Hairston was born in Belews Creek, a rural community on the border of Stokes, Forsyth, Rockingham and Guilford counties in North Carolina. His grandparents had been slaves. At an early age he and his family moved to Homestead, Pennsylvania, just outside of Pittsburgh, where he graduated from high school in 1919. Hairston, who gave up studies at Massachusetts Agriculture College in the 1920s, went on to graduate cum laude from Tufts University in 1928 and studied music at the Juilliard School. He worked as a choir conductor in the early stages of his career. His work with choirs on Broadway eventually led to his singing and acting in plays, films, radio programs, and television shows. In 1937 was a founding member of the Screen Actors Guild.
[edit] Career
Hairston wrote the song "Mary's Boy Child" in 1956, possibly the only popular Christmas song written by an African-American. He also wrote the song "Amen", which he dubbed for the Sidney Poitier film Lilies of the Field (1963). He arranged traditional "Negro spirituals". Most of Hairston's film work was in the field of composing, arranging, and choral conducting. Hairston also acted in over 20 films, mostly in small roles, some of which were uncredited. Among the films he appeared in were bit parts in some of the early Tarzan movies, St. Louis Blues (1958), The Alamo (1960), To Kill a Mockingbird (1962), In the Heat of the Night (1967), Lady Sings the Blues (1972), I'm Gonna Git You Sucka (1988) and Being John Malkovich (1999).
Hairston appeared on The Amos 'n' Andy Show. He had been in the radio program that was the basis for the TV show. He also played the role of Wildcat (1974–1975) on the show That's My Mama. In his senior years he appeared in the show Amen as Rolly Forbes (1986–1991).[1] His last television appearance was in 1993 on an episode of Family Matters, a sitcom. Hairston also played the role of "King Moses" on radio for the Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall show "Bold Venture."
In his later years, Hairston served as a cultural ambassador for American music, traveling to numerous countries with choral groups that he had assembled. In 1985 he took the Jester Hairston Chorale, a multi-racial group, to sing in the People's Republic of China, at a time when foreign visitors were still quite rare in that country.
Hairston died in Los Angeles from natural causes in 2000. For his contribution to the television industry, Hairston has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame located at 6201 Hollywood Blvd. He is interred at Inglewood Park Cemetery, Inglewood, California.
Mary's Boy Child
Jester Hairston Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
so the Holy Bible said,
Mary's boy child Jesus Christ,
was born on Christmas Day.
While shepherds watch their flocks by night,
they see a bright new shining star,
they hear a choir sing a song,
Hark, now hear the angels sing,
a king was born today,
And man will live for evermore,
because of Christmas Day.
Now Joseph and his wife, Mary,
came to Bethlehem that night,
they found no place to bear her child,
not a single room was in sight.
Hark, now hear the angels sing,
a king was born today,
And man will live for evermore,
because of Christmas Day.
And then they found a little nook in a stable all forlorn,
and in a manger cold and dark, Mary's little boy was born.
Hark, now hear the angels sing,
a king was born today,
And man will live for evermore,
because of Christmas Day.
Jester Hairston's song "Mary's Boy Child" tells the story of the birth of Jesus Christ, as described in the Holy Bible. The lyrics describe how Joseph and Mary travel to Bethlehem and are unable to find a room where Mary can give birth. They end up taking shelter in a stable and it is here that Jesus is born. The song also focuses on the reactions of the shepherds who were tending to their flocks that night. They see a bright new shining star and hear a choir singing a song, both of which are signals of the birth of Jesus.
The chorus of the song emphasizes the significance of this event. The angels proclaim "a king was born today," and the song emphasizes the idea that "man will live for evermore because of Christmas Day." These lyrics suggest that the birth of Jesus is an important moment in history, one that will bring eternal life to humanity.
Overall, "Mary's Boy Child" is a simple yet powerful retelling of the Bible story of Jesus' birth. It highlights the joy and wonder that surround this miraculous event, and it reminds us of the enduring significance of Christmas.
Line by Line Meaning
Long time ago in Bethlehem,
According to the Holy Bible, a significant event took place in Bethlehem a long time ago.
so the Holy Bible said,
This historical occurrence is recorded in the Holy Bible.
Mary's boy child Jesus Christ,
Mary, who was Jesus Christ's mother, gave birth to a baby boy.
was born on Christmas Day.
This event happened on the 25th of December, which is celebrated as Christmas Day.
While shepherds watch their flocks by night,
As they tended to their sheep at night,
they see a bright new shining star,
they noticed a luminous celestial body,
they hear a choir sing a song,
they heard a group of people singing together,
the music seemed to come from afar.
and the sound seemed to be coming from a distant place.
Hark, now hear the angels sing,
Listen carefully, the angels are singing,
a king was born today,
a significant person was born on this day,
And man will live for evermore,
This person's life and teachings will have a lasting impact on people,
because of Christmas Day.
due to the significance of the day when he was born.
Now Joseph and his wife, Mary,
Joseph, Mary's husband, and herself,
came to Bethlehem that night,
arrived at Bethlehem that evening,
they found no place to bear her child,
were unable to find a place for Mary to give birth,
not a single room was in sight.
there were no available rooms or spaces.
And then they found a little nook in a stable all forlorn,
Eventually, they discovered a small corner of a stable that was neglected and abandoned,
and in a manger cold and dark, Mary's little boy was born.
and it was in that place that Mary gave birth to her child, who lay in a feeding trough in a dimly lit and chilly room.
Contributed by Sophia K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.