Born to a Jewish family in Rochester, New York, Mitchell William Miller and his choir were famed for their campy Sing Along With Mitch television show of the 1960s. During the second season of "Sing Along with Mitch," Mitch Miller himself coined the catch phrase "All Smiles." These were preceded by the instructions to "sing along; just follow the bouncing ball" (a large dot that "bounced" above the words that were superimposed on television of the song that Mitch was singing). Miller's biggest hits with the choir were "The Yellow Rose of Texas," a drum-propelled version of the old March, and "Colonel Bogey March", then enjoying new popularity from its use in the movie The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957). In addition to the television show, Miller and his choir recorded a series of best-selling albums.
One of the singers in Miller's choir, Bob McGrath, went on to a long career as one of the hosts of the PBS children's television show, Sesame Street.
As head of artists & repertory (A&R) at Mercury Records in the late forties, and Columbia Records in the fifties and early sixties, Miller gained a reputation for creating records that created what music historian Will Friedwald calls an "aural texture":
“ Miller also conceived of the idea of the pop record 'sound' per se: not so much an arrangement or a tune, but an aural texture (usually replete with extramusical gimmicks) that could be created in the studio and then replicated in live performance, instead of the other way around. Miller was hardly a rock 'n' roller, yet without these ideas there could never have been rock 'n' roll. 'Mule Train,' Miller's first major hit (for Frankie Laine) and the foundation of his career, set the pattern for virtually the entire first decade of rock. The similarities between it and, say, 'Leader of the Pack,' need hardly be outlined here. ”
— Will Friedwald noted in Sinatra: The Song Is You, Da Capo Press, 1997.
While this did not always sit well with Columbia's more established performers (Frank Sinatra, for example), Columbia had an amazing hit-to-release ratio during that time.
Miller signed and produced many important pop standards artists for Columbia, including Frankie Laine, Johnnie Ray, Ray Conniff, Percy Faith, Johnny Mathis, Tony Bennett, Guy Mitchell (whose pseudonym actually was based on Miller's first name), and helped direct the careers of artists who were already signed to the label, like Doris Day, Dinah Shore and Jo Stafford to just name a few. He therefore became one of the most successful pop music producers ever.
Miller is frequently (and probably unfairly) referred to by rock music historians as an "enemy" of early rock and roll. He did back John Hammond's signing of Bob Dylan to capitalize on the folk music craze. While he did ultimately lose his job as Columbia head for not signing the types of acts teenagers were buying, Miller did originally attempt to sign Elvis Presley, but balked at the amount Presley's manager, Colonel Tom Parker, was asking.
A graduate of the Eastman School of Music, Miller is also an accomplished oboe and English horn player. He supported himself in his early career in the 1930s and 1940s as a session oboist; among his more celebrated studio dates in the non-classical field were for The Voice of Frank Sinatra and bebop pioneer Charlie Parker's famous Bird With Strings albums. He played in the CBS house orchestra for the 1938 Orson Welles War of the Worlds broadcast, and he later recorded Sibelius's Swan of Tuonela with Leopold Stokowski for RCA, and the Mozart Oboe Concerto for Columbia. He has also guest-conducted many of the top American orchestras.
God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
Mitch Miller 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!
In Bethlehem, in Jewry,
This blessed Babe was born
And laid within a manger
Upon this blessed morn
The which His Mother Mary
Did nothing take in scorn
O tidings of comfort and joy,
Comfort and joy,
O tidings of comfort and joy!
From God our heavenly Father
A blessed angel came;
And unto certain shepherds
Brought tiding 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!
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
Doth bring redeeming grace
O tidings of comfort and joy,
Comfort and joy,
O tidings of comfort and joy!
The lyrics of the classic Christmas carol "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" are a message of hope, comfort, and joy for all. The song begins by addressing the listener, encouraging them to not be dismayed, because Christ was born on Christmas Day to save humanity from Satan's hold. This message of salvation carries throughout the song and is conveyed through the melody's insistent upbeat rhythms and harmonious chorus, encouraging the listener to take heart at the news of Christ's birth.
The second verse provides details of the actual birth of Christ, emphasizing the humble and sacrificial nature of His arrival, as Mary laid her child in a manger in Bethlehem surrounded by the animals. This verse sets the tone for the rest of the song, highlighting the humility and simplicity of the Savior's birth and the joy it brings to all who believe.
The third verse speaks of the angels proclaiming the good news of Christ's birth to the shepherds, who were the lowliest of society in Biblical times, reinforcing the idea that Christ's message is for all, regardless of social status or circumstance. The final verse encourages the listener to join in celebrating Christ's birth by singing praises to Him and embracing each other in a spirit of love and brotherhood, recognizing that it is through the Holy tide of Christmas, that we experience redemption and grace.
Line by Line Meaning
God rest ye merry, gentlemen,
May you all have a peaceful and joyful Christmas season, gentlemen,
Let nothing you dismay,
Don't be discouraged by anything,
Remember Christ our Savior
Keep in mind that Christ, our savior,
Was born on Christmas Day;
was born on this special day;
To save us all from Satan's power
in order to save us from the evil power of Satan
When we were gone astray.
when we have been led astray.
O tidings of comfort and joy,
Oh what great news of joy and comfort
Comfort and joy,
that brings comfort and joy,
O tidings of comfort and joy!
oh, what wonderful tidings of comfort and joy!
In Bethlehem, in Jewry,
In Bethlehem, which is located in Judea
This blessed Babe was born
This blessed baby was brought into this world
And laid within a manger
and placed in a feeding trough meant for animals
Upon this blessed morn
on this blessed morning,
The which His Mother Mary
Whose mother is Mary,
Did nothing take in scorn
who accepted the situation without any doubts or complaints.
From God our heavenly Father
From God, our father in heaven
A blessed angel came;
a blessed angel appeared
And unto certain shepherds
and to certain shepherds
Brought tiding of the same;
brought the same message
How that in Bethlehem was born
that in Bethlehem, a child has been born,
The Son of God by name.
a child named son of God.
Now to the Lord sing praises,
Sing praises to the Lord now,
All you within this place,
All of you who are here
And with true love and brotherhood
With genuine love and brotherly affection
Each other now embrace;
Show affection towards each other now,
This holy tide of Christmas
This holy Christmas season
Doth bring redeeming grace
brings the grace of redemption.
O tidings of comfort and joy,
Oh what great news of joy and comfort
Comfort and joy,
that brings comfort and joy,
O tidings of comfort and joy!
oh, what wonderful tidings of comfort and joy!
Writer(s): David Wilcocks
Contributed by Nathan N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.