Shirley Caesar (born October 13, 1938 in Durham, North Carolina) is an Amer… Read Full Bio ↴Shirley Caesar (born October 13, 1938 in Durham, North Carolina) is an American Gospel music singer. She is a multi-award winner with eleven Grammy awards and seven Dove awards to her credit. She is a graduate of Shaw University with a degree in Business Administration. She also received an honorary doctorate from Shaw University and another one from Southeastern University.

Pastor Shirley has recorded over forty albums since the 60s exploring her gift and spreading messages of faith. She has participated in over 16 compilations and three gospel musicals, Mama I Want to Sing, Sing: Mama 2, and Born to Sing: Mama 3. Her credits also include a series of commercials for MCI Communications and several awards for her recordings. She has been awarded 11 Grammy Awards, 13 Stellar Awards, 18 Doves, 3 RIAA gold certifications, an Essence Award, McDonald's Golden Circle Lifetime Achievement Award, NAACP Achievement Award, SESAC Lifetime Achievement Award, as well as induction into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame. Pastor Shirley has made several notable appearances including the televised Live from Disney World Night of Joy, the Gospel According to VH-1, a White House performance for George Bush, and a speech on the Evolution of Gospel Music to the US Treasury Department.
She has blessed so many around the world and will remain an example.

What Child Is This
Shirley Caesar Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

What child is this
Who sweetly lays to rest?
What child is this
On Mary's lap is sleeping?

Oh, what child is this
Who lives in my heart and never departed?
What child is this

And each new day He loves me?

What Child is this
Who sweetly lays to rest?
What Child is this
On Mary's lap is sleeping?

Oh, what child is this,
Who lives in my heart and never departed?
What child is this
And each new day He loves me?
Each new day He loves me

Well

I know His name, Jesus
I know His name

Wonderful name
Jesus, wonderful name

It must be Jesus

It's got to be Jesus
It must be Jesus

Overall Meaning

In Shirley Caesar's song What Child Is This, the lyrics focus on the question of who the baby Jesus is who is lying in Mary's lap. It starts with the first verse, which describes the scene of a sweetly sleeping child on Mary's lap. The second verse changes the focus to the listener's own heart and the idea of the child living there and never leaving, loving the listener each new day. The refrain emphasizes the question of who this child is and declares the answer to be Jesus, a wonderful name. The final lines reaffirm this identification with certainty, stating that it must be Jesus.

The lyrics can be understood as a meditation on the significance of the birth of Jesus and his continued presence in the world and in the hearts of believers. The focus on the question of his identity emphasizes the mystery and wonder of the incarnation, while the final affirmation of his name brings a sense of comfort and reassurance.

Line by Line Meaning

What child is this
Who is this baby that we see?

Who sweetly lays to rest?
Who is lying so peacefully?

What child is this
Who is this baby that we see?

On Mary's lap is sleeping?
Who is sleeping in the arms of Mary?

Oh, what child is this
Oh, who is this baby?

Who lives in my heart and never departed?
Who is this presence that lives within me always?

What child is this
Who is this baby that we see?

And each new day He loves me?
Who is this baby that shows me love every day?

Each new day He loves me
This baby continues to love me every day

I know His name, Jesus
I know the name of this baby, it is Jesus

I know His name
I know the name of this baby