The Birthday of a King
Judy Garland Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

In the little village
Of Bethlehem
There lay
A child one day
And the sky was bright
With a holy light
O'er the place
Where Jesus lay

Alleluia
O how the angels sang
Alleluia
How it rang
And the sky was bright
With a holy light
'Twas the birthday
Of a King

Humble birthplace
But O
How much God gave
To us that day
From the manger bed
What a path has led
What a perfect holy way

Alleluia
O how the angels sang
Alleluia
How it rang
And the sky was bright
With a Holy light





'Twas the birthday
Of a King

Overall Meaning

The song "The Birthday of a King" by Judy Garland is a traditional Christmas carol that recounts the story of the birth of Jesus Christ in Bethlehem. The song begins by describing the humble birthplace of Jesus as a small village in Bethlehem where he was born. The sky is depicted as bright and holy, shining down upon the place where Jesus lay. The chorus of the song celebrates the joyous occasion of Jesus' birth, and the angels are praised for singing "Alleluia" in honor of the new King. The second verse highlights the significance of Jesus' birth, as it marks the beginning of a new path towards a perfect and holy way of life.


The overall message of the song is one of hope and praise, emphasizing the importance of Jesus' birth and the positive impact it has had on humanity. It encourages listeners to celebrate the true meaning of Christmas, which is the birth of Jesus, and to remember his teachings of love, peace, and compassion.


Line by Line Meaning

In the little village
In a small town


Of Bethlehem
Called Bethlehem


There lay
A baby was laying


A child one day
On a particular day in history, a child was born


And the sky was bright
The sky was filled with light


With a holy light
A light that is sacred


O'er the place
Above where the child was born


Where Jesus lay
Where the child was lying was where Jesus was born


Alleluia
A word of praise


O how the angels sang
Angels sang loudly


How it rang
How it echoed


And the sky was bright
The sky was filled with light


With a holy light
A light that is sacred


'Twas the birthday
It was the day on which the child was born


Of a King
Of a ruler


Humble birthplace
A simple place of birth


But O
Despite being simple


How much God gave
God gave so much


To us that day
To those of us alive on that day


From the manger bed
From where the baby was lying


What a path has led
The journey that followed


What a perfect holy way
A journey that was righteous and without fault




Contributed by Bailey B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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Comments from YouTube:

@davesoucy1086

This is one the best recorded Christmas songs of all time.

@OurStoryAlbany

07/26/24 I'm 78 and when I was young this was always sung on Christmas Eve in our Connecticut village church. the electric lights would be turned off and the choir would sing it by candlelight. Hearing Judy's beautiful bell like voice singing it, bring tears to my eyes and a thankfulness that I remember how those words made my faith stronger.

@richardmcleod5967

I think Judy Garland's version of this rarely sung Christmas song is my favorite versions. She sang it with such devotion as she did all the Christmas songs.

@lidiaziolkowski3965

She was 19 when she recorded this beautiful song

@edoardo_roncelli

16 Dec 2024 I m 61 living in Italy and parents (still alive) loved this singer and many others in American movies. They passed to me this blessing of God for music and singing are forever with the Lamb of God:
Revelation 15:3
“And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints.”
King James Version (KJV) AV 1611

@danielarick2105

I have a recording of this song on a Columbia disc from about, or around the mid-to- late teens or early twenties, sung by a singer named Barbra Maurell, I think, I'll have look at the label

@stevencohn922

I d pay top dollar’ for the original 78 rpm of this recording

@Trombonology

Though I'm, in today's phrase, "spiritual but not religious,"I find this performance terribly moving: the power, both physical and interpretive, of the Garland voice.

@stevencohn922

Don’t be religious be born from above John 3:3,7 know him whom Judy want a singing of and be reconciled to our Loving Heavenly Father

@Trombonology

@@stevencohn922 I'm managing quite nicely, thank you.

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