Anne Murray Duets: Friends & Legends showcases a wide variety of Anne's favorite female vocalists. Among the album’s tracks and collaborating artists are "Snowbird" with Sarah Brightman, "You Needed Me" with Shania Twain, "Nobody Loves Me Like You Do" with Anne’s daughter Dawn Langstroth, "Danny's Song" with Martina McBride, “Another Pot O’ Tea” with Emmylou Harris, “A Little Good News” with Indigo Girls, “Cotton Jenny" with Olivia Newton-John, “Could I Have This Dance” with Amy Grant, “Daydream Believer” with Nelly Furtado, “A Love Song” with k.d. lang, “Time Don’t Run Out On Me” with the song’s writer, Carole King, and more.
In 1979, Anne and Dusty Springfield each recorded the song "I Just Fall In Love Again." Anne's version became a hit single that garnered her Canada’s Juno Award for "Single of the Year" in 1980. Anne and Dusty remained friends until Dusty’s passing in 1999, and for Anne, releasing an album with this type of sisterly theme wouldn't seem complete without Dusty's inclusion. With the blessing of the Springfield family and estate, a new version pairing Dusty's original with Anne’s newly recorded vocals is featured on the album.
Anne Murray Duets: Friends & Legends was produced by one of the most respected music producers in the world, Phil Ramone (Tony Bennett, Bob Dylan, Elton John, Barbra Streisand, Billy Joel), who counts 14 Grammy Awards and 32 Grammy nominations among his many honors. Together, Anne and Phil decided they would treat the songs on their own terms and not adhere rigidly to the arrangements of Anne’s classic versions. While Anne had designs on how she imagined the arrangements, she gave Phil free rein to rework the songs.
“We approached the sessions as if we were just handed these songs and told to make this record,” explains Ramone. “While arrangements were changed, there are also licks on some songs that I didn’t mess with. We stayed true to the song.”
Working with Anne for the first time, Ramone adds, was an easy task. “What I love about Anne is there are no words minced about whatever she feels,” he says. “This is not a person you have to think, ‘Will she tell me the truth?’ When we met for a few hours in Michigan before we started, we agreed we wanted to bring some daring ideas and some freshness to this album.”
“I said to Phil,” joked Anne, “The only reason I asked you was that I’m the only singer left that you haven’t worked with!”
“I’ve done duets throughout my career,” Anne says. “I did duets when I started out on (CBC Television’s) ‘Singalong Jubilee.’ I did a duets album in 1971 with Glen Campbell. Growing up I did lot of group singing at school and sang with my brothers. I’ve always loved singing harmony.”
Since releasing her debut album in 1967, Anne Murray has been honored with a spectacular number of awards. She is the proud recipient of four Grammy Awards, three American Music Awards, three Country Music Association Awards, three Canadian Country Music Association Awards and twenty-four Juno Awards. Anne has also been honored with the Legacy Award from the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame (2006), the East Coast Music Association Directors' Special Achievement Award (2001), induction into the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame (2002), and induction into the Juno Hall of Fame (1993).
Anne Murray will tour to several U.S. cities in February and March 2008 (confirmed tour dates listed below). For updates and additional information, visit Anne Murray’s official Website: www.annemurray.com
In 2011, Billboard ranked her 10th on their list of the 50 Biggest Adult Contemporary Artists Ever, and on July 1, 2017, in celebration of Canada’s 150th Anniversary, the Toronto Sun listed Anne at #1 in Canada’s Top 160 Influences that helped define Canadian culture!
Mary's Little Boy Child
Anne Murray Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
So the Holy Bible says
Mary's Boy Child, Jesus Christ
Was born on Christmas Day.
Hark, now hear the angels sing
New King's born today
And man will live forevermore
While shepherds watched their flocks by night
They saw a bright new shining star
And heard a choir from heaven sing
The music came from afar.
Hark, now hear the angels sing,
New King's born today
And man will live forevermore
Because of Christmas day.
Now Joseph and his wife Mary
Came to Bethlehem that night
They found no place to bear her Child
Not a single room was in sight.
By and by they found a little nook
In a stable all forlorn
And in a manger cold and dark
Mary's little Boy Child was born.
Trumpets sound and angels sing
Listen to what they say
That man will live forevermore
Because of Christmas day...
The song "Mary's Little Boy Child" by Anne Murray is a retelling of the story of the birth of Jesus Christ, as told in the Holy Bible. The lyrics describe a scene in Bethlehem a "long time ago," where Mary's son, Jesus Christ, was born on Christmas Day. The song invites listeners to "Hark" and "hear" the angels sing, announcing the birth of a new king. The phrase "Hark, now hear the angels sing" is repeated twice in the song, emphasizing the importance and wonder of the event being celebrated.
The second verse of the song describes how shepherds watching their flocks by night saw a bright new shining star and heard singing from heaven. This represents the traditional story of how the shepherds were the first to hear the news of Jesus' birth and were directed by the angels to visit him in the stable where he was born. The chorus is repeated, emphasizing the eternal impact of the birth of Jesus, as the line " man will live forevermore because of Christmas Day" is repeated twice more.
The third and final verse tells of Joseph and Mary's journey to Bethlehem, where they found no place to bear her child. Eventually, they found a shelter in a stable, where Mary's little Boy Child was born. The chorus is repeated one final time, with the addition of trumpets to the sounds of angels singing. The song concludes with a reminder of the eternal significance of the birth of Jesus.
Line by Line Meaning
Long time ago in Bethlehem
Once upon a time, in the city of Bethlehem,
So the Holy Bible says
As it is written in the Holy Bible,
Mary's Boy Child, Jesus Christ
Mary gave birth to a baby boy, who is called Jesus Christ,
Was born on Christmas Day.
And this happened on the day we now call Christmas,
Hark, now hear the angels sing
Listen carefully, you can now hear the angels singing,
New King's born today
A new King has been born today,
And man will live forevermore
This is great news because humans will now live forever,
Because of Christmas day.
Thanks to Christmas day,
While shepherds watched their flocks by night
As the shepherds were tending their sheep at night,
They saw a bright new shining star
They spotted a bright new star in the sky,
And heard a choir from heaven sing
They also heard a choir from heaven singing,
The music came from afar.
The music sounded like it was coming from a long distance,
Now Joseph and his wife Mary
At the same time, Joseph and Mary,
Came to Bethlehem that night
Arrived in Bethlehem that same night,
They found no place to bear her Child
Unfortunately, they could not find a place to give birth to the baby,
Not a single room was in sight.
There was not even one room available for them,
By and by they found a little nook
However, eventually they found a small space,
In a stable all forlorn
It was a stable that was deserted,
And in a manger cold and dark
And in a cold and dark manger,
Mary's little Boy Child was born.
Mary gave birth to the little boy on that same night.
Trumpets sound and angels sing
The trumpets were sounded and angels continued to sing,
Listen to what they say
It's important to listen carefully to their message,
That man will live forevermore
Because of the birth of Jesus Christ, every human will now live forever,
Because of Christmas day...
And to be more specific, this is only possible because of the day we celebrate as Christmas.
Contributed by Charlotte D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Robert Thompson
on Me Too
Lyrics found here are completely wrong; completely different song.