Percy Faith (April 7, 1908 – February 9, 1976) was a Canadian-born bandlead… Read Full Bio ↴Percy Faith (April 7, 1908 – February 9, 1976) was a Canadian-born bandleader, orchestrator, composer and conductor, known for his lush arrangements of pop and Christmas standards. He is often credited with creating the "easy listening" or "mood music" format which became staples of American popular music in the 1950s and continued well into the 1960s. Though his professional orchestra-leading career began at the height of the swing era, Faith refined and rethought orchestration techniques, including use of large string sections, to soften and fill out the brass-dominated popular music of the 1940s.

Away in a Manger
Percy Faith & His Orchestra Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Away in a manger, no crib for a bed
The little Lord Jesus laid down His sweet head
The stars in the sky looked down where He lay
The little Lord Jesus asleep on the hay

The cattle are lowing, the baby awakes
But little Lord Jesus no crying He makes
I love thee, Lord Jesus; look down from the sky

And stay by my cradle till morning is night

Be near me, Lord Jesus; I ask thee to stay
Close by me forever and love me I pray

Bless all the dear children in Thy tender care
And fit us for heaven to live with Thee there

Overall Meaning

The song "Away in a Manger" is a Christmas carol that depicts the nativity scene of Jesus Christ's birth. The first verse describes the challenging situation in which baby Jesus was born. He was laid in a manger because there was no crib available for him to sleep in. The second verse talks about the peaceful sleep of Jesus, even though the cattle nearby were making noise. It reflects the idea that even though he was a baby, Jesus was filled with peace and divine spirit.

The third verse talks about the child's love for Jesus and how he wants him to stay close by until the night. The child prays to Jesus for his love and protection. The last verse of the song expands the focus and blesses all the dear children in Jesus' care, asking for his guidance for them to be fit for heaven.

Overall, the song beautifully describes the vulnerability, the peacefulness, and the love that surrounded the birth of Jesus Christ. It's a heartfelt song that reminds us of the importance of faith, love, and compassion, especially during the Christmas season.

Line by Line Meaning

Away in a manger, no crib for a bed
The newborn baby Jesus was lying in a manger instead of a regular baby bed.

The little Lord Jesus laid down His sweet head
Baby Jesus was peacefully sleeping in the manger.

The stars in the sky looked down where He lay
The bright stars in the sky were shining their light on the baby Jesus who was lying in the manger.

The little Lord Jesus asleep on the hay
Baby Jesus was peacefully sleeping on the hay that was placed in the manger for Him.

The cattle are lowing, the baby awakes
The sound of the cattle made baby Jesus wake up.

But little Lord Jesus no crying He makes
Even though baby Jesus was awoken by the cattle's sound, He did not cry like a normal baby would have.

I love thee, Lord Jesus; look down from the sky
The person singing the song expresses their love for baby Jesus and asks Him to look down from above.

And stay by my cradle till morning is night
The person singing asks baby Jesus to stay with them and watch over them from the cradle all through the night.

Be near me, Lord Jesus; I ask thee to stay
The person is requesting baby Jesus to stay close to them and be with them.

Close by me forever and love me I pray
The person singing asks Jesus to be with them always and to love them deeply.

Bless all the dear children in Thy tender care
The person asks Jesus to bless and take care of all the little children.

And fit us for heaven to live with Thee there
The person asks Jesus to help them become worthy of living with Him in heaven.

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Capitol CMG Publishing, Peermusic Publishing, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: . Traditional, Michael Philip McGlynn

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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