It Came Upon A Midnight Clear
London Philharmonic Orchestra Lyrics


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It came upon the midnight clear
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
To hear the Angels sing

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

Overall Meaning

The song "It Came Upon A Midnight Clear" tells the story of how the angels announced the birth of Jesus Christ to the shepherds. The first verse describes the moment when the angels came to earth from heaven and began to play their harps of gold. The second verse tells how the angels proclaimed peace on earth, which was the will of the gracious King of Heaven. The song emphasizes the solemn stillness that ensued as everyone stopped to listen to the angels sing. The chorus repeats the phrase: "And I hear them singing, sing, I do hear them singing." This chorus emphasizes the wonder and awe inspired by the angels’ song.


The third and final verse transports the listener to the fields where the shepherds watched their flocks and heard the angels' announcement. This verse references the carol "The First Noel" and describes the moment when the angels appeared to the shepherds and proclaimed the birth of Jesus Christ. The final line states that it was a cold winter's night, underscoring the difficulties of the shepherds' situation, further emphasizing the profound impact of the angels' message.


Line by Line Meaning

It came upon the midnight clear
At the stroke of midnight, a clear and bright star shone across the dark sky.


That glorious song of old
A beautiful and divine melody from long ago.


From Angels playing near the earth
The heavenly beings were close to the mortal world.


To touch their harps of gold
They played musical instruments made of precious metal.


Peace on the earth could will two men
The all-merciful God wished for peace among all people.


From Heaven's all-gracious King
The benevolent ruler of heaven looked upon the earth.


The world in solemn stillness lay
Everything around was silent and calm.


To hear the Angels sing
In order to listen to the enchanting voices of the heavenly beings.


And I hear them singing
I am able to perceive the cherubic chorus.


Sing, I do hear them singing
They are indeed singing; it is not my imagination.


The first Noel the Angel did say
The very first Christmas message was spoken by an angel.


Was to certain poor shepherds in fields as they lay
The announcement was made to humble sheep keepers resting outdoors.


In fields where they lay, they keeping their sheep
The shepherds were watching over their livestock in a vast meadow.


On a cold winter's night that was so deep
During a frigid and dark winter evening.




Lyrics © DistroKid, Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada (SOCAN), Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Edmund Hamilton Sears, Richard Storrs Willis

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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