Good King Wenceslas
Bing Crosby Lyrics


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Good King Wenceslas looked out
On the Feast of Stephen
When the snow lay round about
Deep and crisp and even
Brightly shone the moon that night
Though the frost was cruel
When a poor man came in sight
Gathering winter fuel

Hither, page, and stand by me,
If thou knowst it, telling
Yonder peasant, who is he?
Where and what his dwelling?
Sire, he lives a good league hence,
Underneath the mountain
Right against the forest fence
By Saint Agnes fountain.

Bring me flesh and bring me wine
Bring me pine logs hither
Thou and I shall see him dine
When we bear them thither.
Page and monarch, forth they went
Forth they went together
Through the rude winds wild lament
And the bitter weather

Sire, the night is darker now
And the wind blows stronger
Fails my heart, I know not how
I can go no longer.
Mark my footsteps, good my page
Tread thou in them boldly
Thou shall find the winters rage
Freeze thy blood less coldly.

In his masters step he trod
Where the snow lay dinted
Heat was in the very sod
Which the Saint had printed
Therefore, Christian men, be sure
Wealth or rank possessing




Ye, who now will bless the poor
Shall yourselves find blessing.

Overall Meaning

The song Good King Wenceslas tells the story of a real person, King Wenceslas I of Bohemia who was known for his generosity and kindness to the poor. The lyrics describe him on the Feast of Stephen, which is the day after Christmas, looking out and seeing a poor man trying to gather winter fuel in the midst of deep snow and harsh weather. The king is moved with compassion and asks his page to join him in bringing food and logs to the poor man's home. The page's fear of the bitter weather and harsh conditions is alleviated by the king's words of encouragement to follow in his footsteps and find warmth in the places where Saint Agnes had trod.


The lyrics present a powerful message of generosity and compassion, urging the listeners to follow in the footsteps of King Wenceslas and bless the poor. Furthermore, it suggests that those who do so will be blessed in return. The song also carries a clear Christian message, with references to Saint Agnes and the implication that the heat in the sod where the king and page treaded was due to the saint's divine power. Good King Wenceslas inspires those who hear the song, to act kindly and to spread joy to others, to be aware of the needs of those around us, and to respond with generosity where possible.


Line by Line Meaning

Good King Wenceslas looked out
The king gazed outside his window


On the Feast of Stephen
It was the holiday of Saint Stephen's Day


When the snow lay round about
Snow covered the lands


Deep and crisp and even
The snow was thick and evenly spread


Brightly shone the moon that night
The moon illuminated the surroundings


Though the frost was cruel
Despite the harsh frost


When a poor man came in sight
A destitute man was spotted


Gathering winter fuel
Collecting items to keep warm


Hither, page, and stand by me,
Come here, servant, and stand beside me


If thou knowst it, telling
Inform me if you know who that is


Yonder peasant, who is he?
Who is that commoner over there?


Where and what his dwelling?
Where does he live, what is his home like?


Sire, he lives a good league hence,
He lives a fair distance from here, my lord


Underneath the mountain
Near the base of the mountain


Right against the forest fence
Next to the fence surrounding the woods


By Saint Agnes fountain.
Close to the fountain of Saint Agnes


Bring me flesh and bring me wine
Bring me meat and alcohol


Bring me pine logs hither
Fetch some pine wood to burn


Thou and I shall see him dine
We'll observe him eat


When we bear them thither.
When we carry these things over


Page and monarch, forth they went
The servant and king set out


Forth they went together
They travelled jointly


Through the rude winds wild lament
In spite of the harsh, grieving gusts


And the bitter weather
And the chilly climate


Sire, the night is darker now
My lord, the night is even darker now


And the wind blows stronger
And the wind is more intense


Fails my heart, I know not how
My heart weakens, I don't know why


I can go no longer.
I can't continue any further


Mark my footsteps, good my page
Take note of my footprints, my trustworthy servant


Tread thou in them boldly
Confidently walk in them


Thou shall find the winters rage
You'll experience the wrath of winter


Freeze thy blood less coldly.
But your blood will be less cold


In his masters step he trod
He followed his master's steps


Where the snow lay dinted
Where the snow was compressed and marked


Heat was in the very sod
The heat was still present in the ground


Which the Saint had printed
From where Saint Wenceslas had walked


Therefore, Christian men, be sure
So, Christians, be certain


Wealth or rank possessing
Whether you have wealth or status


Ye, who now will bless the poor
Those who wish to bless the unfortunate


Shall yourselves find blessing.
Shall discover blessings themselves.




Lyrics © Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada (SOCAN), BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Capitol CMG Publishing, Songtrust Ave, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: James Morgan, Juliette Pochin, Dp

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

@timbates3050

This is the only context in which a man with a deep voice saying "bring me flesh" is heartwarming.

@donyawicken2521

😂

@UncleJakesRaidersVideos

😂

@thishouseofglass

lmao

@Littlelewie151

I'm in tears!

@bifnasty

Fantastic comment.

@majorpayne100

No auto tune 🎶

@ironcladvee6229

My favorite Xmas song

@ILoveStorms

CHRISTmas, not Xmas!

@ironcladvee6229

@@ILoveStorms Wow. You must be an atheist. Give Jesus credit, He was actually very intelligent. He knows what people mean when they say “Xmas”. How rude.

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