Charles David Houston (born December 9, 1935 in Bossier City, Louisiana; di… Read Full Bio ↴Charles David Houston (born December 9, 1935 in Bossier City, Louisiana; died November 30, 1993 in Bossier City) was an American Grammy award winning country music singer. His peak in popularity came between the mid-1960s through the early 1970s. David Houston died of a brain aneurysm on November 30, 1993, less than two weeks before his 57th birthday.

In 1963, David Houston rose to national stardom with the single "Mountain of Love"; the song, which was different from the tune made famous by composer Harold Dorman, Johnny Rivers and Charley Pride, rose to No. 2 on Billboard magazine's Hot Country Singles chart. Another song, 1965's "Livin' in a House Full of Love" did just as well.

1966 brought Houston's breakthrough smash, "Almost Persuaded". Having nothing to do with the Philip Paul Bliss hymn of the same title (based on Acts 26:28 (KJV)), the tale of a married man managing to fight off a temptress he had just met in a tavern quickly rocketed to No. 1 that August, eventually spending nine weeks atop Billboard's Hot Country Singles chart. In the 40 years since "Almost Persuaded" became a country standard, no song has equaled or bettered this feat. However, two country songs have spent eight weeks at No. 1: Lonestar's "Amazed," which topped the chart from July 17 to September 4, 1999; and "It's Five O'Clock Somewhere" by Alan Jackson and Jimmy Buffett, from August 9 to September 20 and then October 4, 2003 (in between "Somewhere's" seventh and eighth weeks at #1, on September 27, 2003, Dierks Bentley's "What Was I Thinkin' " topped the chart).

Houston was awarded 2 Grammy Awards for Best Country & Western Recording and Best Country & Western Performance, Male in 1967 for "Almost Persuaded."
"Almost Persuaded" began a string of Top 5 David Houston singles that lasted through 1973. Included in the bunch were six more No. 1's – "With One Exception" and "You Mean the World to Me" (1967); "Have a Little Faith" and "Already It's Heaven" (1968); "Baby, Baby (I Know You're a Lady)" (1970); and 1967's "My Elusive Dreams" duet with Tammy Wynette.

In later years, Houston dueted with Barbara Mandrell on several of her early hits, most notably 1970's "After Closing Time" and 1974's "I Love You, I Love You."

David's last Top 10 country hit came in 1974 with "Can't You Feel It".

David Houston died of a brain aneurysm on November 30, 1993, less than two weeks before his 58th birthday.

Away in a Manger
David Houston Lyrics

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Away in a manger
No crib for His bed
The little Lord Jesus
Laid down His sweet head

The stars in the bright sky
Looked down where He lay
The little Lord Jesus

Asleep on the hay

The cattle are lowing
The poor Baby wakes
But little Lord Jesus
No crying He makes

I love Thee, Lord Jesus
Look down from the sky
And stay by my side
'Til morning is nigh

Be near me, Lord Jesus
I ask Thee to stay
Close by me forever
And love me I pray

Bless all the dear children
In Thy tender care

And take us to heaven
To live with Thee there

Overall Meaning

David Houston's song "Away in a manger" is a hymn that depicts the birth of Jesus Christ in a stable rather than a luxurious palace. The lyrics describe how the little Lord Jesus, who lacked a proper crib, was laid to sleep on a bed of hay. Despite his humble beginnings, the stars shone brightly in the sky, casting a luminous glow over the infant's resting place upon the hay. The cattle nearby were lowing but the Christ child made no crying noise.

The song contains a deep sense of reverence for Christ, with the singer embodying a sort of selflessness as they ask Him to stay close by them forever, showering them with love and guidance until morning comes. The final verse of the song holds a prayer for all children everywhere, symbolizing the timeless nature of the Christ child's message of love and redemption.

Overall, "Away in a manger" represents a moment of solemn reflection on the wonder and mystery of Christ's coming into the world. The simple yet powerful lyrics remind us of his humility, the beauty of his birth, and the transformative impact of his message of love.

Line by Line Meaning

Away in a manger
The Lord Jesus was born in a manger

No crib for His bed
There was no crib available for the Lord Jesus to sleep in

The little Lord Jesus
The newborn baby is the Lord Jesus Christ

Laid down His sweet head
The Lord Jesus laid his delicate head to sleep

The stars in the bright sky
The stars shone brightly in the sky above

Looked down where He lay
The stars saw the newborn baby sleeping in his manger

The little Lord Jesus
The newborn baby is the Lord Jesus Christ

Asleep on the hay
The Lord Jesus fell asleep on the bed of hay

The cattle are lowing
The cattle are making noise

The poor Baby wakes
The baby wakes up due to the noise made by the cattle

But little Lord Jesus
The Lord Jesus was awakened by the noise of the cattle