We Three Kings of Orient Are
Mario Lanza Lyrics


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Oh little town of Bethlehem, 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
Oh morning stars together, proclaim thy holy birth.
And praises sing to God the king, and peace to men on earth.

Oh little town of Bethlehem, 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.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Mario Lanza's rendition of "We Three Kings of Orient Are," in fact, depict a completely different song. The actual lyrics to "Oh Little Town of Bethlehem" are a classic Christmas carol that has been sung for over a century. The opening verse describes the quietness of Bethlehem, with the stars shining above the town while its inhabitants slept peacefully.


The second verse makes reference to the birth of Jesus Christ, born to Mary and gathered by angels as mortals slept. The angels sing praises and peace to all on earth is proclaimed, in honor of the holy birth. The final verse repeats the opening lines, further emphasizing the peacefulness and stillness of Bethlehem, while emphasizing that the town is a gathering place for all, representative of hopes and fears spanning the years.


Line by Line Meaning

Oh little town of Bethlehem, how still we see thee lie
The city of Bethlehem lies very still and peacefully


Above thy deep and dreamless sleep the silent stars go by
While Bethlehem rests through the night, the stars shine brightly above


Yet in thy dark streets shineth, the everlasting light
Despite the darkness of the streets, a great and eternal light shines within Bethlehem


The hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight.
All the fears and hopes of many generations are united and fulfilled in Bethlehem on this night


For Christ is born of Mary, and gathered all above
Jesus Christ is born from Mary, and all are assembled to witness the miracle


While mortals sleep the angels keep their watch of wondering love
As humans sleep, angels watch over them with a sense of wonder and love


Oh morning stars together, proclaim thy holy birth.
The morning stars come together to announce the birth of the holy savior


And praises sing to God the king, and peace to men on earth.
People sing and praise the God who is the king, and ask for peace on Earth to prevail




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: LEROY ANDERSON

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

brianclough

He sings the best version of this carol..

Patricia

I adore this album and this man's voice. I have been listening to him since I was a small child, and have passed this on to my own children.

nyrngrs15

Same here

Richard Hutchison

What a beautiful voice he had! I remember my mother had this Christmas album when I was a little child. She would play it on Christmas Eve night. I could hardly sleep because Santa Claus was comin' to town. This album would lull me to sleep before I knew it! :)

Jeri T

My father would play this every Christmas morning. We would drink eggnog and get ready to open presents while listening. Decades later and it's still my favorite Christmas album.

Verna XXX

Mario's voice is beautiful here, the arrangement, orchestra and chorus aren't up to scratch.

James Kouts

I love Jesus Christ with all my heart.

Timothy Perry

I do too 🙏

saturday player

My father's favourite Xmas album. So many memories of Christmas past. This was played on Christmas day morning as the presents were opened.

Jeri T

We used to wake up to this album every year as kids because my dad would play it!

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