The Supremes were a hugely successful Motown all-female singing group active from 1959 until 1977, performing at various times doo-wop, pop, soul, Broadway showtunes, psychedelia and disco. Second only to The Beatles in terms of records sales and chart success, The Supremes were the most successful American musical act of the 1960s, delivering twelve #1 hits between 1964 and 1969, many of them written and produced by Motown's main songwriting and production team, Holland-Dozier-Holland.
Founded in Detroit, Michigan in 1959, The Supremes began as a quartet called The Primettes. Founding members Florence Ballard, Mary Wilson, Diana Ross, and Betty McGlown, all from the Brewster-Douglas public housing project in Detroit, were the sister act to The Primes (later The Temptations). In 1960, Barbara Martin replaced McGlown, and the group signed with Motown in 1961 as The Supremes.
Martin left at the end of 1961, and Ross, Ballard, and Wilson carried on as a trio. After they achieved success in 1964 with Ross as the lead singer, Motown president Berry Gordy renamed the group Diana Ross and the Supremes in 1967. Ballard left the group that same year because of personal differences and was replaced by Cindy Birdsong.
Diana Ross left the group for a history-making solo career in 1970 and was replaced by Jean Terrell. After 1972, the lineup of The Supremes changed frequently, with Lynda Laurence, Scherrie Payne, and Susaye Greene all becoming members before the group ended its eighteen-year existence in 1977.
Joy to the World
Diana Ross and the Supremes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Halleluia, Halleluia
Joy to the world
The lord is come
Let earth receive her king
Let every heart prepare Him room
And heaven and nature sing
And heaven and heaven and nature sing
Halleluia, Halleluia
Halleluia, Halleluia
Joy to the world
The savior reigns
Let men their songs employ
While fields and floods
Rocks, hills and plains
Repeat the sounding joy
Repeat the sounding joy
Repeat, repeat the sounding joy
Halleluia, Halleluia
He rules the world with truth and grace
And makes the nations prove
The glories of his righteousness
The wonders of his love
And wonders of his love
And wonders and wonders
And wonders of his love
And wonders of his love
And wonders and wonders
And wonders of his love
And wonders of his love
And wonders and wonders
Of his love
The song 'Joy to the World' is a classic Christmas hymn that is widely recognized and sung during the holiday season. The first verse opens with the lyrics 'Joy to the world, the Lord is come', which is a proclamation of the arrival of the Messiah. The joyous tone of the song continues throughout, with the hope that the world will prepare its heart for His coming. In the second verse, the song continues to express the happiness that the savior reigns and is victorious over all, even the rocks, hills, and plains. The song concludes with the verse that expresses how the Lord rules the world with truth and grace and makes the nations prove the glories of His righteousness and wonders of His love.
Line by Line Meaning
Halleluia, Halleluia
Praising the Lord with a song of gratitude.
Joy to the world
A celebration of the arrival of salvation and hope.
The lord is come
A declaration of faith that God has arrived.
Let earth receive her king
Acknowledging Christ as the ruler of the world.
Let every heart prepare Him room
A call to believers to make room for Christ in their lives.
And heaven and nature sing
A song of joy and gratitude from all of creation.
And heaven and heaven and nature sing
A repetition of the joyous song from heaven and earth.
The savior reigns
The triumph of Christ as the ruler of the world.
Let men their songs employ
Men are called to sing and celebrate the savior's reign.
While fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains
The joyous celebration extends to all of the natural world.
Repeat the sounding joy
A call to repeat the joyful proclamation of Christ's reign.
He rules the world with truth and grace
Christ reigns over the world with both justice and compassion.
And makes the nations prove
Christ's sovereignty over the world is evident in every nation.
The glories of his righteousness
Christ's reign is characterized by moral purity and uprightness.
The wonders of his love
Christ's reign is also characterized by his great love for all people.
And wonders and wonders and wonders of his love
Repeating the wonder and awe of Christ's love.
And wonders of his love
Celebrating the amazing nature of Christ's love.
And wonders and wonders
Emphasizing the incredible and miraculous nature of Christ's love.
And wonders of his love
A final declaration of Christ's glorious and wondrous love.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JENIFER KAREN WATTS, SIMON ELLIOTT VARGA
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Pickchore
Heard this in the supermarket the other day.
It’s a banger.
@manuelorozco7760
One more week until Xmas 2022! Another good version
@pluto17dre
i love this song!
@johnharris4899
By The Supremes!!!
@alvinlockhart5810
Bliss
@westphillysoul
Oh, of course! No one did it better than Motown.
@johnharris4899
Amen to that 🙏
@westphillysoul
Please, no profanity and smack talk on here. This went down like 11 months ago - can't we just enjoy the music?
@sabrinasimon3520
westphillysoul the supremes the Christmas song merry Christmas to you
@kurtsupreme
What's all this "DIana Ross and The Supremes" crap? These were THE SUPREMES, clear and simple! Knopck off the "Ross as a solo act" crap!