God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
Michael B. Nelson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Let nothing you dismay
Remember Christ our savior
Was born on Christmas day
To save us all from Satan's power
When we were gone astray
O tidings of comfort and joy
O tidings of comfort and joy
From God our heavenly father
A blessed angel came
And unto certain shepherds
Brought tidings of the same
How that in Bethlehem was born
The son of god by name
O tidings of comfort and joy
Comfort and joy
O tidings of comfort and joy
"Fear not", then said the angel
"Let nothing you afright
This day is born a Savior
Of virtue, power, and might
So frequently to vanquish all
The friends of Satan quite"
O tidings of comfort and joy
Comfort and joy
O tidings of comfort and joy
The shepherds at those tidings
Rejoiced much in mind
And left their flocks a-feeding
In tempest, storm, and wind
And went to Bethlehem straightway
This blessed babe to find
O tidings of comfort and joy
Comfort and joy
O tidings of comfort and joy
But when to Bethlehem they came
Whereat this infant lay
They found him in a manger
Where oxen feed on hay
His mother Mary kneeling
Unto the Lord did pray
O tidings of comfort and joy
Comfort and joy
O tidings of comfort and joy
Now to the Lord sing praises
All you within this place
And with true love and brotherhood
Each other now embrace
This holy tide of Christmas
All others doth deface
O tidings of comfort and joy
Comfort and joy
O tidings of comfort and joy
The song "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" is a traditional Christmas carol that celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ. The song addresses the listeners as "merry gentlemen" and implores them to not be dismayed and to remember the reason for the season, that is, the birth of Christ on Christmas day. The song talks about how Christ came to save humanity from the power of Satan and to bring joy and comfort to the world. The lyrics suggest that Christ is the only one powerful enough to vanquish Satan's friends and bring peace to the world.
The lyrics also talk about the story of the birth of Christ, where an angel brought the good news to shepherds in Bethlehem. The shepherds delighted in the news and immediately went to find Jesus in a manger. Mary, Jesus' mother, kneels and prays to the Lord, while the shepherds sing praises and embrace one another in true love and brotherhood. The song ends with the statement that the holy tide of Christmas is more important than anything else.
Overall, the song is a reminder of the true meaning of Christmas, which is a celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ and the love and peace that he brought into the world.
Line by Line Meaning
God rest you merry gentlemen
May God keep you joyful and content
Let nothing you dismay
Do not be discouraged
Remember Christ our savior
Recall that Christ is our savior
Was born on Christmas day
The day of Christmas marks his birth
To save us all from Satan's power
His birth was to rescue us from Satan's control
When we were gone astray
When we had gone off the right path
O tidings of comfort and joy
Wonderful news of comfort and joy
From God our heavenly father
An angel sent by our heavenly father
A blessed angel came
An angel with blessings arrived
And unto certain shepherds
Delivered news to particular shepherds
Brought tidings of the same
Announced the same news
How that in Bethlehem was born
The Son of God by name was born in Bethlehem
The son of god by name
The Son of God, specifically named
O tidings of comfort and joy
Wonderful news of comfort and joy
"Fear not", then said the angel
The angel said, "Do not be afraid"
"Let nothing you afright
Do not let anything frighten you"
This day is born a Savior
This day, a Savior is born
Of virtue, power, and might
He possesses righteousness, strength, and ability
So frequently to vanquish all
He often conquers and triumphs
The friends of Satan quite"
Over Satan's allies
O tidings of comfort and joy
Wonderful news of comfort and joy
The shepherds at those tidings
Upon hearing those news, the shepherds
Rejoiced much in mind
Were extremely delighted
And left their flocks a-feeding
Abandoned their flocks eating
In tempest, storm, and wind
Amid harsh weather conditions
And went to Bethlehem straightway
Immediately traveled to Bethlehem
This blessed babe to find
To locate the blessed child
O tidings of comfort and joy
Wonderful news of comfort and joy
But when to Bethlehem they came
When they arrived in Bethlehem
Whereat this infant lay
Where this infant rested
They found him in a manger
They discovered him sleeping in a feeding trough
Where oxen feed on hay
Where farm animals ate hay
His mother Mary kneeling
His mother, Mary, kneeling
Unto the Lord did pray
Prayed to the Lord
O tidings of comfort and joy
Wonderful news of comfort and joy
Now to the Lord sing praises
Sing praises to the Lord now
All you within this place
Every person inside this area
And with true love and brotherhood
With genuine love and brotherly affection
Each other now embrace
Now hug each other
This holy tide of Christmas
This holy period of Christmas
All others doth deface
Exceeds all others
O tidings of comfort and joy
Wonderful news of comfort and joy
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Traditional
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