Do You Hear What I Hear
Gladys Knight The Pips Lyrics


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Do You Hear What I Hear?

Said the night wind to the little lamb,
"Do you see what I see?
Way up in the sky, little lamb,
Do you see what I see?
A star, a star, dancing in the night
With a tail as big as a kite,
With a tail as big as a kite."

Said the little lamb to the shepherd boy,
"Do you hear what I hear?
Ringing through the sky, shepherd boy,
Do you hear what I hear?
A song, a song high above the trees
With a voice as big as the the sea,
With a voice as big as the the sea."

Said the shepherd boy to the mighty king,
"Do you know what I know?
In your palace warm, mighty king,
Do you know what I know?
A Child, a Child shivers in the cold--
Let us bring him silver and gold,
Let us bring him silver and gold."

Said the king to the people everywhere,
"Listen to what I say!
Pray for peace, people, everywhere,
Listen to what I say!
The Child, the Child sleeping in the night




He will bring us goodness and light,
He will bring us goodness and light."

Overall Meaning

The song "Do You Hear What I Hear?" was written by Noel Regney and Gloria Shayne Baker in 1962, at the height of the Cold War. The lyrics represent a message of hope and peace during a time of turmoil and fear in the world. The song was popularized by the version sung by Gladys Knight and The Pips in 1975.


The lyrics are a conversation between various characters, including a night wind, a little lamb, a shepherd boy, a mighty king, and the people. The wind and the lamb see a star in the sky that is so bright it appears to be dancing, while the shepherd boy hears a song that is so loud it seems to be ringing through the sky. The shepherd boy then tells the king about a child who is shivering in the cold, and the king urges the people to pray for peace and to recognize the goodness and light that the child brings.


The song is often interpreted as a message of hope during difficult times, with the child representing a symbol of peace and love. The song has become a popular Christmas carol and is often included in holiday playlists and sung in church services.


Line by Line Meaning

Said the night wind to the little lamb
The howling wind asked a small innocent lamb if it could see what it saw.


Do you see what I see?
Are you witnessing the same thing I am?


Way up in the sky, little lamb
In the vast and open sky.


A star, a star, dancing in the night
A luminous star twinkling in the dark.


With a tail as big as a kite,
It had a vast and magnificent tail.


Said the little lamb to the shepherd boy
The innocent lamb communicated to a cleric boy.


Do you hear what I hear?
Are you listening to the sound that I hear?


Ringing through the sky, shepherd boy
Echoing through the heavens, young shepherd.


A song, a song high above the trees
A melodic tune soaring above the tall forestry.


With a voice as big as the sea,
The sound was as loud and strong as the sea.


Said the shepherd boy to the mighty king,
The young shepherd told a great monarch.


Do you know what I know?
Are you privy to the knowledge that I possess?


In your palace warm, mighty king,
In your cozy castle, your Majesty.


Do you know what I know?
Are you aware of what I know?


A Child, a Child shivers in the cold--
An infant trembles in the intense and bitter cold.


Let us bring him silver and gold,
We should present him with valuable treasures.


Said the king to the people everywhere,
The ruler spoke to his people all around.


Listen to what I say!
Heed my words.


Pray for peace, people, everywhere,
Appeal to the Almighty for peace throughout the land.


The Child, the Child sleeping in the night
The infant, the newborn slumbering in the darkness.


He will bring us goodness and light,
The child will lead us to blessedness and illumination.




Contributed by Jackson A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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Comments from YouTube:

@z.thomas5487

literally the most underrated version

@tiffanybm5597

Oh the tears just pours down at the ending of this song, I am so in love with my Savior & so thankful for His sacrifice❀

@Diane-ru7sr

Oh how i love this version ❀ She truly sings it so beautifully πŸŽ„

@alanmackinnon3516

Just beautiful, what a voice.

@morrismasaga960

The best version ever

@eddiesimpson5544

Aint nibody

@tiffanybm5597

Yes sir, I always thought it was Whitney Houstons version, but when I heard this one last christmas, this blew me out the water. Very soul grippingπŸ™Œ

@mimigutierrez4327

You Better Believe it!

@sherrisaunders622

I heard this song for the first time on the radio in the early 1990s. I fell in love with it. I wanted to hear it again, never did until over 10 years later. Now I can just type it in listen to it any time I want

@pmu7727

Played every 1 December and I love it, even after all these years!

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