The Holly and the Ivy
Choir Of Westminster Abbey [Choir] Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When they are both full grown,
Of all the trees that are in the wood,
The holly bears the crown.
The rising of the sun,
And the running of the deer,
The playing of the merry organ,
Sweet singing in the choir.
The holly bears a berry,
As sweet as any flower,
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ,
To be our sweet savior.
The rising of the sun,
And the running of the deer,
The playing of the merry organ,
Sweet singing in the choir.
The holly bears a berry,
As red as any blood,
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ,
For to do us sinners good.
The rising of the sun,
And the running of the deer,
The playing of the merry organ,
Sweet singing in the choir.
The holly bears a prickle,
As sharp as any thorn,
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ,
On Christmas day in the morn'.
The rising of the sun,
And the running of the deer,
The playing of the merry organ,
Sweet singing in the choir.
The holly bears a bark,
As bitter as any gall,
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ,
For to redeem us all.
The rising of the sun,
And the running of the deer,
The playing of the merry organ,
Sweet singing in the choir.
The playing of the merry organ,
Sweet singing in the choir.
"The Holly and the Ivy" is a Christmas carol that describes the symbolism behind the holly and ivy plants during the holiday season, as well as the significance of Jesus Christ's birth. The lyrics describe the holly as the tree that "bears the crown" and notes its sweet berries, as well as its prickly bark. The ivy is not named directly, but it is implied in the mentions of "all the trees that are in the wood." The chorus enumerates various joyful events and sounds associated with Christmas, including the rising of the sun, the running of the deer, and the playing of the organ.
The second verse of the carol makes a direct connection between the holly and the story of Jesus' birth, as Mary is said to have borne "sweet Jesus Christ" while the holly bears its own sweet berries. The third verse continues with this parallel by noting the redness of the berries, which symbolize the blood shed by Jesus on the cross. The fourth verse mentions the prickly nature of the holly and parallels it with the painful thorns that were used to make Jesus' crown. Finally, the fifth verse discusses the bitterness of the holly's bark, which represents the bitterness of sin and the need for Jesus' redemption.
Line by Line Meaning
The holly and the ivy,
The two plants of holly and ivy are being referred to.
When they are both full grown,
When they both reach their mature state.
Of all the trees that are in the wood,
Out of all the trees growing in the forest.
The holly bears the crown.
The holly is considered superior due to its crown-like appearance.
The rising of the sun,
The beginning of a new day as the sun rises.
And the running of the deer,
The deer running through the forest.
The playing of the merry organ,
The sound of a happy organ being played.
Sweet singing in the choir.
The pleasing sound of singing by the choir.
The holly bears a berry,
The holly produces a fruit known as a berry.
As sweet as any flower,
The sweetness of the berry is comparable to that of a flower.
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ,
Mary gave birth to Jesus Christ.
To be our sweet savior.
Jesus Christ came to save us.
The holly bears a berry,
The holly produces a fruit known as a berry.
As red as any blood,
The color of the berry is similar to that of blood.
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ,
Mary gave birth to Jesus Christ.
For to do us sinners good.
Jesus Christ came to do something beneficial for sinners.
The holly bears a prickle,
The holly has thorny spikes called prickles.
As sharp as any thorn,
The prickles are as sharp as any other thorn.
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ,
Mary gave birth to Jesus Christ.
On Christmas day in the morn'.
Christ was born on Christmas morning.
The holly bears a bark,
The holly has a covering known as bark.
As bitter as any gall,
The bitterness of the bark is like that of gall or bile.
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ,
Mary gave birth to Jesus Christ.
For to redeem us all.
Jesus Christ came to save us all.
The rising of the sun,
The beginning of a new day as the sun rises.
And the running of the deer,
The deer running through the forest.
The playing of the merry organ,
The sound of a happy organ being played.
Sweet singing in the choir.
The pleasing sound of singing by the choir.
The playing of the merry organ,
The sound of a happy organ being played.
Sweet singing in the choir.
The pleasing sound of singing by the choir.
Lyrics © HELENE BLUE MUSIQUE LTD
Written by: NICK MUNRO
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Inglesepertutti
This is just the way I remember it from my schooldays! Magical! Thank you.
john uhr-henry
A great version of this great C/Carol. Brilliant work from the Choir and accompaniment.
Hudson Bailey
Rich with beauty is this carol. Thank you, Westminster Abbey Choir.
tony baker
The most beautiful carol, sung wonderfully - thank you
William Ripley
Perfect pitch.Well loved carol in Nova Scotia, Canada.
joonteacher
Anyone know where I can find the sheet music for this? It is simply beautiful!
josparkes1
I doubt whether any choir could beat this one for its beauty and Holiness and religious fervour !!!
ellie
Wrong!
josparkes1
Eleanor Whitfield If you can tell me one that sounds better it would very difficult to believe that !!
Kees Klaver
Great singing, lovely pics. Thanks!