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.
We Three Kings of Orient Are
Mitch Miller Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Bearing gifts we tra afar.
Field and fountain, moor and mountain,
Following yonder star.
O star of wonder, star of night,
Star with royal beauty bright,
Westward leading, still proceeding,
Born a king on Bethlehem's plain,
Gold I bring to crown Him again,
King forever, ceasing never
Over us all to reign.
O star of wonder, star of night,
Star with royal beauty bright,
Westward leading, still proceeding,
Guide us to thy perfect Light.
Frankincense to offer have I.
Incense owns a Deity nigh.
Prayer and praising all men raising,
Worship Him, God on high.
O star of wonder, star of night,
Star with royal beauty bright,
Westward leading, still proceeding,
Guide us to thy perfect Light.
Myrrh is mine: it's bitter perfume
Breaths a life of gathering gloom.
Sorrowing, sighing, bleeding dying,
Sealed in the stone-cold tomb.
O star of wonder, star of night,
Star with royal beauty bright,
Westward leading, still proceeding,
Guide us to thy perfect Light.
Glorious now behold Him arise,
King and God and Sacrifice.
Alleluia, alleluia!
Sounds through the earth and skies.
O star of wonder, star of night,
Star with royal beauty bright,
Westward leading, still proceeding,
Guide us to thy perfect Light
Mitch Miller's song "We Three Kings of Orient Are" tells the story of the journey of three wise men, who were traveling to Bethlehem to visit the newborn Jesus and to honor him with precious gifts. The song begins by introducing the three kings and their gifts, which they have brought from afar. As they travel through various terrains, they are guided by a star of wonder, which leads them towards their destination.
The chorus of the song repeatedly praises the star, which is described as being royal and bright. It provides constant direction to the three kings who are otherwise lost, ensuring that they move towards the perfect light, which is symbolic of the newborn Jesus. Along with the gifts of gold and frankincense, the wise men have brought myrrh, an aromatic resin that has bitter perfume. Myrrh is associated with mourning and grief, and in the song, it reminds the listener of Jesus’ eventual fate and sacrifice.
The final verse of the song speaks of Jesus arising as the King and the God who is also the sacrifice. It concludes with the word "Alleluia," which means praise or thanks to God. Therefore, the song emphasizes the awe and reverence the three wise men have for Jesus, accepting him as their King and God.
Line by Line Meaning
We three kings of Orient are
We three rulers from the East are
Bearing gifts we tra afar.
We have traveled far to bring gifts
Field and fountain, moor and mountain,
We have crossed many terrains
Following yonder star.
We are following a star in the distance
O star of wonder, star of night,
Oh star that fills us with wonder, shining in the night
Star with royal beauty bright,
Beautiful star that shines like royalty
Westward leading, still proceeding,
Guiding us westward and still going
Guide us to thy perfect Light.
Please lead us to the perfect source of light
Born a king on Bethlehem's plain,
Born a king in a humble manger in Bethlehem
Gold I bring to crown Him again,
I bring gold to crown Him as king once more
King forever, ceasing never
He is a forever king who will never be replaced
Over us all to reign.
He reigns over all of us
Frankincense to offer have I.
I have frankincense to offer
Incense owns a Deity nigh.
Incense is owned by a near deity
Prayer and praising all men raising,
All men are lifted up in prayer and praise
Worship Him, God on high.
Let us worship Him, God on high
Myrrh is mine: it's bitter perfume
I have myrrh, whose scent is bitter
Breaths a life of gathering gloom.
It foretells a life filled with sorrow and sadness
Sorrowing, sighing, bleeding dying,
He experienced sorrow, sighing, bleeding, and eventually death
Sealed in the stone-cold tomb.
He was buried in a tomb sealed with stone
Glorious now behold Him arise,
Now we see Him rise in glory
King and God and Sacrifice.
He is king, God, and also a sacrifice
Alleluia, alleluia!
Let us joyfully praise Him!
Sounds through the earth and skies.
Let His praises sound through all the earth and sky
Writer(s): Traditional, Lennie Moore, John Hopkins
Contributed by Alyssa P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.