Once in Royal David's City
Sufjan Stevens feat. Vito Aiuto Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Stood a lowly cattle shed
There a mother laid her baby
In a manger for His bed
Mary was that mother mild
Jesus Christ her little child
He came down to earth from heaven
And His shelter was a stable
And His cradle was a stall
With the poor, oppressed and wholly
Lived on earth our Savior holy
And our eyes
At last shall see Him
Through His own redeeming love
For that child, so dear and gentle
Is our Lord in heaven above
And He leads His children along
To the place where He is gone
The song "Once in Royal David's City" is a beautiful Christmas hymn with a powerful message that highlights the humble beginning of Jesus Christ. The lyrics describe the birth of Jesus Christ, who was born in a humble cattle shed and placed in a manger as His bed. The song narrates how Mary, His mother, was a mild and gentle person who gave birth to Jesus Christ, who was our Savior holy.
The second stanza of the song further explains how Jesus Christ, who is God and Lord of all, came down to earth from heaven, and instead of being born into a position of great wealth and power, He was born in a stable, making His shelter a stable, and His cradle a stall. The song further tells of how Jesus Christ lived on earth as a holy Savior, with the poor and the oppressed.
The chorus of the song speaks of how one day we shall see Jesus Christ, our Savior, through his redeeming love. The child, who was humble, dear, and gentle, is now our Lord and savior in heaven above. The song concludes by stating that Jesus Christ leads His children along to the place where He is gone, hinting at the eternal life that awaits believers.
Overall, the song "Once in Royal David's City" celebrates the humble beginning of Jesus Christ and emphasizes the importance of love and redemption, making it a timeless and beloved hymn still sung in many churches worldwide.
Line by Line Meaning
Once in royal David's city
In the past, there was a royal city belonging to David
Stood a lowly cattle shed
In it was a shabby stable where cattle were kept
There a mother laid her baby
In the said stable, a mother put her baby to rest
In a manger for His bed
And she made a manger a bed for him
Mary was that mother mild
The mother's name was Mary, and she was gentle
Jesus Christ her little child
The baby's name was Jesus Christ
He came down to earth from heaven
Jesus Christ descended from heaven to earth
Who is God and Lord of all
Jesus Christ is God as well as the ruler of everything
And His shelter was a stable
During his stay, his shelter was the aforementioned stable
And His cradle was a stall
In the absence of a proper cradle, the stall served the purpose
With the poor, oppressed and wholly
As an infant, Jesus lived among the underprivileged, downtrodden, and wholly disadvantaged
Lived on earth our Savior holy
Jesus, our holy savior, lived his life on earth
And our eyes
One day in the future
At last shall see Him
We will finally have a chance to see him
Through His own redeeming love
It will happen through His love that saved us from sin
For that child, so dear and gentle
That dear and gentle baby
Is our Lord in heaven above
Is the same Lord who resides in Heaven above
And He leads His children along
He guides us throughout our life
To the place where He is gone
Towards the destination where He went
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
vivi uli
Love this version very much!
Ruth Hoernig
Pure joy!
e Alley
seen you in richmond...excellent show
Theo Sheridan
Woo, once in Theo Sheridan's city.. <3
Sally Wade
Not a professional version