Away In a Manger
Red Barn Singers and 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 bright sky looked down where he lay
The little Lord Jesus asleep on the hay

The cattle are lowing, the poor baby wakes
But little Lord Jesus no crying He makes
The stars in the bright sky looked down where he lay
The little Lord Jesus asleep on the hay





Overall Meaning

The lyrics to “Away In A Manger” depict the birth of Jesus in a barn, with no proper crib or bed available to welcome him. Despite the humble surroundings, the infant Jesus lies peacefully on a bed of hay, watched over by the stars shining in the clear sky. The cows use their mellowing sounds as a lullaby and Jesus does not cry. This imagery highlights the simplicity and purity of the scene, with nature and animals offering their warmth and tenderness to the newborn savior.


The song speaks to the attitude of humility and love that should be encouraged and embodied during the Christmas season. It is not about grandeur, riches or material possessions, but rather it’s about recognizing the beauty and significance of the world in its most simple and unpresuming form. Lying in a bed of hay with stars as your nightlight and cows singing as your lullaby emphasizes the nature of love and bliss that are created by small but significant moments that we often overlook.


Line by Line Meaning

Away in a manger, no crib for A bed
In a manger, a feeding trough for animals, there was no crib for the baby to rest his head


The little Lord Jesus laid down His sweet head
Jesus, the son of God, lay down his gentle head to rest


The stars in the bright sky looked down where he lay
The stars in the clear night sky shone their light on the place where Jesus lay


The little Lord Jesus asleep on the hay
Jesus, the newborn baby, was peacefully sleeping on the bed of hay


The cattle are lowing, the poor baby wakes
The cattle are making low sounds, which wake up the poor little baby


But little Lord Jesus no crying He makes
Despite being woken up by the cattle, little Jesus does not cry




Lyrics © CAPITOL CHRISTIAN MUSIC GROUP, Universal Music Publishing Group, Capitol CMG Publishing, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Derric Johnson, TRAD TRAD, TRAD

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

Tonya Martin

I just found this album this morning. It's so beautiful and reminds me of my grandparents. I love it so much I just ordered a copy off ebay. It will be like having a piece of them with me.

Patricia O'reilly

Ah that's very nice enjoy . I just heard the video & it's so Magical & heart warming.

skylilly1

Wow! The Red Barn. It seems like just about everyone put some kind of Christmas album together. I remember my Grandpa would stop there and get a bucket of chicken. The album sounds very good! Thanks again for putting these up!

Jane Stammer

Love these songs! This album reminds me of the songs when I was growing up in the 40’s and 50’s! Love the sounds that take me back to those years! I listen to Christmas songs all year long! Thank you for the wonderful job!
God’s blessings! And Merry Christmas! 8/10/2020

Trip Fontaine

Any album with "Snowfall" is a winner for me, and this one sounds particularly lovely.

Simon Rene Santos

Wonderful chorus...👍 orchestra...360 stereo sounds...Thank you for uploading...Merry Christmas everyone🎄🎅🎁⛄❄

usmale 49

Beautiful, just lovely and the glorious STEREO makes it outstanding! This will be on my "Christmas 2022" playlist! Thank you for uploading and sharing! 🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄

Bebot / Max Philippines.

Lovely record, gives me the feeling of the Spirit of Christmas, Merry Christmas from the Philippines. (Nov.26 2019)

Gary Durant

One of the better Christmas albums I've heard

Michael Cook

Superb music. For Christmas season or even today June 26, 2020.

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