From the 1960s to the 1980s, Diamond was one of the more successful pop music performers, scoring a number of hits. As critic William Ruhlmann writes, "as of 2001, he claimed worldwide record sales of 115 million copies, and as of 2002 he was ranked third, behind only Elton John and Barbra Streisand, on the list of the most successful adult contemporary artists in the history of the Billboard chart."[1] As of May 2005 he has sold 120 million records worldwide, including 48 million records in the U.S.[2]
Though his record sales declined somewhat after the 1980s, Diamond continues to tour successfully, and maintains a very loyal following. Diamond's songs have been recorded by a vast array of performers from many different musical genres.
Diamond was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1984, and then in 2000 was given its Sammy Cahn Lifetime Achievement Award. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in the early part of 2011.
In 2008 Neil Diamond scored his first ever Billboard number one album with "Home Before Dark", the album also became his first studio album to get to number one in the UK.
Mary's Boy Child
Neil Diamond Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
So the Holy Bible says
Mary's boy child Jesus Christ
Was born on Christmas Day
Hark, now hear the angels sing
New king's born today
And man will live for evermore
Now Joseph and his wife, Mary
Came to Bethlehem that night
They found no place to bear the child
Not a single room was in sight
By and by they found a little nook
In a stable all forlorn
And in a manger cold and dark
Mary's little boy was born
Hark, now hear the angels sing
New king's born today
And man will live for evermore
Because of Christmas Day
While shepherds
Watched their flocks by night
They saw a bright new shining star
And heard the choir from heaven sing
The music seemed to come from afar
Trumpets sound and angels sing
Listen to what they say
That man will live for evermore
Because of Christmas Day
Neil Diamond's song Mary's Boy Child is a hymn that retells the story of the birth of Jesus Christ. The first verse recalls the story from the Holy Bible that says that Jesus was born on Christmas Day in Bethlehem. This fact implies the importance of Christmas for Christians as it marks the day the savior was born. The second verse focuses on the joyousness of the event at hand. It tells of the angels singing about the birth of a new king who would bring everlasting life to humanity because of the significance of Christmas Day.
The third and fourth verses narrate the difficulties faced by Joseph and Mary, who were in search of a place to stay but found no room at the inn. Eventually, they find a stable where they could stay, and there Mary gives birth to her son. The birth of Jesus in a manger highlights the humility surrounding the event of the savior's arrival. The final verse tells of the shepherds who witnessed the birth and heard the music of the angels. They are told that because of the day, man will now live forevermore.
Line by Line Meaning
Long time ago in Bethlehem
This story happened many years ago in Bethlehem.
So the Holy Bible says
The Bible is the source of this story.
Mary's boy child Jesus Christ
Mary gave birth to a baby boy named Jesus Christ.
Was born on Christmas Day
Jesus was born on the day that is now celebrated as Christmas Day.
Hark, now hear the angels sing
Listen to the angels as they sing.
New king's born today,
A new king has been born on this day.
And man will live for evermore,
Because of this event, people will live forever.
Because of Christmas Day
Christmas Day is the reason people will live forever.
Now Joseph and his wife, Mary
Joseph and Mary, who were married, traveled to Bethlehem.
Came to Bethlehem that night
They arrived in Bethlehem one particular night.
They found no place to bear the child
They searched for a place to give birth to their child but found nothing suitable.
Not a single room was in sight
They couldn't find any available rooms.
By and by they found a little nook
Eventually they found a small spot.
In a stable all forlorn
The spot they found was inside a sad and empty stable.
And in a manger cold and dark
The baby Jesus was born in a cold and dark feeding trough.
Mary's little boy was born
Mary gave birth to a baby boy.
While shepherds Watched their flocks by night
At the same time, some shepherds were watching their sheep during the night.
They saw a bright new shining star
These shepherds saw a very bright new star.
And heard the choir from heaven sing
They also heard a choir of angels singing from the skies.
The music seemed to come from afar
The sound of this music seemed to come from far away.
Trumpets sound and angels sing,
Both trumpets and angels were heard making music.
Listen to what they say
Pay attention to the message they are trying to convey.
That man will live for evermore
The message is that because of this holy event, humans will live forever.
Because of Christmas Day
And again, this is all thanks to Christmas Day.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Jester Hairston
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind