The First Noel
Elliot Lawrence And His Orchestra Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

The First Noel
The angels did say
Was to certain
Poor shepherds
In fields as they lay
In fields where they may
Keeping their sheep
On a cold winter's night
That was so deep
Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel
Born
Is the King of Israel

They looked up
And saw a star
Shining in the East
Beyond them far
And to the Earth
It gave great light
And so it continued
Both day and night
Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel
Born
Is the King of Israel

Then entered
In those Wise men three
Full reverently
Upon their knee
And offered there
In His presence
Their gold and myrrh
And frankincense
Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel
Born
Is the King of Israel
Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel




Born
Is the King of Israel

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Elliot Lawrence And His Orchestra's The First Noel describe the story of Jesus' birth as told in the Bible. The song starts with the angels announcing Jesus' birth to the shepherds in the fields on a cold winter's night. The word 'Noel' is used throughout the song, and it is derived from 'Nowell' or 'nouel', which means Christmas in French. The repetition of the word at the end of every stanza adds to the joyous and celebratory nature of the song.


The next stanza describes the star that led the Wise Men to Jesus. The star is seen shining in the East by the Wise Men, and it continues to give great light both day and night. The Wise Men then enter the scene, and they offer their gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh to Jesus. The kneeling of the Wise Men portrays a sense of reverence for the newborn king. The song ends with a repeated refrain of 'Noel' and the proclamation that Jesus is the King of Israel.


Overall, The First Noel is a song that captures the essence of the Christmas story and portrays the joy and reverence associated with Jesus' birth. The use of traditional Christian imagery and symbolism, such as the angels, shepherds, Wise Men, and the star, add to the overall meaning of the song.


Line by Line Meaning

The First Noel
This is the beginning of the song titled 'The First Noel'.


The angels did say
Angels spoke about the birth of Jesus Christ.


Was to certain
The message of Jesus’ birth was given to specific people.


Poor shepherds
The recipients of this message were shepherds who were not wealthy.


In fields as they lay
These shepherds were resting in open fields.


In fields where they may
The shepherds could be found in the fields around that time.


Keeping their sheep
The shepherds were guarding their sheep from harm.


On a cold winter's night
This event happened during a chilly winter night.


That was so deep
The winter night was very dark and quiet.


Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel
This line is repeated as a proclamation of the birth of Jesus Christ.


Born
Jesus Christ was brought into the world.


Is the King of Israel
He is the ruler over the nation of Israel.


They looked up
The shepherds raised their heads and gazed at the sky.


And saw a star
The shepherds saw a bright star shining in the sky.


Shining in the East
The star was visible in the eastern part of the sky.


Beyond them far
The star seemed to be shining from a distant location.


And to the Earth
The star's glow was lighting up the ground below.


It gave great light
The star illuminated their surroundings with a powerful radiance.


And so it continued
The star kept shining indefinitely.


Both day and night
The star was visible and radiating light during both day and night.


Then entered
After some time, certain people approached the location.


In those Wise men three
Three wise men who were knowledgeable and experienced.


Full reverently
In a respectful manner.


Upon their knee
They knelt down in submission.


And offered there
They presented their gifts.


In His presence
They were in the direct vicinity of Jesus Christ.


Their gold and myrrh
They brought gold and myrrh as gifts.


And frankincense
Additionally, they offered frankincense.


Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel
The proclamation of Jesus' birth is repeated here again.


Born
This line is repeated to emphasize Jesus Christ's birth.


Is the King of Israel
Jesus Christ is confirmed as the king of Israel again in this repetition.




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Songtrust Ave, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: DP, PERCY FAITH

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found
Comments from YouTube:

Kathy Collins

This has been one of my absolute favorite Christmas albums for many years! Thanks for posting it :)

Christmas Vinyl

Glad you enjoyed it!

John Michael Higgins

Elliott Lawrence, superb arranger. Reeds — second to none —- and practically plays the drums with the brass section.

Christmas Vinyl

Glad that you are liking it too.

More Versions