Roberta Flack (born Roberta Cleopatra Flack on 10th February 1937 in Black … Read Full Bio ↴Roberta Flack (born Roberta Cleopatra Flack on 10th February 1937 in Black Mountain, North Carolina) is an American singer and musician. She is known for her classic #1 singles "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face", "Killing Me Softly with His Song" and "Feel Like Makin' Love", and for "Where Is the Love" and "The Closer I Get to You", two of her many duets with Donny Hathaway.

Flack was the first solo artist to win the Grammy Award for Record of the Year on two consecutive years: "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" won at the 1973 Grammys as did "Killing Me Softly with His Song" at the 1974 Grammys.

Flack performs in the areas of jazz, soul, and folk, and is best known for singles such as "Killing Me Softly with His Song", which won the 1974 Grammy for Record of the Year, and "Where Is the Love", which was one of her many duets with Donny Hathaway.

Flack began her professional career recording for Atlantic Records without much success, until one of her earliest recordings, "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" (1969), was included on the soundtrack to Clint Eastwood's directorial debut Play Misty for Me; it became a number-one hit in 1972.

We Three Kings of Orient Are
Roberta Flack Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

We three kings of Orient are
Bearing gifts we traverse afar
Field and fountain, moor and mountain
Following yonder star

O Star of wonder, star of night
Star with royal beauty bright
Westward leading, still proceeding

Guide us to thy Perfect Light

Born a King on Bethlehem's plain
Gold I bring to crown Him again
King forever, ceasing never
Over us all to rein

O Star of wonder, star of night
Star with royal beauty bright
Westward leading, still proceeding
Guide us to Thy perfect light

Frankincense to offer have I
Incense owns a Deity nigh
Pray'r and praising, all men raising
Worship Him, God most high

O Star of wonder, star of night
Star with royal beauty bright
Westward leading, still proceeding
Guide us to Thy perfect light

Myrrh is mine, its bitter perfume
Breathes of life of gathering gloom
Sorrowing, sighing, bleeding, dying
Sealed in the stone-cold tomb

O Star of wonder, star of night
Star with royal beauty bright
Westward leading, still proceeding
Guide us to Thy perfect light

Glorious now behold Him arise
King and God and Sacrifice
Alleluia, Alleluia
Earth to heaven replies

O Star of wonder, star of night
Star with royal beauty bright

Westward leading, still proceeding
Guide us to Thy perfect light

Overall Meaning

The song "We Three Kings of Orient Are" is a Christmas carol that describes the journey of the three Magi, also known as the wise men, from the East to Bethlehem, where Jesus was born. The first stanza begins with the Magi introducing themselves as they travel, carrying gifts for the newly born King. The second stanza speaks to the bright star they followed to guide them to Jesus. The third stanza speaks to the significance of the gifts they brought, with gold symbolizing Jesus' kingship, frankincense symbolizing his divinity, and myrrh symbolizing his future suffering and death. In the fourth stanza, they behold Jesus and praise Him as both King and God, and the final stanza concludes with a call to worship and praise Him.

Overall, the song teaches us about the importance of Jesus' birth to both the Magi and to the world, who later come to celebrate this momentous event every Christmas. It also emphasizes the symbolism that is often associated with the Magi, including their status as kings, their wisdom, and their noble journey to seek and honor Jesus.

Line by Line Meaning

We three kings of Orient are
We are three wise men from the east

Bearing gifts we traverse afar
Carrying valuable presents, we make a long journey

Field and fountain, moor and mountain
Through fields, fountains, moors, and mountains

Following yonder star
Following the bright star in the distance

O Star of wonder, star of night
Oh, wondrous star shining in the dark night

Star with royal beauty bright
A star with bright and regal appearance

Westward leading, still proceeding
Moving westward, still going forward

Guide us to thy Perfect Light
Lead us to your perfect radiance

Born a King on Bethlehem's plain
A king is born on the plain of Bethlehem

Gold I bring to crown Him again
I bring gold to crown him once more

King forever, ceasing never
A king for eternity, never to stop reigning