Discovered by, among others, contemporary Christian music legend Steven Curtis Chapman, Casting Crowns got a recording contract and vaulted to popularity in 2003 with songs such as If We Are the Body and Who Am I. The Until The Whole World Hears Songfacts reports that Casting Crown's 2009 Until The Whole World Hears album recorded 167,000 sales in its first week, the largest selling debut week sales figures by a Christian artist in Nielsen Soundscan history.
Over the past eight years, Atlanta based Casting Crowns has consistently delivered music that points believers back to what truly matters.
Since its launch in 2003 the band has garnered 14 GMA Dove Awards, three GRAMMY Awards and an American Music Award. In addition, the band has seen three RIAA Platinum Albums (Casting Crowns, Lifesong, Altar and The Door), two RIAA Platinum DVDs (Live From Atlanta and Lifesong Live), two RIAA Gold Albums (Until the Whole World Hears, Peace on Earth) and two Gold DVDs (Altar and The Door Live and Until The Whole World Hears Live). Casting Crowns has sold more than 8.2 million albums to date (according to Nielsen SoundScan) and has been named Billboard magazine’s top-selling Christian act for the past four years.
The band recently celebrated its first RIAA certified Gold single, “Who Am I,” from its 2003 self-titled debut. The song, selling more than 500,000 copies, is one of only 12 Christian tracks ever to secure Gold status.
Casting Crowns has always worked its tour schedule around church responsibilities and has still managed to touch audiences around the world with its live performances. It’s 2009-2011 “Until The Whole World Hears” world tour placed the band in front nearly 1 million fans in more than 175 cities around the world including performances for U. S. troops in Kuwait and Qatar. The band also performed twice in North Korea in partnership with Global Resource Services.
Alongside the 2011 feature film, Courageous, Casting Crowns wrote a song by the same name which was also featured on their album Come to the Well released the same year. The album's second single,
"Jesus, Friend of Sinners" was not released until February of 2012. In September 2013, the band released "All You've Ever Wanted", the first single from Thrive which was released on January 28, 2014 and charted No. 6 in Billboard 's Top 200 in its first week. An accompanying book, written by Mark Hall, was released and explains the walk of a child of God and how we should "dig deep and reach out".
In early 2015 Casting Crowns released the hymn-album Glorious Day - Hymns of Faith, including Casting Crowns' Until the Whole World Hears singles "Glorious Day (Living He Loved Me)" and "Blessed Redeemer", an acoustic versions of "If We Are the Body" and "Praise You In This Storm" as well as eight hymns.
In addition to a busy touring, recording and writing life, four of the members of Casting Crowns serve as ministers to their home church, Eagle's Landing First Baptist Church in McDonough, Georgia.
I Heard the Bells On Christmas Day
Casting Crowns Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Their old familiar carols play
And mild and sweet their songs repeat
Of peace on earth good will to men
And the bells are ringing (peace on earth)
Like a choir they're singing (peace on earth)
In my heart I hear them (peace on earth)
And in despair I bowed my head
There is no peace on earth I said
For hate is strong and mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good will to men
But the bells are ringing (peace on earth)
Like a choir singing (peace on earth)
Does anybody hear them? (peace on earth)
Peace on earth, good will to men
Then rang the bells more loud and deep
God is not dead, nor does he sleep (peace on earth, peace on earth)
The wrong shall fail, the right prevail
With peace on earth, good will to men
Then ringing singing on its way
The world revolved from night to day
A voice, a chime, a chant sublime
Of peace on earth, good will to men
And the bells they're ringing (peace on earth)
Like a choir they're singing (peace on earth)
And with our hearts we'll hear them (peace on earth)
Peace on earth, good will to men
Do you hear the bells they're ringing? (peace on earth)
The life the angels singing (peace on earth)
Open up your heart and hear them (peace on earth)
Peace on earth, good will to men
Peace on earth, peace on earth
Peace on earth, Good will to men
The song "I Heard The Bells On Christmas Day" by Casting Crowns is a beautiful reminder of the hope and peace that Christmas brings. It opens with the beautiful imagery of hearing the bells on Christmas day and their old familiar carols playing. The song speaks of the message of peace on earth and goodwill to men that the Christmas season carries. But the reflection of the singer changes as they despair over the hate and wars that exist in the world today which mock the message of peace. Despite this, the bells continue to ring, and the song highlights that God is not dead, nor does he sleep. The wrong shall fail and the right shall prevail, and there will be peace on earth as goodwill reigns over men.
The song reminds us that although there may be many challenges in our world, Christmas offers a message of hope that we should cling to with our hearts. The lyrics are thought-provoking and beautifully written. The song is a reworking of a poem titled "Christmas Bells" that was written by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow in 1863 during the American Civil War, which was inspired by the author's grief and despair over his son's severe injury in the war. This context adds a significant depth and meaning to the song.
Line by Line Meaning
I heard the bells on Christmas day
I perceived the ringing of the bells on the day of Christmas
Their old familiar carols play
The traditional songs that the bells play are being performed
And mild and sweet their songs repeat
The ringing of the bells creates a gentle, pleasant repetition
Of peace on earth good will to men
The bells are playing a melody that represents the idea of creating a peaceful world where humans thrive
And the bells are ringing (peace on earth)
The bells are ringing to spread the message of peace on earth
Like a choir they're singing (peace on earth)
The sound of the bells is similar to a chorus who is singing a song of peace on earth
In my heart I hear them (peace on earth)
I am able to hear the message of peace that the bells are spreading in my heart
And in despair I bowed my head
Feeling hopeless, I lowered my head
There is no peace on earth I said
I expressed my thoughts that there was no peace on earth
For hate is strong and mocks the song
Hate is powerful and ridicules the message of peace on earth
Of peace on earth, good will to men
The very sentiment which the ringing bells stand for
Then rang the bells more loud and deep
The bells rang with more intensity, strength and depth
God is not dead, nor does he sleep (peace on earth, peace on earth)
Even though it may seem like the opposite, God is not absent, nor is he unaware of what is happening
The wrong shall fail, the right prevail
The acts of malice shall perish, while goodness shall prosper
With peace on earth, good will to men
Achieving peace on earth is strongly rooted in treating fellow men with goodwill
Then ringing singing on its way
While the bells kept ringing happily on their way
The world revolved from night to day
The darkness of the world gradually progressed into brightness
A voice, a chime, a chant sublime
The sound of the bells produced a divine, sweet and uplifting harmony
And the bells they're ringing (peace on earth)
The bells still ring to spread the message of peace on earth
Like a choir they're singing (peace on earth)
The bells continue to sound like a group of singers who are conveying the message of peace on earth
And with our hearts we'll hear them (peace on earth)
It is our responsibility to listen and truly absorb the message of peace on earth with our hearts and minds
Do you hear the bells they're ringing? (peace on earth)
Can you hear the sound of the bells spreading the message of peace on earth?
The life the angels singing (peace on earth)
Just as angels sing the message of peace, the bells too are spreading the same message
Open up your heart and hear them (peace on earth)
Open your heart and truly listen to the bells as they spread the message of peace on earth
Peace on earth, peace on earth
Repeating the message of peace on earth
Peace on earth, Good will to men
Peace on earth cannot exist without the goodwill of all men towards one another
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Capitol CMG Publishing, Downtown Music Publishing
Written by: John Mark Hall, Dale Oliver, Bernie Herms
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@jonhandel8159
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow had already lost his beloved wife, Fanny, in 1861, after her dress caught fire and she burned to death. "How inexpressibly sad are all holidays," he wrote in his journal that Christmas. A year after Fanny's death, Longfellow noted, "I can make no record of these days. Better leave them wrapped in silence. Perhaps someday God will give me peace."
On December 25th, 1862, Longfellow's journal read, "'A merry Christmas' say the children, but that is no more for me."
Imagine his sorrow to hear, a year later, of his oldest son, Charles, having been gravely injured while serving the Union in the Civil War.
He wrote nothing in his journal for Christmas of 1863.
With America still embattled in the war, and though still reeling from his personal loss and resentment, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, for reasons we do not know, wrote the poem "Christmas Bells". Today we know it as the familiar carol "I Heard The Bells on Christmas Day".
The following are the original words of Longfellow's poem:
I heard the bells on Christmas Day
Their old, familiar carols play,
and wild and sweet
The words repeat
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!
And thought how, as the day had come,
The belfries of all Christendom
Had rolled along
The unbroken song
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!
Till ringing, singing on its way,
The world revolved from night to day,
A voice, a chime,
A chant sublime
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!
Then from each black, accursed mouth
The cannon thundered in the South,
And with the sound
The carols drowned
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!
It was as if an earthquake rent
The hearth-stones of a continent,
And made forlorn
The households born
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!
And in despair I bowed my head;
"There is no peace on earth," I said;
"For hate is strong,
And mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!"
Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
"God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;
The Wrong shall fail,
The Right prevail,
With peace on earth, good-will to men."
@MeVsTheWorld01
Anyone listening in 2023? Peace on Earth for everyone and Merry Christmas, World! 🎄🙏💖
@user-en8su3zz5d
Merry Christmas to you . Peace.
@MeVsTheWorld01
@@user-en8su3zz5d Thank you and same to you. God bless you! 🙏💖
@vihanmandhyan447
2024 and i still am
@Debbie-ro9lx
How❤❤❤❤❤❤
@MeVsTheWorld01
@@Debbie-ro9lx What do you mean how?
@kennmann9100
Thank you Casting Crowns. As a 59-yr-old believer who grew tired of empty Christmas songs, THIS grips the soul and so sweetly delivers Hope.
@salvatoremangano380
Believe this song was written during the Civil War
@ontherightpath333
I listen to this song all year round and it still gets to me. The children are so good and the message is so clear. Turn our hearts ❤ toward God. This song makes me cry every time 😢
@MD-hg9dq
I couldn't agree more with your words, ... "Turn our hearts ❤ toward God" ... as illustrated by the following sentences delineating the use of music to deal with pain. That said, the negative influences of this world are designed to make our heart sick through emotional & physical pain resulting in a given person turning to music as one source of comfort to the body. The painful realty of this existence gives rise to the birth of music in two forms, earthly & HEAVENLY. Earthly music speaks to the experiences of this world through the singer-song writer’s eyes. Oftentimes drug use (i.e. alcohol, smokes, marijuana, cocaine, opioids, benzos and propofol to name a few) is intertwined with the survival of an artist to deal with the pressure of performing in order to stay relevant in the music industry, and to serve as fuel for creativity. As a result, music celebrities develop a tendency to sin against their body, through excessive drug use, for not measuring up to or to satisfy the demands of their music. Any earthly joy they experience is darkened by the heavy burden of performing and the loss of privacy.
The end users of their music become fans because the lyrics are relatable and the sound of the singer’s voice & rhythm helps them cope with the pains of this reality. Unfortunately, this band aid approach is only a time out from the hurt and in the meantime we are fortifying its wall with painful memories waiting in line. Who can save us from wounds that are silent, wordless and cruel all the while tearing us apart inch by inch on the inside, which could radically accelerate the demise of the human body? I will use caps as emphasis to show the honest reverence for GOD'S SOVEREIGNTY when writing about HEAVENLY music in the paragraphs below.
That INVINCIBLE DIVINE be our HEAVENLY FATHER, WHO THROUGH HIS SON’S MISSION HAS INSPIRED believers to write songs that sing of HIS LIFE GIVING LOVE to deal with emotional & physical pain, economic instability, mortality and the emotional instability of others with the motive of winning over souls for HIS KINGDOM. The melody & theme of HEAVENLY music is hateful and intolerable to the devil, a spirit which causes us to be blinded of the effects of sin and is responsible for the woes of this world such as melancholy, anguish, tribulation and trial. These agitations of the soul create a heavy burden for the lost and could lead him or her to be hostile of songs that sing about GOD’S GLORY. This makes it clear that we cannot win the spiritual battle by our own strength. Moreover, on earth the devil has no equal.
GOD has provided us with the ONE WHO CAN AND WILL LIFT the heavy burden of sin's guilt from a given sinner's heart if he or she (through faith) would open their understanding to Psalms (starting with the focus on Psalms 51:1-10 KJV), and hymns/songs giving praise to HIM for the purpose of being persuaded, converted and healed by the HOLY SPIRIT from within by transforming your body/temple into a meeting place for you and the KING OF THE AGES to commune as friends through the born again experience (repentance manifesting itself in a changed life). It is only here that the fears of tomorrow will diminish, the blessed assurance is given that you are HIS and HE LIVES. Once the blessed assurance is known in prayer (through the confession of wanting salvation from one’s sinful nature, combine with admitting that JESUS CHRIST is LORD and believing in one’s heart that GOD raised HIM from the dead to deliver us from sin's guilt) the world can never take it away because the world didn’t give it to you.