Angels We Have Heard on High
Nancy Wilson Lyrics


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Angels we have heard on high,
Singing sweetly through the night,
And the mountains in reply
Echoing their brave delight.
Gloria in excelsis Deo.
Gloria in excelsis Deo.

Shepherds, why this jubilee?
Why these songs of happy cheer?
What great brightness did you see?
What glad tiding did you hear?
Gloria in excelsis Deo.
Gloria in excelsis Deo.

Come to Bethlehem and see
Him whose birth the angels sing;
Come, adore on bended knee
Christ, the Lord, the new-born King.
Gloria in excelsis Deo.
Gloria in excelsis Deo.

See him in a manger laid
Whom the angels praise above;
Mary, Joseph, lend your aid,
While we raise our hearts in love.




Gloria in excelsis Deo.
Gloria in excelsis Deo.

Overall Meaning

The song Angels We Have Heard on High is a traditional Christmas carol that speaks about the angelic announcement of the birth of Jesus Christ. The song begins by mentioning that they have heard angels singing sweetly in the night and the mountains responding back with echoing sounds of joy. This is symbolic of the grandeur of the announcement made by the angels with the natural surroundings acknowledging it. The chorus of the song, which is repeated throughout, is “Gloria in excelsis Deo”, which translates to “Glory to God in the Highest”.


The song is then addressed to the shepherds asking them why they are celebrating with such joy and singing happy songs. The answer is that they have witnessed an extraordinary sign and received glad tidings, which are indicative of the birth of the Christ. The second verse of the song then invites the listeners to Bethlehem to come and see the newborn King, whom the angels have come to announce. The lyric encourages adoration on bended knees for the newborn savior.


Line by Line Meaning

Angels we have heard on high
We have heard angels singing sweetly throughout the night


Singing sweetly through the night
The angels were singing beautifully all through the night


And the mountains in reply
The mountains echoed back the brave delight of the angels


Echoing their brave delight
The mountains reflected the joyful sounds of the angels


Gloria in excelsis Deo.
Glory to God in the Highest


Shepherds, why this jubilee?
Why are the shepherds so joyful?


Why these songs of happy cheer?
Why are they singing such joyful songs?


What great brightness did you see?
Why did you see such a magnificent light?


What glad tiding did you hear?
What wonderful news did you hear?


Come to Bethlehem and see
Come and see the place where Jesus was born


Him whose birth the angels sing;
Come and see the newborn King whom the angels sing about


Come, adore on bended knee
Come and worship Him by bending down on your knees


Christ, the Lord, the new-born King.
He is Christ the Lord, the newborn King


See him in a manger laid
See Him lying in a manger


Whom the angels praise above;
The one whom the angels praise above all else


Mary, Joseph, lend your aid,
Mary and Joseph, please help us


While we raise our hearts in love.
As we lift up our hearts with love




Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Traditional

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