I Saw It
Barenaked Ladies Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

I saw three ships come sailing in
On Christmas Day, on Christmas Day
I saw three ships come sailing in
On Christmas Day in the morning

And all the bells on earth shall ring
On Christmas Day, on Christmas Day
And all the bells on earth shall ring
On Christmas Day in the morning

Let us all rejoice again
On Christmas Day, on Christmas Day
Let us all rejoice again
On Christmas Day in the morning

I saw three ships come sailing in
On Christmas Day, on Christmas Day




I saw three ships come sailing in
On Christmas Day in the morning

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of "I Saw Three Ships" is a traditional English carol that originates from the 17th century. The song tells the story of the sighting of three ships sailing in on Christmas Day morning. According to the symbolism commonly associated with the song, the three ships refer to the three wise men who traveled to Bethlehem to bring gifts to the Baby Jesus.


The opening verse of the song sets the scene with the sighting of the three ships on Christmas Day morning. The second verse talks about the bells ringing all around the world to mark the joyous occasion of Christmas. The final verse is a call to rejoice and celebrate Christmas once again, as the ships represent the miracle of Jesus' birth.


The song is often performed in a lively manner, with instruments such as the guitar, fiddle, and accordion. The rousing melody and the upbeat rhythm make it perfect for singing and dancing during the festive season.


Line by Line Meaning

I saw three ships come sailing in
The singer saw three ships arriving on Christmas Day


On Christmas Day, on Christmas Day
The day the ships arrived was Christmas Day


And all the bells on earth shall ring
All the bells across the planet will ring in celebration


On Christmas Day, on Christmas Day
The day on which the bells will ring is Christmas Day


And all the bells on earth shall ring
All the bells across the planet will ring in celebration


On Christmas Day in the morning
The morning of Christmas Day is when the bells will ring


Let us all rejoice again
The singer encourages everyone to celebrate once more


On Christmas Day, on Christmas Day
The day of celebration is Christmas Day


Let us all rejoice again
The artist encourages everyone to celebrate once more


On Christmas Day in the morning
The morning of Christmas Day is when the artist suggests everyone celebrate


I saw three ships come sailing in
The singer saw three ships arriving on Christmas Day


On Christmas Day, on Christmas Day
The day the ships arrived was Christmas Day


I saw three ships come sailing in
The singer saw three ships arriving on Christmas Day


On Christmas Day in the morning
The ships arrived on Christmas Day in the morning




Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: DP, Steven Page, Ed Robertson, Kevin Hearn, Jim Creeggan, Tyler Stewart

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found

More Versions