Collin Raye was born Aug. 22, 1960, in DeQueen, AR, with the name Floyd Col… Read Full Bio ↴Collin Raye was born Aug. 22, 1960, in DeQueen, AR, with the name Floyd Collin Wray. Both of his parents were musical, and his mother, Lois Wray, was a regionally popular performer in East Texas who opened shows for Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Perkins in the 1950s. At 7, Raye was onstage with her performing. At 13, he and his older brother Scott formed The Wray Brothers and performed in the roadhouses of the Lone Star State. They soon became headliners in Portland, OR, and in the casinos of Reno, NV.

Raye first attracted Nashville's attention as the lead vocalist on a string of independent singles in the 1980s. Billed as The Wrays, the act released a couple of singles on Mercury Records in the mid-80s before breaking up. Epic Records signed Raye as a solo act in 1990. A year later, the nostalgic ballad Love, Me hit No. 1, and by 2000, he charted 21 Top 10 hits for Epic. His first four studio albums, as well as his Greatest Hits, have been certified platinum. His best-known hits include Little Rock, about a recovering alcoholic, and I Think About You, about watching his teenage daughter grow up.

Angels We Have Heard On High
Collin Raye Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Angels we have heard on high
Singing sweetly over the plains
And the mountains in reply
Echoing back their joyous strains

Gloria in Excelsis Deo
Gloria in Excelsis Deo

Shepards, why this jubilee?
Why your joyous strains prolong
Say what may the tidings be
Which inspire your heavenly

Gloria in Excelsis Deo
Gloria in Excelsis Deo

Come to Bethlehem and see
Him whose birth the angels sing
Come, adore on bended knee
Christ, the Lord, the new-born King

Gloria in Excelsis Deo
Gloria in Excelsis Deo

Overall Meaning

Collin Raye's version of the classic Christmas hymn "Angels We Have Heard On High" captures the essence of the religious celebration of the holiday season. The lyrics describe the story of the birth of Jesus Christ as told in the Gospel of Luke. The first verse speaks of the shepherds hearing the angels singing above them, and the mountain echoing back their "joyous strains." The song invites the listener to celebrate with the angels and shepherds in the joy and wonder of Christ's birth. The refrain, "Gloria in Excelsis Deo" (Latin for "Glory to God in the highest"), emphasizes the spiritual significance of the moment.

In the second verse, the shepherds are asked why they are rejoicing, and they are told to come and see Christ's birthplace in Bethlehem. The verse then invites the listener to "adore on bended knee" the new-born King. The final refrain echoes the first and emphasizes the gospel message that the birth of Jesus is a moment of great divinity and wonder.

Overall, Collin Raye's rendition of "Angels We Have Heard On High" is a beautiful and inspiring hymn that captures the essence of the Christmas story. It reminds us of the profound meaning of Christ's birth and invites us to join in the celebration and wonder of the season.

Line by Line Meaning

Angels we have heard on high
We have heard angels singing sweetly over the plains.

Singing sweetly over the plains
The angels are spreading joyous melodies across the plains.

And the mountains in reply
The mountains are echoing back the joyous strains of the angels.

Echoing back their joyous strains
The mountains are responding with their own joyful sounds.

Gloria in Excelsis Deo
This Latin phrase means 'Glory to God in the highest'.

Shepards, why this jubilee?
Why are the shepards so joyful and jubilant?

Why your joyous strains prolong
Why are you continuing to sing such happy songs?

Say what may the tidings be
Please tell us what news you have.

Which inspire your heavenly
What has inspired your heavenly singing?

Come to Bethlehem and see
Come to Bethlehem to witness for yourself.

Him whose birth the angels sing
The angels are singing about the birth of a special person.