THE HOLLY AND THE IVY
Choir and Orchestra Lyrics

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The holly and the ivy,
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.

Overall Meaning

"The Holly and the Ivy" is a Christmas carol that originated in the early 19th century in England. The lyrics use the imagery of the holly and ivy plants to symbolize different aspects of the Christian story of the birth of Jesus. The first verse describes how the holly, a tree with prickly leaves and red berries, is king of the forest. The holly is then associated with Jesus and his mother Mary as a spiritual symbol of sweetness and redemption.

The second verse continues this theme of the holly being associated with Jesus and Mary, as the lyrics state that the holly berry is as sweet as any flower and that Mary bore "sweet Jesus Christ" to be our savior. The third and fourth verses then shift the focus to the sharp and prickly characteristics of the holly, describing it as having pricks and thorns. These lyrics once again connect the holly to the birth of Jesus, stating that Mary gave birth to him on Christmas morning.

Finally, the last verse describes the bitter bark of the holly and connects it to the idea of redemption, stating that Mary bore Jesus "for to redeem us all." The overall message of the song is that the holly and ivy plants are not just symbols of nature, but are also powerful symbols of the Christian faith and the birth of Jesus.

Line by Line Meaning

The holly and the ivy, When they are both full grown, Of all the trees that are in the wood, The holly bears the crown.
When two lovely evergreens have reached their maturity, the holly stands out among all the trees in the forest as the most deserving of praise.

The holly bears a berry, As sweet as any flower, And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ, To be our sweet savior.
The holly tree is adorned with a berry whose sweetness rivals that of any flower. It was through Mary that Jesus Christ was born, our sweet savior.

The holly bears a berry, As red as any blood, And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ, For to do us sinners good.
The holly's berry is red like blood, but it was through Mary that Jesus Christ was born, to seek goodness for even those of us who are sinners.

The holly bears a prickle, As sharp as any thorn, And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ, On Christmas day in the morn'.
The holly tree is thorny, like a sharp prickle, but on Christmas morning, Mary gave birth to Jesus Christ.

The holly bears a bark, As bitter as any gall, And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ, For to redeem us all.
The bark of the holly tastes bitter like gall, but Mary bore Jesus, whose mission was to redeem all people.

The playing of the merry organ, Sweet singing in the choir.
As the church organ rings out joyfully, the choir fills the room with sweet songs.

Lyrics © DELLA BLUE MUSIC LLC
Written by: NICK MUNRO

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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