Cristy Lane is best remembered for her 1979 single "One Day at a Time," a g… Read Full Bio ↴Cristy Lane is best remembered for her 1979 single "One Day at a Time," a gospel song that blended Protestant fervor with the language of self-help in a seamless, heartfelt whole. She is also noteworthy as one of the builders of the Branson, MO, live-entertainment phenomenon. Lane was born Eleanor Johnston to a family of 12 in Peoria, IL. Married before she was 20, she had three children by 1964. Her husband, Lee Stoller, a salesman, encouraged her to sing professionally, but she was painfully shy. After some tentative attempts, she landed several nightclub appearances and then a guest slot on Chicago's WLS Barn Dance radio program in 1968. She took her stage name from that of a Peoria DJ, Chris Lane.Several early attempts to break into country music in Nashville came to nothing, and Lane struggled with the pressures of the performing career her husband was urging upon her. She attempted to commit suicide twice in the late '60s, once after a difficult 1969 tour of Vietnam, organized by Stoller during which Lane performed 120 shows and was involved in a helicopter crash that left her stranded in the midst of a battle. Lane and Stoller returned to Peoria and opened a pair of nightclubs that featured Lane as the marquee attraction. In 1972, the Stoller family moved to a Nashville suburb and continued its attempts to get Lane's career off the ground. The reaction from established label executives ranged from indifference to sexual come-ons for Lane, and finally Stoller formed his own label, LS, in the mid-'70s. He was tireless in promoting Lane's career, and his efforts were rewarded when the label's debut single, "Tryin' to Forget About You," and its follow-up, "Sweet Deceiver," made the charts in 1977. That year she also made it to the Top Ten and the Top 20 with "Let Me Down Easy" and "Shake Me, I Rattle," respectively. Lane scored three more hits the following year and in 1979 was named New Vocalist of the Year by the Academy of Country Music. During the awards ceremony Lane sang "I Just Can't Stay Married to You," which later became a Top Five hit. In late 1979, Lane was signed to United Artists Records and had three more hits. But the label balked at releasing the song Lane and Stoller had planned for their next single, "One Day at a Time."That song was a several-years-old entry from Kris Kristofferson's catalog of compositions; co-written with Nashville veteran Marijohn Wilkin, it was of a piece with other religious songs (such as "Why Me, Lord?") the hard-living Kristofferson had written in soberer moments. Shortly before Lane's version appeared, the song had topped British charts in a version by vocalist Lena Martell. For country radio in 1980, it was an unorthodox song, but Lane and Stoller correctly estimated its powerful impact. After it hit number one on the country charts, Lane released "Sweet Sexy Eyes," her final Top Ten hit. Her career hit the skids temporarily when Stoller was imprisoned on racketeering charges in 1982, but the couple bounced back after Stoller observed the spectacular success yodeler-crooner Slim Whitman had experienced after beginning direct television marketing of his music. By 1986 Lane and Stoller had put together a strong pair of linked materials: a One Day at a Time album and a Lane autobiography of the same name. Marketed through television advertising and later on the World Wide Web, these items sold well for years and kept Lane's name before a demographic just waiting to be tapped: that of country fans in late middle age. As Branson began to emerge as a major entertainment destination in the late '80s and early '90s, Lane and Stoller jumped on the bandwagon. Their Cristy Lane Theatre became a major Branson attraction, hosting not only Lane's own performances but also early appearances by Branson stars-to-be such as Yakov Smirnoff (in 1992). Lane sold her Branson theater in the mid-'90s but remained active as a performer. She has recorded several albums of gospel and sentimental standards for marketing through her website and elsewhere. Plans were laid in the early 2000s for a film depicting Lane's life story.

What Child Is This?
Cristy Lane Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

What child is this, who, laid to rest,
On Mary's lap is sleeping?
Whom angels greet with anthems sweet,
While shepherds watch are keeping?
This, this is Christ the King,
Whom shepherds guard and angels sing:
Haste, haste to bring him laud,
The babe, the son of Mary.

Why lies he in such mean estate
Where ox and ass are feeding?
Good Christian, fear: for sinners here
The silent Word is pleading.
Nails, spear shall pierce Him through,
The Cross be borne for me, for you;
Hail, hail, the Word made flesh,
The Babe, the Son of Mary.

So bring him incense, gold, and myrrh,
Come, peasant, king, to own him.
the King of kings salvation brings,
Let loving hearts enthrone him.
Raise, raise the song on high,
The Virgin sing her lullaby:

Joy, joy, for Christ is born,
The Babe, the Son of Mary.

Overall Meaning

Cristy Lane's version of the famous Christmas carol "What Child is This?" tells the story of the birth of Jesus Christ, the son of Mary. The song begins by asking who this newborn child, lying on Mary's lap, could possibly be. The answer comes with the chorus: "This, this is Christ the King, whom shepherds guard and angels sing".

The second verse of the song delves into the symbolism of the scene, questioning why Jesus is born in such humble surroundings, with only animals present. The answer, as the bridge suggests, is that Jesus is here to save sinners. The quiet birth of an infant, who will later suffer greatly, sets the stage for the eventual crucifixion.

The final verse of the song is a call to "peasant" and "king" alike to come and worship Christ the King, the bringer of salvation. The song ends with a joyous celebration of the birth of the Savior.

Overall, "What Child is This?" is a powerful celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ and a reminder of the significance of his life and death.

Line by Line Meaning

What child is this, who, laid to rest,
Who is this child, peacefully resting on Mary's lap?

On Mary's lap is sleeping?
Is peacefully and comfortably sleeping on Mary's lap?

Whom angels greet with anthems sweet,
The angels celebrate and praise this child with joyful songs,

While shepherds watch are keeping?
With the shepherds as witnesses, keeping watch over this child?

This, this is Christ the King,
This is the great and powerful King, the Messiah, Jesus Christ!

Whom shepherds guard and angels sing:
The shepherds protect him, while the angels glorify him with their song:

Haste, haste to bring him laud,
Quickly go and give him your praise,

The babe, the son of Mary.
For he is truly just a baby, but he is also the son of Mary.

Why lies he in such mean estate
Why is he lying here in such a humble and lowly position?

Where ox and ass are feeding?
Even as the ox and ass are eating, grazing around silent baby Jesus lying there..

Good Christian, fear: for sinners here
Understand the weight of what it means for sins to plead for the newborn Christ and fear accordingly:

The silent Word is pleading.
Jesus, who is the Word of God, is silent and helpless knowing that he is pleading for sinful mankind.

Nails, spear shall pierce Him through,
His death on the cross to save sinners all is already foretold by the prophecy

The Cross be borne for me, for you;
He's willing to sacrifice himself on the cross to bring salvation, an ultimate sacrifice for all humans.

Hail, hail, the Word made flesh,
Praise and hail to God's Word made manifest in the flesh,

The Babe, the Son of Mary.
Indeed the glorious baby, but also the son of Mary.

So bring him incense, gold, and myrrh,
Offer him incense, gold, and myrrh as tribute,

Come, peasant, king, to own him.
Everyone, poor or wealthy must come to acknowledge him Kings of kings

The King of kings salvation brings,
Jesus Christ who's King of kings, brings his salvation to all

Let loving hearts enthrone him.
Let our hearts full of love enthrone him rightfully,

Raise, raise the song on high,
Raise the song with joy high to the skies above!

The Virgin sing her lullaby:
As we sing, the virgin mother Mary is singing her own lullaby to her baby.

Joy, joy, for Christ is born,
Rejoice, rejoice! Christ is born,

The Babe, the Son of Mary.
The great baby, the son of Mary.

Lyrics © DistroKid, BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: DOUGLAS E WAGNER, WILLIAM C DIX

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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