On a tour … Read Full Bio ↴Ruby Murray was born in Belfast on the 29th of March 1935.
On a tour of Northern Ireland as a child singer in variety shows, she was spotted by producer Richard Afton who encouraged her to go for a career in show business and she made her TV debut at the age of 12 despite the laws regarding child performers although her work was severely restricted until she was 14. Joining Tommy Morgan's touring revue, she was offered a regular spot as a singer on the BBC show Quite Contrary as a replacement for Joan Regan.
Signing a recording deal with Columbia, her first hit single was the ballad Heartbeat which hit the top 10 at the end of 1954 and was quickly followed by her first and only number one Softly Softly. It was during the early months of 1955 as Columbia released further Ruby Murray songs, that she found herself dominating the charts as Happy Days And Lonely Nights, Let Me Go lover and If Anyone Finds This I Love You joined Heartbeat and Softly Softly in the charts giving her five simultaneous entries on that week in March, all of them eventually peaking inside the top 10. Two further hits followed in 1955, Evermore and I'll Come When You Call but at the end of 1955, the tide of Rock n Roll could be held back no more and singers like Ruby Murray, sweet and innocent and belonging to a fast disappearing world were swept aside.
During the mid 1950s she expanded her activities, starring in her own TV show, appearing at The London Palladium in the show Painting The Town with Norman Wisdom and she even had one film role in A Touch Of The Sun with Frankie Howerd and Dennis Price. While appearing in a summer season at Blackpool, she met and married Bernie Burgess, a member of the vocal group The Jones Boys. A couple of minor hits followed, Real Love and Goodbye Jimmy Goodbye which was her final appearance in the charts almost at the end of the decade. Her marriage did not last and she remarried Ray Lemar settling in Torquay, Devon. A wave of nostalgia has kept her name in the public consciousness for over half a century, reflecting on a bygone age when singers were clear and every word was pronounced beautifully. EMI put together a compilation of her hits on CD in their EMI years series in 1989 including songs that regularly featured in her act, standards such as Mr Wonderful, Scarlet Ribbons and It's The Irish In Me and updated this with the release of EMI Presents The Magic Of Ruby Murray in 1997 and a triple CD, Anthology The Golden Anniversary Collection in 2005, the 50th anniversary of her peak successes on the charts. A play by Marie Jones about her life, called Ruby opened in Belfast in 2000. Ruby Murray remained active in cabaret and nostalgia shows until her death on the 17th December 1996 from liver cancer after a period of illness. (from allmusic.com)
The Very First Christmas of All
Ruby Murray Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
While shepherds were watching their sheep
They gazed from afar at a star they saw
Then followed that star to a stable door
A child in a manger they found
With gifts made of gold on the ground
And so it began in that humble stall
The very first Christmas of all
They gazed from afar at a star they saw
Then followed that star to a stable door
A child in a manger they found
With gifts made of gold on the ground
And so it began in that humble stall
The very first Christmas of all
Silent night, holy night
The lyrics of Ruby Murray's song "The Very First Christmas of All" describe the biblical story of the birth of Jesus Christ. The first two lines set the scene, saying that one night, while the world was sleeping, shepherds were tending to their sheep. This is a reference to the night when Jesus was born, as described in the Bible.
The next two lines introduce the shepherds' discovery of a star. They observe this star from afar and are drawn to it. They follow the star, which leads them to a stable, or manger, where they find a child. This child is Jesus, who has been placed in a manger as there was no room for his family in the inn.
The line about gifts made of gold on the ground suggests that the shepherds offer precious gifts to the newborn child. This is symbolic of the three gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh that the biblical account says were given to Jesus by the Wise Men.
The last line of this verse acknowledges that the humble stable where the child is born marks the beginning of what would later become known as Christmas, a celebration of Jesus' birth. It emphasizes the simplicity and humble origins of this momentous event.
The repetition of the previous verse in the song reinforces the significance of the shepherds' journey and their discovery of the manger. The emphasis on the star and the gifts further highlights the miraculous nature of Jesus' birth and the adoration he received from those who witnessed it.
Overall, these lyrics give a poetic and simplified retelling of the nativity story, emphasizing the wonder and profound meaning of the first Christmas.
Line by Line Meaning
One night, when the world was asleep
During a peaceful night, when everyone was resting
While shepherds were watching their sheep
At the time when shepherds were guarding their flock of sheep
They gazed from afar at a star they saw
They looked with awe at a shining star in the distant sky
Then followed that star to a stable door
They followed the star's guiding light that led them to a stable entrance
A child in a manger they found
They discovered a baby lying in a feeding trough
With gifts made of gold on the ground
There were valuable presents placed on the floor, crafted from gold
And so it began in that humble stall
This marked the start of a significant event in a modest stable
The very first Christmas of all
The initial occurrence of Christmas, the birth of Jesus Christ
Silent night, holy night
A tranquil and sacred night
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: John Roberts, Peter Hart
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind