Away in a Manger
Johnny Mathis Lyrics


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Away in a manger
No crib for His bed
The little Lord Jesus
Lay down His sweet head
The stars
In the bright sky
Look down where lay
The little Lord Jesus
Asleep on the hay

The cattle are lowing
The baby awakes
But little Lord Jesus
No crying he makes
I love you Lord Jesus
Look down from the sky
And stay by my cradle
'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 feen us for Heaven
To live with thee there

Overall Meaning

The song "Away In A Manger" depicts the humble and peaceful scene of Jesus' birth. The first stanza portrays the simplicity of Jesus' birthplace, with no crib for him to lay in, only a manger filled with hay. The second stanza talks about how the baby Jesus stayed calm and didn't cry despite the cattle lowing around him. The third and final stanza brings attention to the unconditional love that Jesus offers to everyone. The singer asks Jesus to watch over them and bless all the children in his care before concluding with a wish to be ready to go to Heaven.


The lyrics of "Away in a Manger" invite the listener to reflect on the true meaning of Christmas, which is about the birth of Jesus and the love he brings to the world. It reminds us of the importance of selflessness, humility, and giving, virtues that the baby Jesus portrays. The song talks about how we need to love and care for one another as Jesus does, and how we need to be ready to be with him in Heaven when the time arises.


Line by Line Meaning

Away in a manger
The infant Jesus is sleeping on a makeshift bed made of hay


No crib for His bed
There was no proper crib or bed available for the baby Jesus to sleep in


The little Lord Jesus
The baby Jesus, who is the Lord incarnate, is lying down in the manger


Lay down His sweet head
The baby Jesus gently placed His head down to rest


The stars
The shining celestial bodies in the sky


In the bright sky
The sky is illuminated with a bright light


Look down where lay
The stars look down on the place where the baby Jesus is sleeping


The little Lord Jesus
The baby Jesus, who is the Lord incarnate, is lying down in the manger


Asleep on the hay
The baby Jesus is asleep on a bed made of hay


The cattle are lowing
The cows and other animals are making noises


The baby awakes
The noise of the animals wakes the baby Jesus up


But little Lord Jesus
The baby Jesus, who is the Lord incarnate, remains calm even after being awakened


No crying he makes
The baby Jesus does not cry or make any noise despite being awakened


I love you Lord Jesus
The singer expresses love for Jesus as Lord


Look down from the sky
The singer asks Jesus to look down from the heavens above


And stay by my cradle
The artist requests Jesus to remain beside his/her cradle


‘Til morning is night
The artist wants Jesus to stay close until the morning comes


Be near me Lord Jesus
The singer requests Jesus to come near and be with him/her


I ask thee to stay
The singer asks Jesus to stay beside him/her


Close by me forever
The artist requests Jesus to remain close to him/her always


And love me I pray
The artist prays that Jesus will always love him/her


Bless all
The artist asks Jesus to bless all


The dear children
The singer requests Jesus to bless all the dear children


In thy tender care
The artist hopes that Jesus will take care of all the children lovingly


And feen us for Heaven
The singer hopes that Jesus will lead them towards Heaven


To live with thee there
The singer hopes to live with Jesus in Heaven




Contributed by Keira G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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