Angels We Have Heard On High
Gordon Langford and his Orchestra Lyrics

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Glo-glo-gloria

Angels we have heard on high
Sweetly singing over the plain
And the mountains in reply
Echoing their joyous strains
Glo-glo-gloria in excelsis Deo
Oh, no, yeah, yeah

Shepherds, why this jubilee?
Why your joyous song prolong?
What the gladsome tidings be, oh
That inspire your heavenly song?
Glo-glo-gloria in excelsis Deo
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh yeah

Oh, come to Bethlehem and see
Him whose birth the angels sing, oh
Come on, adore on bended knee
Christ, the Lord, our new-born King
Glo-glo-gloria in excelsis Deo
Oh yeah

On the day that Christ was born
The angels sang such a heavenly song
In excelsis Deo, oh

Angels we have heard on high
Angels we have heard on high
Angels we have heard on high
Angels we have heard on high
In excelsis Deo, in excelsis Deo

In excelsis Deo

Overall Meaning

The song "Angels We Have Heard On High" is a classic Christmas carol about the joyful tidings of the birth of Jesus Christ as proclaimed by a group of angels. The lyrics describe the scene of the angels singing over the plain and the mountains echoing their song. The refrain, which is repeated several times throughout the song, is "Glo-glo-gloria in excelsis Deo," which translates to "Glory to God in the highest." This phrase is a nod to the biblical account of the angels proclaiming the good news of Christ's birth to the shepherds in the fields. The lyrics ask why the shepherds are so joyous and what inspired their heavenly song, ultimately inviting listeners to come to Bethlehem and see the newborn king, Christ the Lord, and worship him on bended knee.

The words to this carol were originally written in French by James Chadwick, an English Roman Catholic bishop, in the mid-19th century. The melody is believed to date back to the 18th century and was arranged by various composers, including Edward Shippen Barnes and Gordon Langford, whose version with an orchestra is well-known.

Line by Line Meaning

Angels we have heard on high
We have heard angels singing high up in the sky

Sweetly singing over the plain
The angels were singing in a sweet tone over the open field

And the mountains in reply
Mountains echoed back in response

Echoing their joyous strains
The mountains echoed the joyful tunes of the angels

Shepherds, why this jubilee?
Shepherds, why are you celebrating and feeling so joyful?

Why your joyous song prolong?
Why are you continuing to sing your happy song?

What the gladsome tidings be, oh
What is the joyful news that is causing this celebration?

That inspire your heavenly song?
What is the inspiration behind your heavenly song?

Oh, come to Bethlehem and see
Come to Bethlehem and witness for yourself

Him whose birth the angels sing, oh
The one whom the angels are singing about

Come on, adore on bended knee
Adore him while bowing on your knees

Christ, the Lord, our new-born King
He is Christ, our Lord, and a new-born king

On the day that Christ was born
The day when Christ was born

The angels sang such a heavenly song
The angels sang a song that was heavenly

In excelsis Deo, oh
Singing 'Glory to God in the highest' with fervor

Angels we have heard on high
We have heard angels singing high up in the sky

In excelsis Deo, in excelsis Deo
Singing 'Glory to God in the highest' with fervor

Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., NEIL MUSIC/SKYVIEW MUSIC, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: TRADITIONAL, MACK DONALD III BROCK

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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