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.
Good King Wenceslas
Jim Brickman Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
On the feast of Stephen
When the snow lay 'round about
Deep and crisp and even
Brightly shone the moon that night
Though the frost was cruel
When a poor man came in sight
Hither, page and stand by me
If thou knows it telling
Yonder peasant, who is he?
Where and what his dwelling?
Sire, he lives a good league hence
Underneath the mountain
Right against the forest fence
By Saint Agnes's fountain
Bring me flesh and bring me wine
Bring me fur logs, hither
Thou and I will see him dine
Here we bear him thither
Page and monarch, forth they went
Forth they went together
Through the rude wind's wild lament
And the bitter weather
Sire, the night is darker now
And the wind blows stronger
Fails my heart, I know not how
I can go no longer
Mark my footsteps, good my page
Tread thou in them boldly
Thou shall find the winter's rage
Freeze thy blood less coldly
In his master's steps he trod
Where the snow lay dinted
Heat was in the very sod
Which the Saint had printed
Therefore, Christian men, be sure
Wealth or rank possessing
Ye, who now will bless the poor
Shall yourselves find blessing
The song "Good King Wenceslas" is a traditional Christmas carol that was published in 1853 in a collection of carols called "Carols for Christmas-tide." The song tells the story of King Wenceslas, who was a real-life king in the 10th century who ruled what is now the Czech Republic. On the Feast of Stephen, which is the day after Christmas, Wenceslas looked out and saw poor people struggling to stay warm in the bitter cold winter. He called for his page and together they went to bring the poor man food and fuel.
The lyrics of the song describe the journey taken by the king and his page through the snow and cold weather to bring aid to the poor man. The page expresses his concern about the harsh weather conditions, but the king encourages him to follow in his footsteps and to trust that they will be able to brave the conditions to help the poor man. The final verse of the song is a message to Christian men to follow in Wenceslas' example by blessing the poor, thus finding their own blessing.
Overall, "Good King Wenceslas" is a song that celebrates the spirit of giving and selflessness. It encourages people to look beyond their own comfort and to help those who are less fortunate, even in the harshest of conditions.
Line by Line Meaning
Good King Wenceslas looked out
Good King Wenceslas took a glance outside
On the feast of Stephen
On Saint Stephen's Day
When the snow lay 'round about
When the snow covered everything around him
Deep and crisp and even
The snow was thick, cold and beautiful
Brightly shone the moon that night
The moon was shining bright and beautiful that night
Though the frost was cruel
Although the weather was extremely cold
When a poor man came in sight
When a poor man was seen by Wenceslas
Gathering winter fuel
Collecting wood to have heat during cold winter
Hither, page and stand by me
Come here, my page, and stand by my side
If thou knows it telling
Do you know anything about this poor man, tell me
Yonder peasant, who is he?
Who is that man over there?
Where and what his dwelling?
Where does he live and what does he do?
Sire, he lives a good league hence
He lives a long distance from here, my lord
Underneath the mountain
He lives at the bottom of the mountain
Right against the forest fence
Just beside the fence of the forest
By Saint Agnes's fountain
Near the fountain of Saint Agnes
Bring me flesh and bring me wine
Bring me meat and wine to offer him
Bring me fur logs, hither
Bring me some fur logs here as well
Thou and I will see him dine
We will sit down with him and dine together
Here we bear him thither
Let's go with him to his home
Page and monarch, forth they went
The page and the king left together
Forth they went together
Both of them walked outside together
Through the rude wind's wild lament
Through the rough and cold wind's howling
And the bitter weather
During the harsh and bitter weather
Sire, the night is darker now
The night has become darker now, my lord
And the wind blows stronger
The wind has gotten heavier
Fails my heart, I know not how
I feel disheartened, and I can't explain why
I can go no longer
I can't continue to walk anymore
Mark my footsteps, good my page
Follow my footsteps, my good page
Tread thou in them boldly
Step on them confidently
Thou shall find the winter's rage
You'll experience the harshness of the winter's weather
Freeze thy blood less coldly
But the experience will be less cold than if you braved it alone
In his master's steps he trod
The page followed the king's footsteps
Where the snow lay dinted
Where the snow showed that the king had already walked there
Heat was in the very sod
The ground was warm where the king had walked
Which the Saint had printed
St. Wenceslas had left footsteps, and they were warm
Therefore, Christian men, be sure
So, all Christian men should be aware
Wealth or rank possessing
Regardless of their status or wealth
Ye, who now will bless the poor
Those who will help the poor
Shall yourselves find blessing
Will themselves receive blessings
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: EVAN JOLLY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind