Holly And The Ivy
Red Barn Singers and Orchestra Lyrics

The holly and the ivy,
The evergreen holly and ivy plants signify the enduring nature of life, and the birth of Christ during the Christmas season.

When they are both full grown,
When both plants have reached maturity they are symbols of the everlasting life Christ brings.

Of all the trees that are in the wood,
Out of all the trees in the forest, the holly is the most prominent and important because it symbolizes the crown of thorns worn by Christ.

The holly bears the crown.
The holly symbolizes the crown of thorns worn by Christ during his crucifixion and represents his sacrifice for humanity.

The rising of the sun,
The dawn of a new day, symbolizing the birth of Christ and the hope he brings.

And the running of the deer,
The movement and energy of nature, symbolizing the joy and excitement of the Christmas season.

The playing of the merry organ,
The joyous music, symbolizing the celebration of Christ's birth and the good news he brings.

Sweet singing in the choir.
The harmonious voices of people singing together, symbolizing unity and the joy of the birth of Christ.

The holly bears a berry,
The holly plant produces bright berries, like the blood shed by Christ during his crucifixion.

As sweet as any flower,
The berries of the holly plant are as sweet as flowers, symbolizing the goodness and sweetness of Christ's sacrifice.

And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ,
Mary gave birth to Jesus, who is referred to as the sweet savior, bringing salvation and hope to humanity.

To be our sweet savior.
Jesus Christ is the sweet savior who brings hope, salvation, and everlasting life to humanity.

As red as any blood,
The bright red berries of the holly plant represent the blood shed by Christ during his crucifixion.

For to do us sinners good.
Christ came to earth to bring salvation and redeem sinners, offering them hope and everlasting life.

The holly bears a prickle,
The holly plant has prickly leaves, symbolizing the crown of thorns worn by Christ during his crucifixion.

As sharp as any thorn,
The prickles on the holly plant are as sharp as the crown of thorns worn by Christ.

On Christmas day in the morn'.
The day of Christ's birth, symbolizing new beginnings, joy, and hope for humanity.

The holly bears a bark,
The holly tree has a bitter bark, symbolizing the bitterness of Christ's suffering and sacrifice on the cross.

As bitter as any gall,
The bitterness of the holly tree's bark is as bitter as gall, a substance given to Christ during his crucifixion.

For to redeem us all.
Christ came to earth to redeem humanity, offering them salvation and everlasting life.

The playing of the merry organ,
The joyous music of the organ represents the celebration of Christ's birth and the hope he brings.

Sweet singing in the choir.
The harmonious voices of people singing together, symbolizing unity and the joy of the birth of Christ.