Born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio, Brickman enrolled in the Cleveland Institute of Music taking courses in composition and performance, while taking business classes at Case Western Reserve University. His music career started when he was nineteen, when Jim Henson hired him to write tunes for Sesame Street. He was also hired to write commercial jingles while in college.
Brickman writes a wide variety of music. Besides his piano compositions and love songs, he has also created arrangements of other songs. Several of his albums feature arrangements of children's music; he has produced two Christmas-themed albums The Gift (1997) and Peace (2003); and his 2005 album Grace concentrates on arrangements of well-known Christian music.
Jim Brickman has also starred in the now-on-DVD PBS specials "My Romance: An Evening with Jim Brickman", "Love Songs & Lullabies" and "The Disney Songbook." In 2006, he sponsored his first Jim Brickman Valentine's Day Cruise with Carnival Cruise Lines which has become an annual event.
Away In a Manger
Jim Brickman Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
No crib for a bed
The little Lord Jesus
Laid down His sweet head
The stars in the sky
Looked down where He lay
The little Lord Jesus
The cattle are lowing
The poor Baby wakes
But little Lord Jesus
No crying He makes
I love Thee, Lord Jesus
Look down from the sky
And stay by my side
'Til morning is night
Be near me, Lord Jesus
I ask Thee to stay
Close by me forever
And love me, I pray
Bless all the dear children
In Thy tender care
And take us to Heaven
To live with Thee there
Away in a manger
No crib for His bed
The little Lord Jesus
Laid down His sweet head
The stars in the sky
Looked down where He lay
The little Lord Jesus
Asleep on the hay
The little Lord Jesus
Asleep on the hay
The song "Away in a Manger" paints a vivid image of the birth of Jesus Christ. The opening lines describe the scene, with the baby lying in a manger, a feeding trough for animals, symbolizing his humble beginnings. Even though he had no cribs and other baby essentials, the little Lord Jesus, as the song calls him, is comfortable and rested on the hay.
The song also mentions the stars in the sky watching over him, which symbolizes the belief that even the heavens above are aware of the birth of a savior. The next set of lines describes when the cattle around the manger begin to low, a sound that startles the baby awake. But even as he awakens, he does not cry, demonstrating his peaceful nature right from the beginning.
The next verse speaks directly to Jesus, with the singer expressing their devotion and asking him to stay by their side until morning comes. The final verse is a prayer of blessing for all the children under God's care and a request to be taken to heaven to live with Jesus. The overall message of the song is one of reverence, peace, and love, and it is widely sung during the Christmas season.
Line by Line Meaning
Away in a manger
The setting for the story is away from the usual places in a lowly stable
No crib for a bed
There was no usual bed for the baby, just a manger
The little Lord Jesus
The baby born in the manger was none other than Jesus Christ
Laid down His sweet head
The baby was at peace and rested his head in the manger
The stars in the sky
The heavens above were witnesses to the birth of the Lord
Looked down where He lay
The stars shone their light on the humble manger where the baby lay
The little Lord Jesus
Jesus, though a king, was still a baby unable to protect himself
Asleep on the hay
The baby was made to sleep on the bed of hay meant for the cattle
The cattle are lowing
The gentle sounds of cows mooing were heard in the stable
The poor Baby wakes
The noise of the cows woke up the baby Jesus
But little Lord Jesus
Despite being a baby, Jesus did not cry or make a fuss
No crying He makes
Jesus was a calm and peaceful baby
I love Thee, Lord Jesus
The singer loves Jesus Christ with all their heart
Look down from the sky
Requesting for Jesus to look down from heaven above
And stay by my side
Asking Jesus to always be present in their life
'Til morning is night
Wishing for Jesus to never leave them from morning until the end of the day
Be near me, Lord Jesus
Requesting for Jesus to always be close by
I ask Thee to stay
Requesting for Jesus to not leave their side
Close by me forever
Asking for Jesus to be their companion for eternity
And love me, I pray
Requesting that Jesus continues to love them forever
Bless all the dear children
Asking Jesus to bless all the children, including them
In Thy tender care
Asking that Jesus take special care of all the children
And take us to Heaven
Wishing to go to heaven with Jesus
To live with Thee there
Asking that they may live with Jesus eternally in heaven
Asleep on the hay
The baby Jesus fell asleep on the humble bed of hay
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, K - M MUSIC INC
Written by: Traditional
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Lori Carlson
Awesome!!! Thank you for the Beautiful piano playing.