Belafonte is perhaps best known for singing the "Banana Boat Song", with its signature lyric "Day-O". Throughout his career, he was an advocate for civil rights and humanitarian causes.
Belafonte won three Grammy Awards (including a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award), an Emmy Award, and a Tony Award. In 1989, he received the Kennedy Center Honors. He was awarded the National Medal of Arts in 1994. In 2014, he received the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award at the Academy's 6th Annual Governors Awards and in 2022 was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in the Early Influence category and was the oldest living person to have received the honor.
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The Gifts They Gave
Harry Belafonte Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Was humbly born in a stable of wood
And the friendly beasts around Him stood
Jesus our brother kind and good
I, said the donkey, shaggy and brown
I carried His Mother up hill and down
I carried His Mother to Bethlehem town
I, said the sheep with curly horn
I gave Him my wool for a blanket warm
He wore my coat on Christmas morn
I, said the sheep with curly horn
I, said the dove, from the rafters high
I cooed Him to sleep that He should not cry
We cooed Him to sleep my love and I
I, said the dove, from the rafters high
Thus, every beast, by some good spell
In the stable dark was glad to tell
Of the gift he gave Emanuel
Of the gift he gave Emanuel
“The Gifts They Gave” is a Christmas song by Harry Belafonte. This song portrays a very unique perspective of the events that unfolded on the night Jesus Christ was born. The song starts off by addressing Jesus Christ as “our brother” who was “humbly born in a stable of wood”. The animals in the stable are the main characters of this song. They are around the baby Jesus and are singing his praises. The first animal to speak is the donkey who claims to have carried Mary, Jesus’s mother, up and down the hill and into Bethlehem. The I in the donkey’s claim could be seen as a reference to the fact that the donkey's presence is still significant by helping to transport the Holy Family. The second verse gives voice to the sheep with curly horn, who claims to have given Jesus his wool for a blanket on Christmas morn. The third verse introduces the dove sitting on the rafters. The dove cooed Jesus to sleep and “we”, the dove and Jesus's mother, cooed him to sleep. The final verses summarize the gifts each animal gave to “Emanuel”--- Jesus Christ.
The song relays the idea that all living things have a special place in Jesus's story, everything and everyone was needed to bring about the miraculous birth. The animals represented the love and divine influence we should all have in our hearts when we follow in God's footsteps. The song is a reminder that Christmas is a spirit that is for every living thing to embody, as it is commonly said “The spirit of Christmas is the spirit of love”. This song speaks to the power of not only companionship but also the power of mutual aid and bestowing blessings upon one another. It is a call to all of us to bring out the good in ourselves and to help other people whenever we can, the little that we do for others could mean a lot to them.
Line by Line Meaning
Jesus our brother, kind and good
Jesus, the person associated with kindness and goodness, is also considered our brother.
Was humbly born in a stable of wood
Jesus was born in a simple stable made of wood, not in a grand fancy place.
And the friendly beasts around Him stood
Animals were around Jesus when he was born.
I, said the donkey, shaggy and brown
The donkey joined in telling the story and revealing its connection to Jesus.
I carried His Mother up hill and down
It was the donkey that carried Jesus' mother, Mary, on its back.
I carried His Mother to Bethlehem town
It was the donkey that traveled with Mary to Bethlehem town.
I, said the sheep with curly horn
Like the donkey, the sheep is joining the story and acknowledges its relationship to Jesus.
I gave Him my wool for a blanket warm
The sheep gave its wool to be used as a warm blanket for baby Jesus.
He wore my coat on Christmas morn
On the day of Jesus' birth, he was wrapped in the wool coat of the sheep.
I, said the dove, from the rafters high
The dove, observing from a high point, is telling the story too.
I cooed Him to sleep that He should not cry
The dove helped soothe Jesus and maintain the peace by cooing him to sleep.
We cooed Him to sleep my love and I
The dove and its love (likely another dove) both helped coo Jesus to sleep.
Thus, every beast, by some good spell
A miracle or magic allowed all the animals to communicate and participate in the story.
In the stable dark was glad to tell
All the animals were happy to tell their own part of the story and convey the joy in the stable.
Of the gift he gave Emanuel
Each animal gave their own special gift to Jesus, also known as Emanuel.
Lyrics © NEXT DECADE ENTERTAINMENT,INC., BMG Rights Management
Written by: CARTER CORMIER, DE OKUN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Frederique Roberge
on Angelina
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