God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
Roger Whittaker Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen,
Let nothing you dismay;
Remember Christ, our Savior,
Was born on Christmas day,
To save us all from Satan's power
When we were gone astray.
O tidings of comfort and joy,
Comfort and joy,
O tidings of comfort and joy.

In Bethlehem, in Jewry,
This blessed Babe was born,
And laid within a manger,
Upon this blessed morn;
That which His Mother Mary,
Did nothing take in scorn.
O tidings of comfort and joy,
Comfort and joy,
O tidings of comfort and joy.

From God our Heavenly Father,
A blessed Angel came;
And unto certain Shepherds
Brought tidings of the same:
How that in Bethlehem was born
The Son of God by Name.
O tidings of comfort and joy,
Comfort and joy,
O tidings of comfort and joy.

"Fear not," then said the Angel,
"let nothing you affright,
This day is born a Savior
Of pure Virgin bright,
To free all those who trust in Him
From Satan's power and might."
O tidings of comfort and joy,
Comfort and joy,
O tidings of comfort and joy.

The shepherds at those tidings
Rejoiced much in mind,
And left their flocks a-feeding,
In tempest, storm, and wind:
And went to Bethlehem straightway,
The Son of God to find.
O tidings of comfort and joy,
Comfort and joy,
O tidings of comfort and joy.

And when they came to Bethlehem
Where our dear Savior lay,
They found Him in a manger,
Where oxen feed on hay;
His Mother Mary kneeling down,
Unto the Lord did pray.
O tidings of comfort and joy,
Comfort and joy,
O tidings of comfort and joy.

Now to the Lord sing praises,
All you within this place,
And with true love and brotherhood
Each other now embrace;
This holy tide of Christmas
All other doth deface.
O tidings of comfort and joy,




Comfort and joy,
O tidings of comfort and joy

Overall Meaning

Roger Whittaker's rendition of the classic Christmas carol, "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen," reflects the traditional Christian belief in the birth of Jesus Christ to save humanity from the grips of Satan. The lyricist's command to the audience to let nothing dismay them or cause them to falter is rooted in the message of hope and assurance that the event of Jesus' birth brings. The lyrics remind listeners that the humble birthplace of Jesus in Bethlehem and the circumstances surrounding His arrival did not diminish His status as the Son of God.


The repetition of the phrase "comfort and joy" brings to mind the sense of peace and happiness that the birth of Jesus brought, and the story of the shepherds rejoicing in the news of Jesus' birth emphasizes the joy that salvation brings. This sense of peace and joy is still present in the Christmas season, which is why many people still use this carol as a way to celebrate the period and sing praises to the Lord.


Line by Line Meaning

God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen,
May you be at peace, happy gentlemen,


Let nothing you dismay;
Do not be distressed or troubled by anything;


Remember Christ, our Savior,
Recall that Jesus, our rescuer,


Was born on Christmas day,
Was brought forth on the day of Christmas,


To save us all from Satan's power
To rescue and deliver us from Satan's control


When we were gone astray.
When we were lost and had deviated from the right path.


O tidings of comfort and joy,
Oh, the news brings us relief and happiness,


Comfort and joy,
Pleasure and happiness,


O tidings of comfort and joy.
Oh, the news brings us relief and happiness.


In Bethlehem, in Jewry,
In Bethlehem, in Judea,


This blessed Babe was born,
This holy infant was brought into the world,


And laid within a manger,
And placed in a feeding trough (for animals),


Upon this blessed morn;
On this sacred morning;


That which His Mother Mary,
That which His mother, Mary,


Did nothing take in scorn.
Did not reject or disdain.


From God our Heavenly Father,
A blessed Angel came;


A blessed Angel came;
Sent by God our heavenly father,


And unto certain Shepherds
And to certain shepherds,


Brought tidings of the same:
Brought the same message:


How that in Bethlehem was born
That in Bethlehem was born


The Son of God by Name.
The son of God, as he is called.


Fear not, then said the Angel,
Do not be afraid, the angel said,


let nothing you affright,
Do not let anything terrify you,


This day is born a Savior
A savior is born on this day


Of pure Virgin bright,
Of a bright and pure virgin,


To free all those who trust in Him
To liberate all those who believe in him


From Satan's power and might.
From the power and might of Satan.


The shepherds at those tidings
Upon hearing those news, the shepherds


Rejoiced much in mind,
Were filled with great joy,


And left their flocks a-feeding,
And left their flocks feeding,


In tempest, storm, and wind:
In bad and harsh weather conditions:


And went to Bethlehem straightway,
And went immediately to Bethlehem,


The Son of God to find.
To find the Son of God.


Now to the Lord sing praises,
Now let us sing praises to the Lord,


All you within this place,
All of you who are present here,


And with true love and brotherhood
And with genuine love and brotherhood


Each other now embrace;
Now embrace one another;


This holy tide of Christmas
This sacred season of Christmas


All other doth deface.
Defeats and outshines all others.


O tidings of comfort and joy,
Oh, the news brings us relief and happiness,


Comfort and joy,
Pleasure and happiness,


O tidings of comfort and joy.
Oh, the news brings us relief and happiness.




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: MARIAH CAREY, WALTER N. AFANASIEFF

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Nigel


on Jenny

I'm not sure by any means, but I wonder whether taking the midnight train is ultimately a metaphor for a more final journey. I also wonder if RW had someone specific in mind whose fate prompted this powerful song. I like it very much.

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