During the next two decades Carman changed the face of Christian music and evolved contemporary evangelism into what it is today. Carman established "Carman World Outreach," a non-profit organization that helps touch the lives of literally millions of people worldwide. Billboard Magazine recognized Carman's influence in Christian music by first naming him "Contemporary Christian Artist of the Year" in 1990. He has received numerous gold and platinum albums and videos. Even with all this success, the heartbeat of this Champion for Christ continues to beat strong for the souls of people who need Jesus. As an outflow of this passion, Carman had more than 50,000 people attend his "Music for Peace" crusade in Johannesburg, South Africa. These numbers topped the charts as his largest concert crusade ever, until more than 70,000 people packed the legendary Texas Stadium, making it the largest Christian concert in history.
For over 26 years, Carman has entertained, encouraged and preached the Gospel to millions-crossing denominational, cultural and ethnic lines. During this time, he has never compromised the call to take the Gospel to every person.
Carman died on February 16, 2021 (28 days after his 65th birthday) in a Las Vegas hospital, after a series of complications resulting from surgery to repair a hiatal hernia. He was survived by his ex-wife, five stepchildren and ten step-grandchildren.
For Unto You
Carman Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Now there were in the same country shepherds, living out in the fields
Keeping watch over their flock by night
And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them
And the glory of the Lord shone around them
And they were greatly afraid
And the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid, for behold
I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people."
For unto You is born this day
In the city of David
A Mighty Savior,
Christ, the Lord
For unto You is born this day
In the city of David
A Mighty Savior,
Christ, the Lord
And this shall be a sign to know
A baby wrapped in swaddling clothes
Lying in the manger lo
Christ, the Lord,
For unto You is born this day
In the city of David
A Mighty Savior,
Christ, the Lord, oh
For unto You is born this day
In the city of David
A Mighty Savior,
Christ, the Lord
And this shall be a sign to know
A baby wrapped in swaddling clothes
He will be lying in a manger lo
Christ, the Lord
Spoken:
For unto a child is born
Unto us a Son is given
And the government will be upon His shoulder
And His name will be called
Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace,
Of the increase of his government and peace
There will be no end
Upon the throne of David and over his kingdom
To order it and establish it
With judgment and justice
From that time forward and even forevermore
And the zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this
And this shall be a sign to know
A baby wrapped in swaddling clothes
He will be lying in a manger lo
Christ, the Lord
And this shall be a sign to know
A baby wrapped in swaddling clothes
He will be lying in a manger lo
Christ, the Lord
For unto You is born this day
In the city of David
Unto You is born this day
In the city of David
The song For Unto You by Carman is a Christmas song that retells the story of the birth of Jesus Christ, as described in the Bible. The lyrics start by quoting Luke 2:8-10, which tells of the shepherds who were visited by an angel who brought them news of the birth of a Savior in the city of David. The angel tells the shepherds not to be afraid, as the news he brings is good tidings of great joy for all people. The chorus of the song repeats the message of the angel, declaring that a Mighty Savior, Christ the Lord, has been born.
The second half of the song includes a spoken portion that quotes Isaiah 9:6-7, which prophesies the coming of a child who will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace. This child will be given the government, and his kingdom will have no end. The song returns to the theme of the shepherds, repeating the description of the sign they were given to recognize the Savior: a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. The final line of the song repeats the phrase "For unto You is born this day, in the city of David," placing the listener in the position of the shepherds who received the angel's message.
Overall, For Unto You is a joyful and celebratory song that proclaims the birth of Jesus Christ as the fulfillment of prophecy and the hope of salvation for all people.
Line by Line Meaning
Now there were in the same country shepherds, living out in the fields
In the countryside, there were shepherds who lived and worked outside all the time
Keeping watch over their flock by night
They were watching their herd of animals during the night
And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them
Suddenly, they saw an angel of the Lord appear in front of them
And the glory of the Lord shone around them
The presence of the Lord was shining brightly all around them
And they were greatly afraid
The shepherds were filled with fear at the sight and presence of the angel and the Lord
And the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid, for behold
The angel reassured them not to be afraid, saying
I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people."
I am here to tell you wonderful news that will bring great joy to everyone.
For unto You is born this day
On this very day, a baby has been born
In the city of David
In the city of David, which is Bethlehem
A Mighty Savior,
This baby is a powerful Savior
Christ, the Lord
This baby is Christ, the Lord
And this shall be a sign to know
To recognize this baby, there will be a sign
A baby wrapped in swaddling clothes
The baby will be wrapped up in strips of cloth
Lying in the manger lo
The baby will be lying in a feeding trough
For unto a child is born
A child has been born
Unto us a Son is given
This son has been given to us
And the government will be upon His shoulder
He will have responsibility for the government
And His name will be called
There will be several names that people will call Him
Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
Some of His names will include Wonderful Counselor and Mighty God
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace,
Some of His names will include Everlasting Father and Prince of Peace
Of the increase of his government and peace
His government and peace will continue to grow
There will be no end
His government and peace will never end
Upon the throne of David and over his kingdom
He will rule on the throne of David and over his kingdom
To order it and establish it
He will organize and establish His rule
With judgment and justice
He will make decisions with fairness and righteousness
From that time forward and even forevermore
His rule will last forever, from that time on
And the zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this
The Lord's passion will make sure that this happens
Contributed by Alice J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.