Away In a Manger
Everly Brothers & Boys Town Choir Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Away in a manger, no crib for his bed,
the little Lord Jesus laid down his Sweet head.
The stars in the bright sky looked down where he lay,
The little Lord Jesus asleep on the hay.

The cattle are lowing, the baby awakes,
But little Lord Jesus no crying he makes.
I love thee, Lord Jesus! Look down from the sky,
And stay by my side until morning is nigh.

Be near me, Lord Jesus; I ask thee to stay
Close by me forever, and love me, I pray.




Bless all the dear children in thy tender care,
And fit us for heaven, to live with thee there.

Overall Meaning

The song “Away in a Manger” is about the birth of Jesus Christ and it gives us a picture of what it would have been like that holy night when He was born. The song paints a humble and peaceful scene where the newborn baby Jesus is lying in a manger, a feeding trough for animals in a stable because there was no room in the inn. It talks about Mary and Joseph, who were the parents of baby Jesus, who would have made a bed for Him in the manger, as it was the best place they could find. The song describes how the stars shone bright and looked down at the baby Jesus lying in the manger with hay as his bed.


The second half of the song speaks about the child’s feelings as he goes to sleep, using his prayerful thoughts to express his love of Jesus and his desire to be close to him. It talks about how Jesus never cried as he was born whilst the cattle lowed around him, and how he embodied peace from birth. The song ends with a prayer asking Jesus to bless all the children in his care and to help them be ready to go to heaven. This song is quite popular at Christmas time and is one of the most famous Christmas hymns.


Line by Line Meaning

Away in a manger, no crib for his bed
The newborn Lord Jesus was laid in a makeshift bed, as there was no proper cradle for him.


The little Lord Jesus laid down his Sweet head
The tiny Lord Jesus rested his head and fell asleep.


The stars in the bright sky looked down where he lay
The bright stars shone downwards, illuminating the place where the Lord Jesus lay resting.


The little Lord Jesus asleep on the hay
The baby Lord Jesus slept soundly on a bed of hay.


The cattle are lowing, the baby awakes
The cows nearby mooed, which woke the baby from his sleep.


But little Lord Jesus no crying he makes
The child Lord Jesus did not cry, but remained calm and peaceful.


I love thee, Lord Jesus! Look down from the sky
The singer expresses their love for the Lord Jesus, and asks him to watch over them from the heavens above.


And stay by my side until morning is nigh
The artist requests for the Lord Jesus to be with them throughout the night, until the morning arrives.


Be near me, Lord Jesus; I ask thee to stay
The artist asks for the Lord Jesus to be close to them, and requests that he stay by their side.


Close by me forever, and love me, I pray
The artist prays that the Lord Jesus will always be with them, and that he will love them forever.


Bless all the dear children in thy tender care
The singer asks for the Lord Jesus to bless all of the children under his watchful and loving care.


And fit us for heaven, to live with thee there
The artist prays for the Lord Jesus to prepare them for heaven, so that they may live together with him there someday.




Lyrics © DistroKid, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Integrity Music, Songtrust Ave, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Traditional

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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