O' Little Town of Bethlehem
Mannheim Steamroller Lyrics
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How still we see thee lie
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep
The silent stars go by
Yet in thy dark streets shineth
The everlasting Light
The hopes and fears of all the years
Are met in thee tonight
For Christ is born of Mary
And gathered all above
While mortals sleep, the angels keep
Their watch of wondering love
O morning stars together
Proclaim the holy birth
And praises sing to God the King
And Peace to men on earth
How silently, how silently
The wondrous gift is given!
So God imparts to human hearts
The blessings of His heaven.
No ear may his His coming,
But in this world of sin,
Where meek souls will receive him still,
The dear Christ enters in.
O holy Child of Bethlehem
Descend to us, we pray
Cast out our sin and enter in
Be born to us today
We hear the Christmas angels
The great glad tidings tell
O come to us, abide with us
Our Lord Emmanuel
The song O Little Town of Bethlehem was originally written by Phillips Brooks in 1868, after his visit to Bethlehem. Mannheim Steamroller's version in 1988 is a contemporary rendition of the classic Christmas carol. The opening verse paints the picture of a quiet and serene Bethlehem. The town lies in deep slumber as the stars silently pass by. However, the town doesn't remain dark as a shining light envelopes the streets - the everlasting light representing the birth of Christ. The second verse mentions the angels who gather around the newborn infant. While the world sleeps, the angels keep watch and sing praises to God for the lovely occasion.
The third verse talks about the humble arrival of Jesus Christ. The gift of Jesus' birth is silently given to people, unbeknownst to those who sleep. It is said that those who are meek and willing can still receive Jesus Christ into their hearts. The last verse is a prayer to the holy child of Bethlehem to come into our hearts and minds, and for Him to help us overcome our sin, just as He miraculously overcame the natural sin of man. The lyrics of this song remind us of the true meaning of Christmas, that hope and peace can be found in Christ and that he is ever-willing to come and dwell with us.
Line by Line Meaning
O little town of Bethlehem
This song is about the small town of Bethlehem.
How still we see thee lie
The town of Bethlehem is quiet and peaceful.
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep
The town is sleeping deeply and peacefully.
The silent stars go by
The stars are shining silently above the sleeping town.
Yet in thy dark streets shineth
Even in the darkness of the town's streets, light still shines.
The everlasting Light
This light is the everlasting Light of God.
The hopes and fears of all the years
The hopes and fears of all people throughout time.
Are met in thee tonight
Are gathered together in Bethlehem tonight because that is where Christ was born.
For Christ is born of Mary
Mary gave birth to Jesus Christ in Bethlehem.
And gathered all above
The angels gathered above to witness his birth.
While mortals sleep, the angels keep
While people sleep, the angels stay awake.
Their watch of wondering love
The angels watched the birth of Christ with wonder and love.
O morning stars together
The morning stars joined in the celebration.
Proclaim the holy birth
They proclaimed the holy birth of Jesus Christ.
And praises sing to God the King
They praised God the King for the birth of his son.
And Peace to men on earth
They wished peace to all people on earth because a savior had been born.
How silently, how silently
Jesus Christ was born quietly and humbly.
The wondrous gift is given!
The gift of God's son, Jesus Christ, had been given to humanity.
So God imparts to human hearts
God gives people the blessings of heaven in their hearts.
The blessings of His heaven.
These blessings come from God's kingdom in heaven.
No ear may his His coming,
Not everyone heard about the coming of Jesus Christ.
But in this world of sin,
In a world filled with sin and darkness,
Where meek souls will receive him still,
People who are humble and willing to receive Christ into their lives,
The dear Christ enters in.
Jesus Christ enters into their hearts and transforms their lives.
O holy Child of Bethlehem
Jesus Christ is the holy child born in Bethlehem.
Descend to us, we pray
We ask that Jesus Christ would come into our lives.
Cast out our sin and enter in
We ask that he would forgive our sins and come into our lives.
Be born to us today
We ask that he would be born into our lives today.
We hear the Christmas angels
We hear the message of the angels announcing the birth of Christ.
The great glad tidings tell
The angels are telling us the good news that a savior has been born.
O come to us, abide with us
We ask Jesus Christ to come into our lives and stay with us always.
Our Lord Emmanuel
Jesus Christ is our Lord and Emmanuel, which means 'God with us'.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Capitol CMG Publishing, Songtrust Ave, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Lewis H Redner, Phillip Brooks
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind