He came from Toronto; she, from Seattle.
He came from Toronto; she, from Seattle.
His parents started a radio station; hers were music teachers.
Both had music in their blood, instruments in their hands, and a mind to create.
The mountains led him to the west; a star led her to the north.
In Vancouver they met and schooled—studying music and life.
They found promise.
They found love.
In less than a year they put school on hold, got married, and lived.
With music and purpose guiding them, school called again and to Nashville they went.
He became an audio engineer; she became a songwriter; music stayed central and they continued to create.
Entering the Nashville music scene in 2009, Handsome and Gretyl released their debut EP, Hold On Tight Love, February 2011.
Handsome and Gretyl have created an earthy folk feel crossed with an imaginative jaunt of pop, a sweet and tangy piece of wild berry pie. This duo draws from real life, delivering optimistic though realistic lyrics, seasoned with the chill of snow, the sea breeze, and the hope of tomorrow’s sunrise.
O Come O Come Emmanuel
Handsome and Gretyl Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And ransom captive Israel
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear
Rejoice, rejoice, Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel
In one the hearts of all mankind
Bid Thou our sad divisions cease
And be Thyself our King of Peace
Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel
Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel
O come, O come, Emmanuel
And ransom captive Israel
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear
Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel
Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel
The song "O come, O come, Emmanuel" is a popular Christian hymn and Christmas carol with roots in the eighth century. The lyrics of the song call on Emmanuel, which means "God with us," to come and bring redemption to the captive Israel. The song paints a picture of Israel as a mournful exiled community waiting for the Son of God to appear and redeem them from captivity. The first two lines of the song, "O come, O come, Emmanuel, and ransom captive Israel," set the tone for the rest of the song. The captive Israel refers to the Israelites who were held captive in Babylon in the sixth century BC. The mournful and lonely tone of the song emphasizes the longing for freedom and redemption from bondage.
The lyrics also call on Emmanuel, the desire of nations, to bring unity among all mankind. The third stanza prays for the end of the sad divisions in the world and for Emmanuel to be the King of Peace. The song emphasizes the hope of the coming of Emmanuel as the redeemer of Israel and the world. The refrain "Rejoice, Rejoice, Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel" serves as a reminder to Israel to rejoice and hope in the Lord's salvation.
The song has been interpreted in many ways over the years, with some seeing it as a representation of the longing for the second coming of Christ, while others interpret it as a proclamation of the incarnation of Christ. Nevertheless, "O come, O come, Emmanuel" continues to be a beloved Christmas hymn and a reminder of the hope that we have in the coming of Emmanuel.
Line by Line Meaning
O come, O come, Emmanuel
We humbly request for Your presence, Savior.
And ransom captive Israel
Please save us, deliver us from captivity.
That mourns in lonely exile here
We cry in sadness while being away from our real home.
Until the Son of God appear
We hope for Your arrival and eagerly wait for You.
Rejoice, rejoice, Emmanuel
We are filled with joy and happiness at the thought of Your arrival.
Shall come to thee, O Israel
You will come to us, the chosen people of God.
O come, Desire of nations, bind
We request you to unite all nations and bring peace.
In one the hearts of all mankind
Make us one, so that we'll all have one heart and purpose.
Bid Thou our sad divisions cease
We pray for an end to all our differences and conflicts.
And be Thyself our King of Peace
We all seek You as the King of our hearts and the source of our peace.
Rejoice! Rejoice!
We celebrate and are filled with great joy.
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel
We are confident in Your arrival and presence among us, the children of Israel.
O come, O come, Emmanuel
We humbly request for Your presence, Savior.
And ransom captive Israel
Please save us, deliver us from captivity.
That mourns in lonely exile here
We cry in sadness while being away from our real home.
Until the Son of God appear
We hope for Your arrival and eagerly wait for You.
Rejoice! Rejoice!
We celebrate and are filled with great joy.
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel
We are confident in Your arrival and presence among us, the children of Israel.
Lyrics © CAPITOL CHRISTIAN MUSIC GROUP, DistroKid, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: SIDDHARTHA KHOSLA, TRADITIONAL (WRITER UNKNOWN)
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind