What Child Is This Anyway?
Sufjan Stevens Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

What child is this who lay to rest
On Mary's lap is sleeping
Whom angels greet with anthem sweet
While shepherd's watch are keeping

This, this is Christ the King
Whom shepherd's guard and angels sing
Haste, haste to bring Him love
The babe, the son of Mary

Why lies He in such mean estate
Where ox and ass are feeding
Good Christian fear, for sinners here
The silent word is pleading

Mary's sweet Child [Incomprehensible]
The cross he'll hold for me, for you
Heaven, heaven [Incomprehensible]
The babe, the son of Mary

So bring Him incense, gold and mirth
Come peasants king to honor Him




The King of Kings salvation brings
Let loving arms enthrone Him

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Sufjan Stevens's song "What Child Is This Anyway?" are focused on the mysterious and divine nature of Christ's birth. The first verse describes a peaceful scene of the infant Christ resting in Mary's arms, while angels and shepherds pay homage to him. The second verse raises the question of why this child, the son of God, would be born in such a humble place among animals. The answer lies in the belief that Christ came to Earth to save sinners and plead for their redemption, a message that is conveyed silently but powerfully in his very birth.


The chorus emphasizes the majesty and significance of Christ's arrival, describing him as the King of Kings and savior of all. The final verse encourages people to honor Christ and bring gifts to him. While the gifts presented in the original carol (incense, gold, and myrrh) have symbolic meaning, the emphasis is less on the physical offerings and more on the act of reverence and devotion towards Christ. Overall, the lyrics express faith in the miraculous nature of Christ's birth, the power of his message, and the need for humanity to recognize and embrace his teachings.


Line by Line Meaning

What child is this who lay to rest
Who is this child who is lying down to sleep?


On Mary's lap is sleeping
He is sleeping on Mary's lap.


Whom angels greet with anthem sweet
Angels welcome and sing praises to him.


While shepherd's watch are keeping
The shepherds are watching over him.


This, this is Christ the King
This is Jesus, the King.


Whom shepherd's guard and angels sing
Shepherds protect him, and angels sing songs in his honor.


Haste, haste to bring Him love
Let us hurry and show him our love.


The babe, the son of Mary
He is Mary's baby son.


Why lies He in such mean estate
Why is he lying in a simple manger?


Where ox and ass are feeding
He is lying where the ox and donkey feed.


Good Christian fear, for sinners here
Believe in Jesus, for he is pleading for sinners to be saved.


The silent word is pleading
Jesus is silently asking us to believe in him.


Mary's sweet Child [Incomprehensible]
Mary's beloved child


The cross he'll hold for me, for you
He will carry the cross for us all.


Heaven, heaven [Incomprehensible]
He is the King of heaven.


The babe, the son of Mary
He is Mary's baby son.


So bring Him incense, gold and mirth
Let us offer him gifts of incense, gold, and joy.


Come peasants king to honor Him
Even the poor should come and honor him.


The King of Kings salvation brings
He is the King of all kings and the savior of humanity.


Let loving arms enthrone Him
Let us all embrace and honor him as our King.




Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Sufjan Stevens

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found
Comments from YouTube:

@mstegosaurus

I'm pretty new to music, and listening through as many complete discographies as I can make time for. I bellyached to a musician friend about having to slog through Christmas albums. He told me I should just skip Christmas albums. This song is a shining example of why I don't. I would've hated to have missed this. I mean, I wouldn't have, because I wouldn't have known, but I'm glad I didn't, is the point.

@noodlesalad

How is it possible to make Greensleeves sound this good and go this hard? So good.

@nnaranji7195

this is Henry VII's Greensleeves btw :) these lyrics were fitted to the tune by William Chatterdon Dix. Frank Sinatra and Leonard Cohen, John Coltrane also made their renditions or you've heard it from Mr.Whippys ice cream vans lol this cover is so beautiful, Sufjan owned it

@grobble7321

Thank you Sufjan