Members:
Terl Bryant - drums, percussion; Terl was once a member of Iona and has drummed for many other artists, including Robin Mark
Richard Lacy - piano, keyboards, bohdran, whistles, etc. Richard is a leading composer of music for television programmes. He is also a sound engineer and record producer.
Sarah Lacy - vocals, piano, bohdran, guitar, organ, etc.
Jon Large - bass, piano, etc.
David Bird - guitar, vocals, etc.
Michael McGoldrick- uilleann pipes, low whistles, flutes, etc.
O Come O Come Emmanuel
Eden's Bridge Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And ransom captive Israel
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.
O come, Thou Rod of Jesse, free
From depths of Hell Thy people save
And give them victory o'er the grave
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.
O come, Thou Day-Spring, come and cheer
Our spirits by Thine advent here
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night
And death's dark shadows put to flight.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.
O come, Thou Key of David, come,
And open wide our heavenly home;
Make safe the way that leads on high,
And close the path to misery.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.
O come, O come, Thou Lord of might,
Who to Thy tribes, on Sinai's height,
In ancient times did'st give the Law,
In cloud, and majesty and awe.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.
The lyrics of Eden's Bridge's song O Come, O Come, Emmanuel call out to the ancient figure of Emmanuel, who is believed to be the savior and deliverer of Israel. The lyrics invoke a sense of a suffering and captive Israel that is waiting for Emmanuel to come and free them from the tyranny of Satan, darkness, and death. The first stanza talks about how Israel is mourning and exiled in loneliness, and how they eagerly await the appearance of Emmanuel. It speaks of a promised hope that is yet to be fulfilled, signaling the longing of the human soul for a savior.
The second stanza is a plea to the "Rod of Jesse", which is another name for Jesus Christ, to save his people from the clutches of Satan and bring victory over death. The third stanza asks for the "Day-Spring" to come and dispel the darkness and shadows of night, bringing light and hope into the lives of the people. The fourth and the fifth stanza invoke the "Key of David" and the "Lord of Might" respectively to show the way to heaven, and fulfill the ancient law given by God to the tribes of Israel on the mount of Sinai. The song culminates in a message of hope, stating that Emmanuel will come and save Israel, and they shall rejoice in his presence.
Line by Line Meaning
O come, O come, Emmanuel
Oh come, the savior that is promised to us, Emmanuel
And ransom captive Israel
And save the captive people of Israel from their imprisonment
That mourns in lonely exile here
Who are sorrowful and suffering here in their place of exile
Until the Son of God appear
Until the moment of the arrival of the Son of God
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Be happy and full of joy! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.
Will come to you, Israel
O come, Thou Rod of Jesse, free
Oh come, the offspring of Jesse, free them
Thine own from Satan's tyranny
Free your own people who are being oppressed by Satan
From depths of Hell Thy people save
Save your people from the depths of the underworld
And give them victory o'er the grave
And give them the power to conquer the grave
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Be happy and full of joy! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.
Will come to you, Israel
O come, Thou Day-Spring, come and cheer
Oh come, the dawn that will bring us cheer
Our spirits by Thine advent here
Lift up our spirits with your arrival here
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night
Make the dark clouds of night go away
And death's dark shadows put to flight.
And make the shadow of death go away
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Be happy and full of joy! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.
Will come to you, Israel
O come, Thou Key of David, come,
Oh come, the key to David, come
And open wide our heavenly home;
And open the gates of our eternal home
Make safe the way that leads on high,
Make the way safe for us to ascend to heaven
And close the path to misery.
And close the path that leads to misery
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Be happy and full of joy! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.
Will come to you, Israel
O come, O come, Thou Lord of might,
Oh come, the Lord of strength and power
Who to Thy tribes, on Sinai's height,
Who on the heights of Sinai, made a covenant with your people
In ancient times did'st give the Law,
In ancient times gave the law to your people
In cloud, and majesty and awe.
In a cloud, in majesty, and with a sense of awe
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Be happy and full of joy! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.
Will come to you, Israel
Contributed by Mason F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.