Do You Hear What I Hear
Hayley Westenra & The Choirboys Lyrics
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"Do you see what I see? Do you see what I see?
Way up in the sky, little lamb,
Do you see what I see? 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."
"Do you hear what I hear? Do you hear what I hear?
Ringing through the sky, shepherd boy,
Do you hear what I hear? Do you hear what I hear?
A song, a song high above the trees
With a voice as big as the sea,
With a voice as big as the sea."
Said the shepherd boy to the mighty king,
"Do you know what I know? Do you know what I know?
In your palace warm, mighty king,
Do you know what I know? 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! Listen to what I say!
Pray for peace, people, everywhere,
Listen to what I say! Listen to what I say!
A Child, A Child sleeping in the night
He will bring us goodness and light,
He will bring us goodness and light."
The lyrics of Hayley Westenra's song "Do You Hear What I Hear?" create a narrative of a chain of events where various characters witness the same supernatural phenomenon of a star shining in the sky and a choir of angels singing a song. The night wind first asks the little lamb if it can see the star with a tail as big as a kite, and the lamb asks the shepherd boy if he can hear the angels singing a song with a voice as big as the sea. The shepherd boy then tells the mighty king about the Child who shivers in the cold and whom they should bring silver and gold to. Finally, the king urges everyone to pray for peace and hopefulness, as the Child sleeping in the night will bring goodness and light to the world.
Although the lyrics may seem straightforward, they contain several layers of symbolic meaning. The star may represent the birth of Jesus, the shepherds and the king may symbolize different groups of people who have witnessed the birth, and the Child may be a messianic or godly figure who will bring salvation to humanity. The song therefore carries a message of hope and redemption during a dark, cold period, which aligns with the Christian narrative of Christmas.
Line by Line Meaning
Said the night wind to the little lamb,
The wind speaks to the lamb, asking if it sees what it sees.
Do you see what I see? Do you see what I see?
The wind repeats its question to the lamb, wondering if the lamb can see what the wind sees.
Way up in the sky, little lamb,
The wind instructs the lamb to look up into the sky.
A star, a star, dancing in the night
The wind sees a star shining in the night sky, moving in a way that appears like it is dancing.
With a tail as big as a kite,
The star has a long tail that is as big as a kite.
Said the little lamb to the shepherd boy,
The lamb speaks to the shepherd boy, asking if he hears what the lamb hears.
Do you hear what I hear? Do you hear what I hear?
The lamb repeats its question to the shepherd boy, asking if he can hear the same thing the lamb hears.
Ringing through the sky, shepherd boy,
The lamb hears a sound that seems to be ringing throughout the sky, and asks the shepherd boy if he hears the same.
A song, a song high above the trees
The sound the lamb hears is a song, being sung high above the trees.
With a voice as big as the sea,
The voice singing the song is powerful, like the sound of the sea.
Said the shepherd boy to the mighty king,
The shepherd boy tells the mighty king something he has learned.
Do you know what I know? Do you know what I know?
The shepherd boy repeats his question, hoping the king knows the same information he does.
In your palace warm, mighty king,
The shepherd boy addresses the king's comfortable palace as he speaks to him.
Do you know what I know? Do you know what I know?
The shepherd boy asks the king again if he knows what the shepherd boy knows.
A Child, a Child shivers in the cold--
The shepherd boy knows of a child who is cold and shivering, and brings the topic to the king's attention.
Let us bring him silver and gold,
The shepherd boy suggests to the king to bring silver and gold as gifts for the cold child.
Said the king to the people everywhere,
The king tells everyone, addressing a large audience.
Listen to what I say! Listen to what I say!
The king emphasizes that everyone should listen to what he has to say.
Pray for peace, people, everywhere,
The king urges everyone to pray for peace, emphasizing the importance of peace for all people.
Listen to what I say! Listen to what I say!
The king repeats his command, emphasizing once again the importance of his message.
A Child, A Child sleeping in the night
The king knows of a child who is sleeping during the night.
He will bring us goodness and light,
The child is believed to bring joy, positivity, and light to the people.
Lyrics © REGENT MUSIC CORPORATION
Written by: FELIX BERNARD, RICHARD B. SMITH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind