The Holly And The Ivy
Choir of St. John's College Cambridge Lyrics
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When they are both full grown
Of all the trees that are in the wood
The holly bears the crown
O the rising of the sun
And the running of the deer
The playing of the merry organ
Sweet singing of the choir
The holly bears a blossom
As white as lily flower
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ
To be our sweet Saviour
O the rising of the sun
And the running of the deer
The playing of the merry organ
Sweet singing of the choir
The holly bears a berry
As red as any blood
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ
To do poor sinners good
O the rising of the sun
And the running of the deer
The playing of the merry organ
Sweet singing of the choir
The holly bears a prickle
As sharp as any thorn;
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ
On Christmas Day in the morn.
O the rising of the sun
And the running of the deer
The playing of the merry organ
Sweet singing of the choir
The holly bears a bark
As bitter as any gall;
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ
For to redeem us all.
O the rising of the sun
And the running of the deer
The playing of the merry organ
Sweet singing of the choir
The holly and the ivy
Now both are full well grown,
Of all the trees that are in the wood,
The holly bears the crown.
O the rising of the sun
And the running of the deer
The playing of the merry organ
Sweet singing of the choir
"The Holly and the Ivy" is a classic Christmas carol that dates back to the 18th century. The song revolves around the two symbolic berries: holly and ivy, and how they relate to the birth of Jesus. The carol begins by stating that, of all the trees in the wood, the holly is the one that bears the crown, signifying Jesus as the king of kings. The song then goes on to highlight other attributes of the holly, including its bloom, berry, prickle, and bark, which are all connected to various aspects of Jesus Christ’s life and ministry.
The second and third stanzas focus on the holly’s white blossoms and red berries, which represent the purity and sacrifice of Jesus. The fourth stanza draws a comparison between the holly's prickles and Jesus' crown of thorns. This is followed by the fifth and final stanza, which compares the bitterness of the holly's bark to the gall that was offered to Jesus while he was being crucified.
Overall, "The Holly and the Ivy" is a beautiful and powerful carol that reminds us of the true meaning of Christmas and the sacrifice made by Jesus Christ for humanity's redemption.
Line by Line Meaning
The holly and the ivy,
The song is about the holly and ivy plants.
When they are both full grown
When both plants are fully matured.
Of all the trees that are in the wood
Out of all the trees in the forest.
The holly bears the crown
The holly is the most prominent.
O the rising of the sun
Oh, when the sun rises.
And the running of the deer
And the deer running.
The playing of the merry organ
The sound of the joyous organ being played.
Sweet singing of the choir
The pleasant sound of the choir's singing.
The holly bears a blossom
The holly has white flowers.
As white as lily flower
The color of the holly's flowers is the same as the lily's.
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ
Mary gave birth to Jesus.
To be our sweet Saviour
Jesus is our kind savior.
The holly bears a berry
The holly has red berries.
As red as any blood
The color of the holly's berries is like blood.
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ
Mary gave birth to Jesus.
To do poor sinners good
Jesus came to help poor sinners.
The holly bears a prickle
The holly has sharp pointed parts.
As sharp as any thorn;
The holly's pointed parts are like thorns.
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ
Mary gave birth to Jesus.
On Christmas Day in the morn.
Jesus was born on Christmas morning.
The holly bears a bark
The holly has a rough outer layer.
As bitter as any gall;
The holly's outer layer is as bitter as gall.
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ
Mary gave birth to Jesus.
For to redeem us all.
Jesus came to save us all.
The holly and the ivy
The song is about the holly and ivy plants.
Now both are full well grown,
Now both plants are fully matured.
Of all the trees that are in the wood,
Out of all the trees in the forest.
The holly bears the crown.
The holly is the most prominent.
O the rising of the sun
Oh, when the sun rises.
And the running of the deer,
And the deer running.
The playing of the merry organ,
The sound of the joyous organ being played.
Sweet singing of the choir
The pleasant sound of the choir's singing.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Peermusic Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: LALO SCHIFRIN, . TRADITIONAL
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