Sawyer Brown is a country music band formed in 1981 at a Pizza Hut restaura… Read Full Bio ↴Sawyer Brown is a country music band formed in 1981 at a Pizza Hut restaurant in Apopka, Florida. Lead singer Mark Miller asked keyboardist Gregg "Hobie" Hubbard to play piano for a couple of songs he had written. The two left for Nashville, Tennessee, where they met up with Florida drummer Joe Smyth, Michigan bass player Jim Scholten and original lead guitarist Bobby Randall. They first called the band "Savanah", but renamed themselves "Sawyer Brown" after Sawyer Brown Road, the street where they rehearsed. Miller likes to say "We thought it would be easier to get work if people thought we were one person." The band played up to five sets a night, six days a week, until they auditioned for the TV show Star Search in 1983. They auditioned just to get the videotape to promote the band, yet ended up winning the $100,000 grand prize and record contract.

The band signed with Capitol Records and scored a Top 20 hit with their first single, "Leona," in 1984. That success was quickly followed by their first #1 hit, "Step That Step". The band had their ups and downs on the charts throughout the 1980s. But radio success was not really Sawyer Brown's strong suit. It never was. Rather, they have been successful due to their live performances. Fans flock to the band's concerts year after year, whether the band performs in a stadium, state fair, or casino. The live shows, more than anything, sustained the band until 1989's remake of the George Jones hit "The Race Is On" put them back near the top of the charts.

In 1991, after the release of their album Buick, guitarist Bobby Randall left the group to remain close to his family and host a short-lived TV talent show, You Can Be A Star. Duncan Cameron, formerly of The Amazing Rhythm Aces, was chosen as his replacement just as Sawyer Brown was about to become country music's "it" band. The band then switched labels, moving to Curb Records and releasing the albums The Dirt Road, Cafe On The Corner, and Outskirts Of Town, which saw hit after hit for the band in the early to mid-'90s.

Sawyer Brown was all over country music radio and television for much of the decade. After 1999's Top 10 hit "Drive Me Wild," however, the country music industry seemed to forget about Sawyer Brown in favor of newer acts like Tim McGraw, Rascal Flatts, Toby Keith, Kenny Chesney, and Keith Urban.

The band was having ups and downs in the charts again – mostly downs. In 2003, they parted with Curb, their record label of eleven years, and signed with Lyric Street Records. They released one single, "I'll Be Around", and then left Lyric Street as well. In 2004, they re-signed with Curb, but Duncan Cameron decided to leave the group to pursue a life-long dream of flying for Southwest Airlines.

Guitarist Shayne Hill was added to the lineup as they prepared for the release of their 20th album, Mission Temple Fireworks Stand. While Sawyer Brown is still looking to reclaim the top of the charts, their live shows continue to keep the band going strong.

Angels We Have Heard On High
Sawyer Brown Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Angels we have heard on high
Sweetly singing o'er the plains
And the mountains in reply
Echoing their joyous strains
Gloria in excelsis deo
Gloria in excelsis deo

Shepherds, why this jubilee

Why your joyous strains prolong
What the gladsome tidings be
Which inspire your heavenly song
Gloria in excelsis deo
Gloria in excelsis deo

Come to Bethlehem and see
Him whose birth the angels sing
Come adore on bended knee
Christ the Lord, our newborn King
Gloria in excelsis deo
Gloria in excelsis deo

Gloria (angels we have heard on high)
Gloria (sweetly singing o'er the plains)

Gloria (and the mountains in reply)
Gloria (echoing their joyous strains)

Overall Meaning

The song "Angels We Have Heard on High" by Sawyer Brown is a classic Christmas carol that celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ. The first verse describes the appearance of angels singing joyful songs over the fields and mountaintops. The second verse is directed toward the shepherds who are asked why they are celebrating in such a jubilant manner. The shepherds are then told about the good news of Christ's birth and the angel's message which they have come to share. The final verse invites listeners to come to Bethlehem and witness the birth of Jesus, the newborn king. Throughout the song, the refrain "Gloria in excelsis deo" is repeated, which is a phrase meaning "Glory to God in the highest."

The song's message is clear in that it celebrates the arrival of the newborn king and the importance of that event in Christian history. The song highlights the significance of celebrating Christ's birth and the joy it brings to those who believe in him. Additionally, the song invites listeners to participate in the celebration and to become a part of the joyful singing and praising of Christ.

Line by Line Meaning

Angels we have heard on high
We have heard angels singing sweetly over the plains.

Sweetly singing o'er the plains
The angels' joyful strains echo over the fields and hills.

And the mountains in reply
The mountains reverberate the sounds of the angels' singing.

Echoing their joyous strains
The mountains respond to the angels' songs with joyful echoes.

Gloria in excelsis deo
Glory to God in the highest.

Shepherds, why this jubilee
Why do you celebrate with such joy, shepherds?

Why your joyous strains prolong
Why do you continue to sing with such happiness?

What the gladsome tidings be
What joyful news have you received?

Which inspire your heavenly song
What inspires your song of praise to heaven?

Come to Bethlehem and see
Come to Bethlehem and look at the place where Jesus was born.

Him whose birth the angels sing
See the baby whose birth the angels are singing about.