The band was formed by Marc Martel and Jason Germain who were roommates at Briercrest Bible College in Caronport, Saskatchewan. Martel and Germain added fellow Canadians Jeremy Thiessen and Tyson Manning, along with American Corey Doak in 1999, and released an eponymous debut album independently on Slyngshot Records. Tyson and Doak left the band, and later on Downhere signed with Word Records. In February 2001, they moved to Nashville, Tennessee. The band soon added bassist Glenn Lavender, whom they had met two years earlier, after his band broke up. Downhere's independent album was reissued with the inclusion of bassist Lavender, and released in 2001 as their international debut, downhere.
Their second album, also released through Word Records was entitled So Much For Substitutes. In 2006 they were signed to Centricity Records and released Wide-Eyed and Mystified which led to the 2007 Juno Award for Contemporary Christian/Gospel Album of the Year, and Covenant Awards for Rock Album of the Year and Recorded Song of the Year ("A Better Way").
In 2007, the band released two additional CDs that were unique. In early 2007, they released Wide-Eyed and Simplified, which contained new versions of 8 songs from Wide-Eyed and Mystified, in addition to three popular songs from earlier releases. Later in 2007, the band released Thunder After Lightning (The Uncut Demos). This album contained 15 previously unreleased demos which were considered for use on Wide-Eyed and Mystified but were not used. The CD also contained demo versions of two songs which were used on Wide-Eyed and Mystified. In April 2007, Downhere released Thank You for Coming (The Live Bootlegs), a six-song collection of live songs recorded in 2007 while on tour with Jason Gray & Lanae Hale.
Their next album, Ending Is Beginning, was released on September 23, 2008. The band released the songs for a few days and gave fans the chance to give input on which songs they should put on the album, and as a pre-release to Ending Is Beginning in June 2008 they gave away the whole album Wide-Eyed and Mystified as a free download.
In October 2009, they released How Many Kings: Songs for Christmas, a collection of Christmas songs. This included "How Many Kings", which was a bonus track on Ending Is Beginning. Between the release of Ending Is Beginning and On the Altar of Love, Downhere released Two at a Time: Sneak Peeks & B-Sides, a collection of older songs compiled over their career, as well as two new songs: "You're Not Alone" and "The Song You Sing". "You're Not Alone" was released as a single in May 2010.
In May 2011, the first single,"Let Me Rediscover You", from their upcoming album On the Altar of Love was released. The album itself was released August 23, 2011.
God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
Downhere Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Let nothing you dismay
Remember Christ our Savior
Was born on Christmas Day
To save us all from Satan's power
When we were gone astray
O tidings of comfort and joy
O tidings of comfort and joy
Ahh ah ahhh ah
Ahh ah ahhh ah
Ahh ah ahhh ah
Ahh ah ahhh ah
From God our heavenly Father
A blessed angel came
And unto certain shepards
Brought tidings over the same
How that in Bethlehem was born
The son God by name
O tidings of comfort and joy
Comfort and joy
O tidings of comfort and joy
Ahh ah ahhh ah
Ahh ah ahhh ah
Ahh ah ahhh ah
Ahh ah ahhh ah
Ahh ah ahhh ah
Ahh ah ahhh ah (oh oh oh)
Ahh ah ahhh ah (oh oh oh)
Ahh ah ahhh ah
Now to the Lord sing praises
All you within this place
And with true love and brother hood
Each other now embrace
This holy tide of Christmas
All others doth deface
Oh oh
O tidings of comfort and joy
Comfort and joy
O tidings of comfort and joy...
Ahh ah ahhh ah
Ahh ah ahhh ah
Ahh ah ahhh ah
Ahh ah ahhh ah
The lyrics of Downhere's "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" are a traditional Christmas carol, and the song invites all listeners to take comfort in the birth of Jesus Christ on Christmas Day. The lyrics encourage listeners to rest, to not worry or be dismayed, but to instead remember the coming of Christ, who came to save us all from Satan's power when we had gone astray. The words remind us of the true meaning and message of Christmas, which is to celebrate the birth of Jesus, and to share this love and message of hope with others.
The song continues by describing the story of how angels brought tidings to shepherds, announcing that the son of God had been born in Bethlehem. This event symbolizes the joy and comfort that comes from the birth of Christ. Finally, the song concludes with an invitation to sing praises to the Lord, to embrace each other with true love and brotherhood, and to celebrate the holy tide of Christmas, marking the arrival of our Savior.
Line by Line Meaning
God rest ye merry gentlemen
May God give you peace, joyful and contented Gentlemen
Let nothing you dismay
Don't be disheartened or discouraged
Remember Christ our Savior
Recall that Jesus Christ, who saves us, our deliverer
Was born on Christmas Day
Came into this world on a day of Christ’s mass
To save us all from Satan's power
To rescue and protect us from the dominion of the Devil
When we were gone astray
When we were wandering, lost and missing the way
O tidings of comfort and joy
Oh, news of relief and happiness
From God our heavenly Father
From the creator of heaven and earth who is our divine father
A blessed angel came
A fortunate celestial being descended
And unto certain shepards
And to specific shepherds
Brought tidings over the same
Carried the news to the same people
How that in Bethlehem was born
That in Bethlehem there was born
The son God by name
The son of God, his name being Jesus Christ
Now to the Lord sing praises
So now, sing praises to the Lord
All you within this place
All of you who are within this space
And with true love and brother hood
And with real love and the feeling of fraternity
Each other now embrace
Now, hug each other
This holy tide of Christmas
This divine season of Christmas
All others doth deface
Outshines all other occasions
Oh oh
Oh oh
Contributed by Sophie G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.