It Came Upon The Midnight Clear
Mario Lanza;Henri René Lyrics
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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
The song "It Came Upon the Midnight Clear" is a popular Christmas carol that was originally a poem written by Edmund Sears. It was first published in 1849 in the Christian Register, a Unitarian Church newspaper. The poem was later set to music by Richard Storrs Willis in 1850, and it is this version of the song that became the popular rendition we know today.
The lyrics of the song tell the story of the angels announcing the birth of Jesus to the shepherds in the fields on the night he was born. The angels play their harps of gold and sing a glorious song that brings peace to the earth. The world is filled with solemn stillness as everyone stops to listen to the angels singing. The second verse mentions "The First Noel", another well-known Christmas carol that tells the story of the shepherds hearing the news of Jesus' birth.
Mario Lanza's version of "It Came Upon the Midnight Clear" is a classic rendition that showcases his beautiful tenor voice. The way he sings the lyrics makes you feel the powerful emotions behind them. When he sings "And I hear them singing, sing, I do hear them singing", you can almost imagine the sound of the angels' voices in your mind.
Line by Line Meaning
It came upon the midnight clear
The clear sound of music began at midnight
That glorious song of old
The beautiful melody was an ancient one
From Angels playing near the earth
The Angels who were near the earth played the music
To touch their harps of gold
They played music using their golden harps
Peace on the earth could will two men
The coming of peace on earth was desired by all men
From Heaven's all-gracious King
The king of heaven had made this peace possible
The world in solemn stillness lay
The whole world was silent and peaceful
To hear the Angels sing
The world was waiting to hear the Angels' song
And I hear them singing
I can hear them singing
Sing, I do hear them singing
I can hear them singing clearly
The first Noel the Angel did say
The Angel announced the first Noel
Was to certain poor shepherds in fields as they lay
The announcement was made to poor shepherds while they were resting in fields
In fields where they lay, they keeping their sheep
The shepherds were resting in fields while they kept watch over their sheep
On a cold winter's night that was so deep
It was a very cold and dark winter night
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Songtrust Ave, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: Edmund Sears, Fred Bock, Richard Willis
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind