Away in a Manger
Olivia Newton-John (Holiday) Lyrics
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No-o crib for a bed
The-e little Lord Jesus
Lai-aid down his sweet head
The stars in the-e bright sky
Loo-ooked down where he lay
The-e little Lord Jesus
A-asleep on the hay
The cattle are-are lowing
The-e baby awakes
Bu-ut little Lord Jesus
No-o crying he makes
I love thee, Lor-ord Jesus!
Loo-ook down from the sky
A-and stay by my side
Unti-il morning is nigh
Be near me Lo-ord Jesus
I-I ask thee to stay
Clo-ose by me forever
A-and love me I pray
Bless all the dear-ear children
I-in thy te-ender care-are
And fit us for heaven
To-oo live wi-ith thee-ee there
The song "Away In A Manger" is a hymn that relates the nativity story and portrays the scene where baby Jesus was born in a stable, and there was no crib available for Him. The opening lines state that there was no proper bed for Jesus, so He laid down His head on a manger. The second verse talks about the cattle present in the stable and how they made sounds (lowing), which woke the baby up. Despite waking up, the little Lord Jesus did not cry, and the lyrics mention the singer's love for Him.
The third verse consists of a prayer to Jesus, asking Him to be close and stay by the singer's side forever. It is a heartfelt request for Jesus to bless all the children and take care of them. In conclusion, the song beautifully and elegantly depicts the innocence and purity of Jesus' birth in a manger and represents the beginning of a new chapter in history.
Line by Line Meaning
Away in a-a manger
The singer is remarking that the Lord Jesus was, at one point in time, staying in a manger.
No-o crib for a bed
The Lord Jesus had no crib to sleep in, so the manger had to suffice.
The-e little Lord Jesus
This is a reference to the baby Jesus.
Lai-aid down his sweet head
The baby Jesus was so tired that he laid his head down in the manger.
The stars in the-e bright sky
The stars in the sky shone brightly over the manger where Jesus was sleeping.
Loo-ooked down where he lay
The stars were looking down on Jesus as he slept in the manger.
The-e little Lord Jesus
This is again a reference to the baby Jesus.
A-asleep on the hay
Jesus was sound asleep on the hay that was in the manger.
The cattle are-are lowing
The cattle around the manger are making lowing noises.
The-e baby awakes
The baby Jesus wakes up from his sleep.
Bu-ut little Lord Jesus
Despite waking up, the baby Jesus makes no noise and is quiet.
No-o crying he makes
The baby Jesus is not crying.
I love thee, Lor-ord Jesus!
The singer is expressing his or her love for the Lord Jesus.
Loo-ook down from the sky
The singer is asking Jesus to look down from the sky.
A-and stay by my side
The singer is asking Jesus to stay close by his or her side.
Unti-il morning is nigh
The artist is asking Jesus to stay with him or her until morning comes.
Be near me Lo-ord Jesus
The artist is once again asking Jesus to stay near him or her.
I-I ask thee to stay
The singer is asking Jesus to stay with him or her.
Clo-ose by me forever
The singer is asking Jesus to stay close to him or her forever.
A-and love me I pray
The artist is asking Jesus to love him or her.
Bless all the dear-ear children
The artist is asking Jesus to bless all of the children.
I-in thy te-ender care-are
The artist is asking Jesus to take care of the children with tenderness.
And fit us for heaven
The singer is asking Jesus to make them fit for heaven.
To-oo live wi-ith thee-ee there
The artist is asking Jesus to allow them to live with him in heaven.
Lyrics © K - M MUSIC INC , Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: TRADITIONAL, EVAN JOLLY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind