Do You Hear What I Hear
Perry Como & The Ray Charles Singers Lyrics
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Do you see what I see? (Do you see what I see?)
Way up in the sky, little lamb
Do you see what I see? (Do you see what I see?)
A star, a star, dancing in the night
With a tail as big as a kite
With a tail as big as a kite
Said the little lamb to the shepherd boy
Do you hear what I hear? (Do you hear what I hear?)
Ringing through the sky, shepherd boy,
Do you hear what I hear? (Do you hear what I hear?)
A song, a song, high above the tree
With a voice as big as the sea
With a voice as big as the sea
Said the shepherd boy to the mighty king
Do you know what I know? (Do you know what I know?)
In your palace warm, mighty king
Do you know what I know? (Do you know what I know?)
A child, a child shivers in the cold
Let us bring Him silver and gold
Let us bring Him silver and gold
Said the king to the people everywhere (said the king to the people everywhere)
Listen to what I say (listen to what I say)
Pray for peace, people everywhere (pray for peace, people everywhere)
Listen to what I say (listen to what I say)
The child, the child, sleeping in the night
He will bring us goodness and light
He will bring us goodness and light
Do you hear what I hear? (Do you hear what I hear?)
Do you hear what I hear? (Do you hear what I hear?)
The song "Do You Hear What I Hear" describes a conversation between a lamb and a night wind, a shepherd boy, a king, and the people. The night wind asks the lamb if it sees the star dancing in the sky with a tail as big as a kite, drawing attention to a bright and unusual occurrence. The lamb then asks the shepherd boy if he can hear the song ringing through the sky with a voice as big as the sea. The shepherd boy, in turn, tells the king about a child shivering in the cold who they must help by bringing silver and gold. The king then addresses the people, urging them to pray for peace and to listen to what he says. The song concludes with the idea that the child will bring goodness and light.
The song, written by Noel Regney and Gloria Shayne, was originally released in 1962 as a Christmas song. However, it has also been interpreted as a plea for peace during the Cold War. The lyrics evoke feelings of hope and unity, suggesting that by coming together we can make the world a better place.
Line by Line Meaning
Said the night wind to the little lamb
The wind spoke to a lamb in the night
Do you see what I see? (Do you see what I see?)
Wind is asking the lamb if he sees what he sees
Way up in the sky, little lamb
The object the wind sees is high up in the sky
A star, a star, dancing in the night
The object the wind sees is a star that appears to be dancing
With a tail as big as a kite
The star has a tail that is as large as a kite
Said the little lamb to the shepherd boy
The lamb spoke to a shepherd boy
Do you hear what I hear? (Do you hear what I hear?)
The lamb is asking the shepherd if he hears what he hears
Ringing through the sky, shepherd boy,
The lamb hears something ringing through the sky
A song, a song, high above the tree
The sound the lamb hears is a song high above a tree
With a voice as big as the sea
The voice singing the song is as big as the sea
Said the shepherd boy to the mighty king
The shepherd boy spoke to the king
Do you know what I know? (Do you know what I know?)
The shepherd is asking the king if he knows what he knows
In your palace warm, mighty king
The king is in his warm palace
Do you know what I know? (Do you know what I know?)
The shepherd is asking the king again if he knows what he knows
A child, a child shivers in the cold
The shepherd knows a child who is cold and shivering
Let us bring Him silver and gold
The shepherd suggests they bring silver and gold to the child
Said the king to the people everywhere (said the king to the people everywhere)
The king spoke to the people everywhere
Listen to what I say (listen to what I say)
The king wants people to listen to him
Pray for peace, people everywhere (pray for peace, people everywhere)
The king is asking people to pray for peace
Listen to what I say (listen to what I say)
The king repeats that he wants people to listen to him
The child, the child, sleeping in the night
The child the shepherd spoke of is sleeping in the night
He will bring us goodness and light
The child will bring goodness and light to the people
Do you hear what I hear? (Do you hear what I hear?)
The song asks if people can hear what the wind, lamb, shepherd, and king have heard and seen
Do you hear what I hear? (Do you hear what I hear?)
The song repeats the question of whether listeners hear what has been shared
Lyrics © DistroKid, REGENT MUSIC CORPORATION
Written by: Noel Regney, Gloria Shayne
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind