The group is comprised of Tony Borowiak, Jamie Jones, Delious Kennedy, and Alfred Nevarez. All of them were from the Mojave, California City, and Hesperia areas of California. As stated before, they are best known for "I Swear", which was also nominated for Song Of The Year at the Grammys (as was the single "I Can Love You Like That", another remake of a Montgomery country song, the following year). All-4-One almost became transatlantic chart toppers, blocked only by Wet Wet Wet's cover "Love Is All Around" (originally by The Troggs) for the soundtrack to the 1994 film 'Four Weddings and a Funeral' (that cover spent 15 weeks at number one in the U.K. Singles Chart).
Many people often mistake All-4-One songs for those done by Boyz II Men, another popular 90s R&B group. This is due to their very similar music style as well as the fact that both artists had the height of their popularity in around 1994 or so. At any rate, All-4-One achieved considerable airplay for years afterwards.
However, declining sales led to the group leaving the Atlantic Records label after the release of the album 'On and On' in 1999. Still, even the shift in labels did not help shore up the group's flagging popularity, as the follow-up album, 'A41', and its lead single "Not Ready 4 Goodbye" both failed to chart in the U.S. (although their next single, "Beautiful As You", was a minor Adult Contemporary hit). Their 2004 album, titled 'Split Personality', was given an Asia-only release.
All-4-One later signed a new record deal with the label Peak Concord. Their seventh album (and, to date, their latest), titled 'No Regrets', came out in September 2009. That release is perhaps best known for featuring the song "Key to Your Heart". As well, the group's iconic singles "I Swear" and "I Can Love You Like That" have continued to receive airplay and praise over the years.
Website: http://www.all-4-one.com/
The First Noel
All-4-One Lyrics
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Was to certain poor shepherds in fields as they lay,
In fields where they lay keeping their sheep
On a cold winter's night that was so deep,
Noel, noel, noel, noel,
Born is the king of israel
They looked up and saw a star
And to the earth it gave great light
And so it continued both day and night
Noel, noel, noel, noel,
Born is the king of israel
This star true light to the northwest
Over bethlehem it took it's rest
And there it did stop and stay
Right over the place where jesus lay
Noel, noel, noel, noel,
Born is the king of israel
Noel, noel, noel, noel,
Born is the king of israel
The lyrics of All-4-One’s “The First Noel” tell the story of the birth of Jesus Christ as told by the angels to the shepherds. The song opens with the familiar line “The first noel the angels did say” and describes how the angels appeared to the shepherds in a field and announced the birth of Jesus. The shepherds then followed the bright star that appeared in the sky and led them to Jesus, who was lying in a manger in Bethlehem.
The lyrics are rich in symbolism and draw on familiar images associated with the story of Jesus’ birth. The cold and dark night is contrasted with the bright star that shines in the east, symbolizing hope and the arrival of a new king. The shepherds are presented as humble and poor, but they are chosen to be the first to receive the news of Jesus’ birth, highlighting the themes of humility and grace.
The chorus of “The First Noel” repeats the phrase “Born is the king of Israel” four times, emphasizing the significance and importance of Jesus’ birth. The song ends with the image of the star stopping over the place where Jesus lay, signifying that Jesus is the center of the story and the focus of our worship.
Line by Line Meaning
The first noel the angels did say,
The angels proclaimed the first noel,
Was to certain poor shepherds in fields as they lay,
The angels spread this message to poor shepherds who were in the fields,
In fields where they lay keeping their sheep
The shepherds were lying in the fields, watching over their flock of sheep,
On a cold winter's night that was so deep,
It was a cold, deep winter night when this happened,
Noel, noel, noel, noel,
Noel was repeated four times,
Born is the king of israel
It means that the king of Israel was born,
They looked up and saw a star
The shepherds raised their gaze and saw a shining star,
Shining in the east beyond them afar
It was shining somewhere in the east far away from them,
And to the earth it gave great light
The star shone brightly and illuminated the entire earth,
And so it continued both day and night
The star continued to shine both day and night,
This star true light to the northwest
The star led them to the northwest,
Over bethlehem it took it's rest
The star rested over Bethlehem,
And there it did stop and stay
The star stopped and remained there,
Right over the place where jesus lay
And it was right over the place where Jesus was born,
Noel, noel, noel, noel,
Noel was repeated four more times,
Born is the king of israel
The King of Israel was born.
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing, CAPITOL CHRISTIAN MUSIC GROUP, Budde Music Publishing GmbH, BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Capitol CMG Publishing, Downtown Music Publishing, Songtrust Ave
Written by: KIRK FRANKLIN, DAVID W. FOSTER, JOCHEM VAN DER SAAG, DP
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind