling with your own "story," here are a few ways to engage with this classic:
- Journal the "Refrain": Write down what your "story" and "song" actually are right now. If you had to summarize your life in two lines, what would they be? Are they lines of hope or lines of struggle?
- Listen to Different Interpretations: Go on YouTube or Spotify and find three wildly different versions of the song. Notice how the lyrics change meaning based on the tempo and the singer’s voice.
- Practice "Perfect Submission": This doesn't have to be religious. It can just be about letting go of things you can't control. For five minutes, try to embody the line "all is at rest."
The "this is my story" part of the hymn is an invitation to be honest. It’s a reminder that everyone is writing a narrative. Some chapters are messy. Some are heartbreaking. But the song argues that the ending—the "assurance"—is already written.
Final Insights on the This Is My Story Song Lyrics
Fanny Crosby died in 1915 at the age of 94. She wrote until the very end. On her tombstone, it doesn't list her accolades or the number of songs she sold. It simply has the first verse of her favorite hymn.
"Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine! Oh, what a foretaste of glory divine!"
The this is my story song lyrics endure because they tap into a universal human desire: the need to belong and the need to be heard. We all want to be able to stand up and say, "This is who I am, and I'm okay with it." Whether you're singing it in a cathedral or huming it in traffic, the song serves as a grounding wire. It’s a reminder that even when you can't see what's coming next, you can still have a song.
To truly appreciate the depth of this hymn, don't just read the words on a screen. Go find a recording that resonates with you. Pay attention to the way the words "story" and "song" repeat. There's a reason for that repetition. It's an anchor. If you repeat something enough, you start to believe it. And in a world that's constantly trying to tell you who you are, having a "story" of your own is the most powerful thing you can possess.
Next Steps for Deepening Your Connection:
- Research the "Hymn Explosion": Look into the late 19th-century American hymn writers like Ira Sankey and Robert Lowry to see how Crosby’s work fit into the larger "Gospel Song" movement.
- Analyze the Metaphors: Take the second verse and look up the biblical references for "angels descending" and "whispers of love"—it adds a whole new layer to the poetry.
- Create Your Own "Refrain": Use the structure of the chorus (This is my ___, this is my ___) to write a personal mantra that you can use during stressful moments.