It Came Upon The Midnight Clear
International Staff Band/Bernard Adams Lyrics
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That glorious song of old
From Angels playing near the earth
To touch their harps of gold
Peace on the earth could will two men
From Heaven's all-gracious King
The world in solemn stillness lay
And I hear them singing
Sing, I do hear them singing
The first Noel the Angel did say
Was to certain poor shepherds in fields as they lay
In fields where they lay, they keeping their sheep
On a cold winter's night that was so deep
The song "It Came Upon The Midnight Clear" tells the story of the angels' song that was heard the night Jesus was born. The lyrics describe the moment as being peaceful and still, as the earth stopped to listen to the angels play their harps of gold. The angels sang of peace on earth, a message from the King of Heaven, and their song was heard by shepherds in the fields who were keeping watch over their flocks. The shepherds were the first to hear the news of Jesus' birth, and the angels' song was the first "Noel" or announcement of the good news.
The song is a reminder of the true message of Christmas, which is peace on earth and goodwill towards all men. The lyrics capture the stillness and wonder of the moment when the angels appeared to the shepherds, and the music adds to the sense of awe and reverence. The repeated refrain of "I hear them singing" emphasizes the ongoing nature of the angel's song and the message of hope that it carries for all who hear it.
Line by Line Meaning
It came upon the midnight clear
The event happened late at night
That glorious song of old
The song was magnificent and ancient
From Angels playing near the earth
Angels were present and playing music nearby
To touch their harps of gold
To play music on their golden harps
Peace on the earth could will two men
Peace on earth is possible if people will it
From Heaven's all-gracious King
From a benevolent ruler in heaven
The world in solemn stillness lay
The world was silent and peaceful
To hear the Angels sing
To listen to the music of the angels
And I hear them singing
I can hear the angels singing
Sing, I do hear them singing
I hear the angels singing clearly
The first Noel the Angel did say
The first announcement of Jesus' birth was made by an angel
Was to certain poor shepherds in fields as they lay
The angel spoke to some poor shepherds who were lying in a field
In fields where they lay, they keeping their sheep
The shepherds were in a field watching over their sheep
On a cold winter's night that was so deep
It was a very cold and dark winter night
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
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