The Holly and the Ivy
Simon Preston; Choir Of Westminster Abbey Lyrics
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When they are both full grown,
Of all the trees that are in the wood,
The holly bears the crown.
The rising of the sun,
And the running of the deer,
The playing of the merry organ,
Sweet singing in the choir.
The holly bears a berry,
As sweet as any flower,
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ,
To be our sweet savior.
The rising of the sun,
And the running of the deer,
The playing of the merry organ,
Sweet singing in the choir.
The holly bears a berry,
As red as any blood,
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ,
For to do us sinners good.
The rising of the sun,
And the running of the deer,
The playing of the merry organ,
Sweet singing in the choir.
The holly bears a prickle,
As sharp as any thorn,
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ,
On Christmas day in the morn'.
The rising of the sun,
And the running of the deer,
The playing of the merry organ,
Sweet singing in the choir.
The holly bears a bark,
As bitter as any gall,
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ,
For to redeem us all.
The rising of the sun,
And the running of the deer,
The playing of the merry organ,
Sweet singing in the choir.
The playing of the merry organ,
Sweet singing in the choir.
"The Holly and the Ivy" is a traditional Christmas carol that celebrates the holly and ivy, two plants that are often associated with Christmas in the UK. The song focuses on the medicinal properties of the holly and ivy, which were once widely prized for their ability to heal a range of illnesses. The first verse of the song declares that, of all the trees in the forest, the holly is the most revered, thanks to its crown-like shape when fully grown. The second verse draws a parallel between the sweetness of the holly berry and the birth of Jesus Christ, who was sent by God to serve as savior of the world. The third verse highlights the redness of the holly berry, which is said to represent the blood shed by Jesus on the cross in order to save humanity from sin. In the fourth verse, the prickly nature of the holly is likened to the thorns that were placed on Jesus' head during his crucifixion. Finally, the fifth verse reveals that the bark of the holly is bitter and that this bitterness parallels the sacrifice that Jesus made in order to redeem humanity.
Line by Line Meaning
The holly and the ivy,
The holly and the ivy, two plants that are often associated with Christmas time.
When they are both full grown,
When they have reached their maturity and are fully grown, they are at their most impressive.
Of all the trees that are in the wood,
When it comes to trees, the holly is particularly notable.
The holly bears the crown.
In fact, the holly can be said to be the 'king' of trees.
The rising of the sun,
As the sun comes up,
And the running of the deer,
And the deer are scurrying about,
The playing of the merry organ,
An uplifting, joyful sound fills the air as the organ plays,
Sweet singing in the choir.
The choir is singing sweetly and harmoniously,
The holly bears a berry,
The holly plant is also notable for its berry,
As sweet as any flower,
This berry is as sweet as any flower.
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ,
Mary gave birth to Jesus Christ,
To be our sweet savior.
Who was to be our savior and rescue us from sin.
The holly bears a berry,
Referencing again the holly berry,
As red as any blood,
It is also notable for its deep red color, like blood.
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ,
Again referencing Mary giving birth to Jesus Christ,
For to do us sinners good.
Jesus was sent to save even the worst of sinners.
The holly bears a prickle,
The holly plant also has prickles,
As sharp as any thorn,
And these prickles are as sharp as thorns.
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ,
Again, referencing Mary giving birth,
On Christmas day in the morn'.
And this birth happened on a joyful Christmas day morning.
The holly bears a bark,
Even the bark of the holly plant is notable,
As bitter as any gall,
And it has a bitter taste, like gall.
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ,
One final time, referencing Mary giving birth,
For to redeem us all.
Jesus was born to redeem (save) all of humanity from their sins.
The rising of the sun,
Referencing once more the sunrise,
And the running of the deer,
And the deer running,
The playing of the merry organ,
And the joyful sound of the organ playing,
Sweet singing in the choir.
And the sweet, harmonious singing of the choir all come together to create a joyful, Christmas atmosphere.
Lyrics © HELENE BLUE MUSIQUE LTD
Written by: NICK MUNRO
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind