God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
Nat King Cole and Ella Fitzgerald Lyrics


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God rest ye merry, gentlemen 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, 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

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 other doth deface
O tidings of comfort and joy, comfort and joy, O tidings of comfort and joy

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Nat King Cole and Dean Martin’s song “God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen” is a hymn that encourages people to remain steadfast and not to lose hope despite the struggles they might face. It reminds listeners that the birth of Jesus on Christmas day provides comfort and joy. Moreover, it aims to inspire and encourage people to have faith in God and remain hopeful, no matter how difficult life may be. In the first verse, the song encourages people to remember that Christ was born to save them from Satan’s power, thereby bringing comfort and joy to a world stricken with sin and darkness. The second verse tells the story of how a blessed Angel came to shepherds, bringing the tidings of Jesus’ birth, which resulted in the shepherds rejoicing and proclaiming the good news to others. The final verse calls upon all the people in the world to come together, sing praises to God and embrace one another with true love and brotherhood during the Christmas period, which brings comfort and joy to all who believe in Jesus.


Line by Line Meaning

God rest ye merry, gentlemen let nothing you dismay
Take heart, my friends, and do not be discouraged


Remember, Christ our Savior was born on Christmas day
Recall that our Savior, Jesus Christ, came into the world on Christmas Day


To save us all from Satan's power when we were gone astray
He came to save us from the power of Satan when we were lost and wandering


O tidings of comfort and joy, comfort and joy, O tidings of comfort and joy
What wonderful news this is, bringing us comfort and joy


From God our Heavenly Father a blessed Angel came
One of God's blessed angels came down from heaven


And unto certain shepherds brought tidings of the same
And brought tidings to certain shepherds of the same news


How that in Bethlehem was born the Son of God by name
That the Son of God was born in Bethlehem


O tidings of comfort and joy, comfort and joy, O tidings of comfort and joy
Once again, what wonderful news this is, bringing us comfort and joy


Now to the Lord sing praises all you within this place
Let us all sing praises to the Lord, those of us who are present here


And with true love and brotherhood each other now embrace
Let us now embrace each other with true love and brotherhood


This holy tide of Christmas all other doth deface
For this holy time of Christmas outshines all others


O tidings of comfort and joy, comfort and joy, O tidings of comfort and joy
Once again, what wonderful news this is, bringing us comfort and joy




Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing
Written by: BRIAN SCOTT BENNETT

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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