Away in a Manger
Frank Sinatra & Bing Crosby Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
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,
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.
The lyrics to Frank Sinatra and Bing Crosby's song Away in a Manger convey a peaceful scene of the birth of Jesus Christ. The first verse describes the humble setting of Jesus' birth. He was laid down to sleep in a manger, a feeding trough for animals, because there was no other place for him to rest his head. The second line, "The little Lord Jesus laid down his sweet head," is an intimate and endearing portrayal of the newborn King. His head, gentle and soft, was laid down in the rough and rustic manger. The third line describes the celestial perspective of the stars in the sky looking down upon him. The final line of the verse prophetically declares that the little Lord Jesus was laying upon the hay, the feed that would sustain him as he grew up to become the Savior of the world.
The second verse contrasts with the first verse in that it starts by describing the noisy animals. The cattle are lowing and the baby awakes, but the little Lord Jesus does not cry. The lyrics suggest that even in those early moments, Jesus was calm and peaceful, born to bring peace to the world. The next line, "I love thee, Lord Jesus!" is a declaration of devotion to the baby. The following line indicates that even though he is a baby, Jesus is not just an earthly being, but is in fact in heaven with the ability to hear these words. The bridge of the song uses childlike language to call on Jesus to be close by, and to bless all children in his care. The final line asks that Jesus help to prepare all who follow him to be worthy of heaven.
Overall, the lyrics of Away in a Manger present a calm and peaceful picture of Jesus' birth. The song emphasizes his divine nature and role as Savior, and calls on Jesus to bless children and help all believers prepare themselves for heaven.
Line by Line Meaning
Away in a manger, no crib for his bed,
The newborn baby Jesus had no proper bed and was placed in a manger.
The little Lord Jesus laid down his sweet head.
Jesus Christ, the Lord, laid his head down on the manger.
The stars in the bright sky looked down where he lay,
Amidst the peaceful night, the stars shone down and illuminated the place where the baby lay.
The little Lord Jesus asleep on the hay.
The little Lord Jesus was sleeping on the hay of the manger.
The cattle are lowing, the baby awakes,
The cattle are mooing and the baby Jesus wakes up.
But little Lord Jesus no crying he makes.
Although Jesus was awakened, he did not cry.
I love thee, Lord Jesus! Look down from the sky,
The singer confesses his love for Jesus and prays for Him to see down from heaven.
And stay by my side until morning is nigh.
The artist requests Jesus to stay by his side until morning light.
Be near me, Lord Jesus; I ask thee to stay
The artist requests Jesus to be near him and stay by his side.
Close by me forever, and love me, I pray.
The artist prays and asks Jesus to love him and stay by his side forever.
Bless all the dear children in thy tender care,
The singer asks Jesus Christ to bless all those nearby him and those under his kind guidance.
And fit us for heaven, to live with thee there.
The artist asks Jesus to prepare them for heaven and to allow them to live with Him there.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Public Domain
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind