She was the first American singer to record at Abbey Road Studios in England. Her fan base even included Asia and the Philippines. She had 7 top hits, including "Why Don't You Believe in Me?", "Your Cheating Heart," "Almost Always," and "Have You Heard?"
She married composer Tony Acquaviva in 1956. In 1964, she dropped out of the public eye to take care of him and did so until 1986, when Mr. Acquaviva passed away. She began to tour again in the 1990's. She was given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
It Came Upon A Midnight Clear
Joni James Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
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
Joni James's version of It Came Upon A Midnight Clear captures a sense of wonder and reverence that is appropriate for the lyrics. The song describes the moment when the angels first sang to the shepherds, and the deep and powerful feeling of peace that accompanied their song. The song suggests that the appearance of the angels was a miraculous event, and that the gift of peace that they brought was something beyond human understanding.
The lyrics use a number of poetic devices to convey this sense of wonder and to create a feeling of atmosphere. For example, the repeated use of the phrase "sing" emphasizes the importance and beauty of the angel's song. Additionally, the use of words like "glorious" and "solemn" suggests the importance and majesty of the event. Overall, Joni James's interpretation of the song captures the essence of the lyrics through a combination of vocal technique and emotive phrasing.
Line by Line Meaning
It came upon the midnight clear
The beautiful song from the Angels came when the world was at rest, in the middle of the night
That glorious song of old
The song that filled the air was ancient, but still filled the earth with wonder and awe
From Angels playing near the earth
Angels came close to the earth, playing lovely music that filled the air
To touch their harps of gold
They played golden harps that sounded like music from heaven and touched the souls of those who heard it
Peace on the earth could will two men
The peace that the Angels brought was so powerful that it could bring two mortal enemies together in a spirit of love and goodwill
From Heaven's all-gracious King
God, who is the king of Heaven, presided over the glorious event, spreading love and joy throughout the earth
The world in solemn stillness lay
The entire world was quiet and expectant, waiting for the Angels' song to fill the air and bring hope and joy to all who heard it
To hear the Angels sing
The entire universe stopped to listen to the beautiful song of the Angels, which brought hope, light and healing to all who heard it
And I hear them singing
Even now, the beautiful song of the Angels continues to echo through the universe, bringing hope and healing to all who hear it
Sing, I do hear them singing
The song of the Angels is so beautiful that even now, we can still hear it echoing through the universe, bringing joy and hope to all who hear it
The first Noel the Angel did say
The first Christmas message was delivered by an Angel, who announced the birth of the Christ Child to shepherds in the fields
Was to certain poor shepherds in fields as they lay
The Angel's message was delivered to a group of humble shepherds, who were sleeping in the fields where they kept their sheep
In fields where they lay, they keeping their sheep
The shepherds were taking care of their flocks on a cold winter night, just like any other night
On a cold winter's night that was so deep
The night was very dark and very cold, but the message that the Angels brought filled the shepherds' hearts with warmth and joy
Writer(s): Bob James, R. Willis, E. Sears
Contributed by Jonathan D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.