Pentatonix formed in 2011 and came to prominence the same year by winning the third season of "The Sing-Off" on NBC, their victory earning them $200,000 and a recording contract with Sony. Their debut EP "PTX, Volume 1" was released in 2012, followed by "PTXmas" the same year, with their third release "PTX, Vol. II", debuting at number 1 on Billboard's Independent Albums chart in 2013. 2014 saw the release of "PTX, Vol. III", and their two first full-length albums "PTX, Vols. 1 & 2" (a compilation of Vol. 1 and Vol. II) and "That's Christmas to Me". Their second holiday release, That's Christmas to Me, with the album certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), platinum on December 24, 2014, and double platinum on February 11, 2016, becoming the highest-charting holiday album by a group since 1962, and the fourth-best-selling album in the United States in 2014. The following year, Pentatonix released their album, their first consisting mostly of original material, which debuted atop the US Billboard 200 chart for the first time in their career, followed by a third Christmas album, A Pentatonix Christmas, in 2016, and a new EP, PTX, Vol. IV – Classics, the following year. In May 2017, Kaplan announced that he would leave Pentatonix due to his inability to keep up with the touring demands of the group; he left after the completion of the tour in September, and was replaced by Matt Sallee the following month.
Pentatonix has won three Grammy Awards: they were the first a cappella act to win Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Cappella, doing so in 2015 and 2016, and Best Country Duo/Group Performance in 2017.
Pentatonix started their popular YouTube channel back in 2012 to promote themselves after the Sing-Off (Season 3, 2011) when they were dropped by their record label, according to a recent November 2014 interview. They also made effective use of social media to interact with their fan base. They have eclipsed almost 15 million subscribers and more than 2.7 billion cumulative views. Their music video for "Daft Punk" recently surpassed 273 million views.
The group's website is: www.ptxofficial.com.
Pentatonix official youtube channel: www.youtube.com/PTXofficial.
We Three Kings
Pentatonix Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Bearing gifts we traverse afar
Field and fountain, moor and mountain
Following yonder star
We three kings, we three kings
Born a king on Bethlehem's plain
Gold I bring to crown Him again
Over us all to reign
Oh, star of wonder, star of night
Star with royal beauty bright
Westward leading, still proceeding
Guide us to thy perfect light
We three kings, we three kings
Myrrh is mine, it's bitter perfume
Breaths a life of gathering gloom
Sorrowing, sighing, bleeding dying
Sealed in the stone-cold tomb
Oh, star of wonder, star of night
Star with royal beauty bright
Westward leading, still proceeding
Guide us to thy perfect light
Star of wonder, star of night
Star with royal beauty bright
Westward leading, still proceeding
Guide us to thy perfect light
We three kings, we three kings
We three kings, we three kings
We three kings, we three kings
We three kings, we three kings
We three kings, we three kings
The Christmas Carol "We Three Kings" by John Henry Hopkins Jr. tells the story of the journey of the wise men or magi towards the location of the newborn baby Jesus, as evoked by the Star of Bethlehem that leads them to the place of his birth. The song's opening lines, "We three kings of Orient are, bearing gifts we traverse afar," suggests that the magi originated from the East – an educated guess as it is not mentioned in the Bible. The relevance of the number three or the significance of the gift offerings, which are gold, frankincense, and myrrh, on the other hand, describes their individual and respectful representation to the different aspects of Jesus’ character and his future role as a savior.
The first verse implies the tremendous efforts of the Magi to find the newborn. A daunting journey that even took them to the unknown dark corners of the earth into "fields," "fountains," "moors," and "mountains." The line "following yonder star" falls into their collective belief that the appearance of the Star is a beacon of hope and significance that would lead them to the new king, who they wanted to worship.
The verse "Myrrh is mine, its bitter perfume breaths a life of gathering gloom; sorrowing, sighing, bleeding dying, sealed in the stone-cold tomb" in the second verse hints the tragedy and suffering Jesus would face in his life. The song reminds us that Jesus' life played a significant role, leading to His death and resurrection, which is why it is bittersweet to gift the newborn King with both the symbolic frankincense associated with priesthood and gold that represents kingship.
Line by Line Meaning
We three kings of Orient are
We kings from the East are three in number
Bearing gifts we traverse afar
Carrying presents, we are traveling a great distance
Field and fountain, moor and mountain
Through fields and streams, over hills and mountains
Following yonder star
We follow that distant star
We three kings, we three kings
We are the three kings
Born a king on Bethlehem's plain
A newborn king in Bethlehem's fields
Gold I bring to crown Him again
I present gold to crown Him once more
King forever, ceasing never
A king forever, never ending
Over us all to reign
Reigning over us all
Oh, star of wonder, star of night
Bright and beautiful star of awe
Star with royal beauty bright
A shining star with regal radiance
Westward leading, still proceeding
Leading towards the west, still moving forward
Guide us to thy perfect light
Lead us to your splendid light
Myrrh is mine, it's bitter perfume
I bring myrrh, a crucial bitter fragrance
Breaths a life of gathering gloom
Breathing a life of sadness and darkness
Sorrowing, sighing, bleeding dying
Mournful, sighing, bleeding, dying
Sealed in the stone-cold tomb
Locked away in a cold stony grave
We three kings, we three kings
We are the three kings
Star of wonder, star of night
Bright and beautiful star of awe
We three kings, we three kings
We are the three kings
Lyrics © MUSIC SALES CORPORATION, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: JOHN H. H. HOPKINS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Ace R
This is my favorite Christmas song and it's so rarely covered. I'm so glad Pentatonix have a version, and of course it's hidden xD
Rocket Kid
I can't have Christmas without this version and the 1st Christmas EP playing all December!
Mindy Nguyen
Well at least you can hear 👂 them
The TechMan E.
But still, out of the whole comments I've read, Pentatonix has improved and matured their voices. They sound awesome!! It's others peoples opinions, but they added effects to their songs but I can say that even without the effects, they sound the exact same way when they perform live. They are an awesome group.
𝄢 Ferny 𝄢
@Eric Ver Linden They do, every artist does, it doesn’t mean they’re bad or that they can’t replicate it very similarly live. They just add effects to make it more pleasant to the ear.
Eric Ver Linden
They don't add any effects to any of their songs 🤦♂️
Aleasha Mattis
This is the whole group. It's just more clearer on here than the show. It's all 5, I believe they are all singing harmony, then Scott sang over everything. It also is acapella, they are just that great of a group that they can do it. Avi and Kevin are truly amazing, the sounds that they make are incredible! When doing a recording, everything is mastered and crisp. It's completely different than doing it live. Here they get to record and re-record it until they have it perfect. That's wh
David Woodby
I'd love to hear you do "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" and "Blue Christmas." With your arrangement brilliance, you guys should be able to do some serious genre-hopping with older songs and not have to compete with the original artists on the charts.
Erica McIver
They did a cover of Rocking Around The Christmas Tree. I believe, last year.
LilMizzLae
Love Pentatonix! I do find it sooo funny how there is always a "Heyyyy" run that Scott does in almost every song! lol Love themmm!