Good King Wenceslas
Elvis Presley & Bing Crosby Lyrics
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On the Feast of Stephen
When the snow lay round about
Deep and crisp and even
Brightly shone the moon that night
Though the frost was cruel
When a poor man came in sight
Gathering winter fuel
Hither, page, and stand by me,
If thou knowst it, telling
Yonder peasant, who is he?
Where and what his dwelling?
Sire, he lives a good league hence,
Underneath the mountain
Right against the forest fence
By Saint Agnes fountain.
Bring me flesh and bring me wine
Bring me pine logs hither
Thou and I shall see him dine
When we bear them thither.
Page and monarch, forth they went
Forth they went together
Through the rude winds wild lament
And the bitter weather
Sire, the night is darker now
And the wind blows stronger
Fails my heart, I know not how
I can go no longer.
Mark my footsteps, good my page
Tread thou in them boldly
Thou shall find the winters rage
Freeze thy blood less coldly.
In his masters step he trod
Where the snow lay dinted
Heat was in the very sod
Which the Saint had printed
Therefore, Christian men, be sure
Wealth or rank possessing
Ye, who now will bless the poor
Shall yourselves find blessing.
The song Good King Wenceslas is a Christmas carol that tells the story of a noble king, Wenceslas, who looked out of his palace during the Feast of Stephen (December 26th) and saw a poor man gathering winter fuel in the snow. Despite the harsh weather conditions, Wenceslas decided to venture out with his page to bring the man some meat, wine, and wood for fuel. As they made their way to the peasant's home, they encountered rough terrain and worsening weather, but Wenceslas asked his page to follow in his footsteps and continue on, assuring him that he would not feel the full brunt of the cold if he trod where the saint had walked before.
The lyrics of the song highlight several moral lessons, including the importance of generosity, kindness, and selflessness. The king's actions exemplify his compassion for the less fortunate, and he inspires his page to follow in his footsteps, thereby passing on these values for future generations. Additionally, the song references Saint Agnes, a Christian saint known for her devotion to Christ and her vow of chastity, adding a religious undertone to the story.
Line by Line Meaning
Good King Wenceslas looked out
King Wenceslas peered outside
On the Feast of Stephen
On the day after Christmas
When the snow lay round about
Amidst deep snow
Deep and crisp and even
Which lay in a smooth layer
Brightly shone the moon that night
The moon beamed with great radiance
Though the frost was cruel
Even though the cold was harsh
When a poor man came in sight
A beggar was seen
Gathering winter fuel
Collecting wood to warm himself
Hither, page, and stand by me,
Come here, my assistant, and stand close
If thou knowst it, telling
Do you know who he is?
Yonder peasant, who is he?
Who is that poor man over there?
Where and what his dwelling?
Where does he live and what is his story?
Sire, he lives a good league hence,
He lives quite far from here, Your Majesty
Underneath the mountain
Near the bottom of a mountain
Right against the forest fence
Close to the edge of the woods
By Saint Agnes fountain.
Near a fountain dedicated to Saint Agnes
Bring me flesh and bring me wine
Bring me food and wine
Bring me pine logs hither
Bring some pine wood as well
Thou and I shall see him dine
We shall watch him enjoy it
When we bear them thither.
As we carry these items to him
Page and monarch, forth they went
The assistant and the king ventured forth
Forth they went together
They walked side by side
Through the rude winds wild lament
Amidst harsh winter winds
And the bitter weather
In spite of the harsh weather
Sire, the night is darker now
Your Majesty, it is now much darker
And the wind blows stronger
The wind is growing stronger
Fails my heart, I know not how
My heart is failing, I do not know why
I can go no longer.
I cannot continue on
Mark my footsteps, good my page
Follow in my footsteps, faithful assistant
Tread thou in them boldly
Step confidently in my tracks
Thou shall find the winters rage
You will feel the full force of winter's fury
Freeze thy blood less coldly.
Slightly less cold than if you were to forge your own path
In his masters step he trod
He walked in his master's footprints
Where the snow lay dinted
Where the snow was compacted
Heat was in the very sod
The ground was still warm from Saint Agnes' heat
Which the Saint had printed
Where Saint Agnes had left her mark
Therefore, Christian men, be sure
Remember, brothers in Christ, be certain
Wealth or rank possessing
Regardless of one's social status or financial means
Ye, who now will bless the poor
Those who offer kindness to the less fortunate
Shall yourselves find a blessing.
Will also receive a blessing in return
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, BMG Rights Management
Written by: JAMES MORGAN, JULIETTE POCHIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Kelli DeTone
I hope this helps me in music class.
kimosabbe50
How did Good King Wenceslas like his pizza? .......... Deep and crisp and even ;)
kimosabbe50
Alternate Lyrics Mix:
Good King Wenceslas walked down
to the pizzeria.
Ordered up his favorite pie
deep pan, crisp and even
Brightly shone the neon sign,
on the server cruel,
when a peasant came inside
carrying her poo - o -dle.
Come now server, stand by me,
if thou know it telling,
yonder peasant who is she;
looks like Tori Spelling?
Sir she lives a few miles hence,
somewhere in the valley;
her, the poodle and some gents,
along with her friend Sa -al -ly.
Then bring Bruschetta and some wine,
bring me pine nuts tither
You and I will see her dine,
then I'll pay for din - ner.
Server, Monarch, forth they went,
in Uber ride together
listening to the driver lament;
I think her name was Hea -ath -er.
Heather's mood was darker now,
and her perfume(?) stronger.
Fails my heart I know not how.
I can go no longer.
Crack the window now my friend,
breathe deeply, long and slowly.
Soon you'll find this ride will end
not far from your ho -om -ies.
They're at their destination now,
searching for the peas-ant.
5 stars, Heather, anyhow,
wasn't THAT unpleasant.
Therefore, Christian men, be sure,
wealth or rank possessing,
ye who now will bless the poor
shall yourselves find blessing
Aemilia Carol PhoneTube
Haha very funny meme
Kimi T
I can't even!! LOL!!
Matthew Barry
Does anyone know the female singer sharing the lyrics?
pbandj37
No. They have never figured out who she is. If you read, "Bing Crosby Swinging On A Star, The War Years 1940-46," they state that. Author Gary Giddins spent over 20 years compiling Bing Crosby info for the two books he wrote about Crosby, even spending time with Kathryn Crosby at her house going through papers, notes, notebooks and more of Bing's. He is considered the foremost Bing Crosby expert...so if he did not find it, suffice and sadly to say, it may never be found.
Miller & Lydia
Sheldon brought me here!
Survival Man
same
Aemilia Carol PhoneTube
1 day left