Joy to the World
Bing Crosby Paul Weston And His Orchestra Lyrics


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Joy to the world! the lord is come
Let earth receive her king.
Let every heart prepare him room,
And heaven and nature sing (and heaven and nature sing!)
And heaven and nature sing (and heaven and nature sing!)
And heaven and heaven and nature sing.

Joy to the world! the savior reigns
Let men their songs employ
While fields and floods, rocks, hills, and plains
Repeat the sounding joy (repeat the sounding joy!)
Repeat the sounding joy (repeat the sounding joy!)
Repeat, repeat the sounding joy.

He rules the world with truth and grace,
And makes the nations prove
The glories of his righteousness,
And wonders of his love (and wonders of his love!)




And wonders of his love (and wonders of his love!)
And wonders, and wonders of his love.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Joy to the World evoke the joyous occasion of the birth of Jesus Christ, as celebrated in the Christian tradition. The phrase "the lord is come" refers to the arrival of the prophesized messiah, and the plea for "earth," or all of humanity, to "receive her king" suggests a need for collective readiness and willingness to accept him. The line "Let every heart prepare him room" emphasizes the personal, spiritual nature of this call to action, and the repetition of "and heaven and nature sing" underscores the harmonious, universal nature of this occasion.


In the second verse, the focus shifts to celebrating the reign of the savior and the need for humanity to employ song to express their joy. The imagery of "fields and floods, rocks, hills, and plains" expressing "the sounding joy" suggests a sense of all-encompassing celebration and a recognition of the unity and connectedness of all things in the natural world.


The final verse reiterates the theme of divine rule and righteousness, with the lyrics "He rules the world with truth and grace" underscoring the importance of living a life of integrity and compassion. The lines "And wonders of his love" serves as a testament to the boundless love and mercy of God.


Interestingly, Joy to the World was not originally intended as a Christmas carol, but rather as a hymn celebrating the second coming of Christ. Additionally, the music was originally composed and written not by Bing Crosby or Paul Weston, but by English composer George Frideric Handel in his work Messiah.


Line by Line Meaning

Joy to the world! the lord is come
Rejoice, for the Lord has arrived on Earth.


Let earth receive her king.
May the Earth welcome its ruler with open arms.


Let every heart prepare him room,
May every person make space in their heart for the king's arrival.


And heaven and nature sing (and heaven and nature sing!)
The heavens and nature rejoice at the coming of the king.


And heaven and heaven and nature sing.
Even heaven cannot contain its excitement at the king's arrival, joining in with nature's song of joy.


Joy to the world! the savior reigns
Rejoice, for the savior has taken his place as ruler.


Let men their songs employ
Let people sing out in celebration of the savior's reign.


While fields and floods, rocks, hills, and plains
All aspects of nature, from the fields to the floods, join in the song of joy.


Repeat the sounding joy (repeat the sounding joy!)
Let the song of joy be repeated, echoing throughout the world.


Repeat, repeat the sounding joy.
Don't stop singing out in celebration, continue repeating the song of joy.


He rules the world with truth and grace,
The savior governs the world with fairness and compassion.


And makes the nations prove
The nations are shown and prove the glory of the savior's righteousness.


The glories of his righteousness,
The magnificence of the savior's just actions are made apparent.


And wonders of his love (and wonders of his love!)
And the magnificent wonders of the savior's love are revealed.


And wonders of his love (and wonders of his love!)
And the amazing, miraculous nature of his love continues to be made clear.


And wonders, and wonders of his love.
Over and again, the wondrous nature of the savior's love is revealed.




Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS

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