Away in a Manger
Julie Andrews & Andre Previn Lyrics
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the little Lord Jesus laid down his Sweet head.
The stars in the bright sky looked down where he 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 thee, Lord Jesus! Look down from the sky,
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 fit us for heaven, to live with thee there.
The lyrics to Julie Andrews’s song Away in a Manger evoke the peaceful and humble nativity scene of the birth of baby Jesus. The first stanza describes the lack of material possessions and comfort the holy family had. Jesus, the king of kings, was born in a manger, a feeding trough for animals, and had no crib to sleep in. However, the heavenly bodies looked down on the baby Jesus and it is clear that he is no ordinary infant. He is the savior who has come to save humanity.
The second stanza depicts the serenity of the moment. Jesus wakes up to the soft sounds of the cattle lowing, and yet he makes no noise. He is a quiet and peaceful baby. The lyrics express adoration for Christ as the singer professes their love for him and implores Him to stay by their side all through the night. The final stanza is a prayer to Jesus in which the singer asks Him to be closer to them and bless all children and keep them under His loving protection. Ultimately, it implores Jesus to prepare us for heaven and to live with Him for eternity.
Line by Line Meaning
Away in a manger, no crib for his bed,
The newborn Jesus had no place to sleep but a makeshift bed of straw.
The little Lord Jesus laid down his sweet head.
Jesus, though small and helpless, was calm and peaceful as he slept.
The stars in the bright sky looked down where he lay,
Even the stars themselves took notice of the birth of Christ and shone their light down upon him.
The little Lord Jesus asleep on the hay.
Jesus slept soundly on the bed of hay, surrounded by the humble animals.
The cattle are lowing, the baby awakes,
The low mooing of the cows awakened the newborn baby Jesus from his slumber.
But little Lord Jesus no crying he makes.
Despite being awoken, Jesus did not cry or fuss like a typical baby.
I love thee, Lord Jesus! Look down from the sky,
The singer professes her love for Jesus and asks that he bless her with his gaze from above.
And stay by my side until morning is nigh.
The singer asks Jesus to stay with her and keep her safe until the morning light arrives.
Be near me, Lord Jesus; I ask thee to stay
The singer implores Jesus to remain close to her at all times.
Close by me forever, and love me, I pray.
The singer seeks Jesus' eternal love and closeness in her life.
Bless all the dear children in thy tender care,
The singer requests that Jesus bestow his love and care upon all the children of the world.
And fit us for heaven, to live with thee there.
The singer asks that Jesus prepare and guide us all towards heaven, where we may live with him eternally.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: William J. Kirkpatrick, Traditional
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind