HE LOOKED BEYOND MY FAULT AND SAW MY NEED

By

Lyrics by Dottie Rambo
(to tune of "Londerry Aire")

Galatians 5:1 "Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage."

    One of the most prolific contemporary gospel and hymn writers of today is Dottie Rambo whose early years were lived in the hill country of Kentucky during the great depression. She became aware of her God given talent at the age of eight while playing in a nearby creek. The lyric and music of her first song sprang into her mind like water gushing from a mountain spring. She ran to the house and sang it for her mother. Her mother asked, "Did you hear this somewhere?" "No, Mamma," Dottie replied. "It came from me."

    By the age of ten, Dottie mastered the guitar and began singing mostly country songs on a local radio station. Her father envisioned her attaining great acclaim as a country singer, but Dottie was to follow a different path to fame as a writer of inspired Christian oriented music. This change occurred following her conversion at the age of twelve--an event which opened a new door for her talents. Her first opportunity came soon after when she was invited to sing in Indianapolis, Indiana. The event was a resounding success catapulting her into a lifelong endeavor of composing and performing music that inspired millions around the world.

    Dottie married Buck Rambo and had her daughter, Reba, by the 1950s. It would not be long before other singing groups started singing her songs. One of the first was the Happy Goodman Family whose performances caught the attention of Jimmy Davis, Governor of Louisiana. After listening to Dottie perform several of her songs, he offered to finance their publication. She and her group, The Gospel Echoes, soon signed a two-record contract with Warner Brothers Records, but the arrangement failed when the studio pressured her to do Rhythm and Blues.

    Dottie continued to pursue her dream and won the Grammy award for her album, The Soul of Me, in 1968. The rest of her story is filled with tragedy and acclaim. Health problems were destined to plague her but could never squelch her zeal to write inspirational songs.

    It is not easy to select a single favorite song out of the thousands which she has written; however, two have to be near if not at the top. The first is, He Looked Beyond My Faults (And Saw My Need). It was written while she was caring for her brother, who was battling terminal cancer, that she was inspired to pen this song. She managed to guide him to a saving experience with Jesus during this time. He was so inspired by this song that he asked Dottie to sing it at his funeral. It was destined to be performed by many famous singers, including Barbara Mandrell and Larry Gatlin. Governor Davis urged her for many years to write inspirational lyrics for the tune of Londerry Aire, better known as, Danny Boy. He Looked Beyond My Faults was a perfect match, which magnified the songs impact.

HE LOOKED BEYOND MY FAULT AND SAW MY NEED

Amazing Grace, shall always be my song of praise.
For it was grace that brought me liberty,
I do not know, just why He came to love me so.
He looked beyond my fault and saw my need.

I shall forever lift mine eyes to Calvary,
To view the cross, where Jesus died for me
How marvelous, His grace that caught my falling soul
He Looked beyond my fault and saw my need.

Credits:  You Tube; The Rambo Trio