The group sings in a contemporary style, integrating R&B and jazz influences into their devotional songs and has 10 Grammy wins, 10 Dove Awards, one Soul Train Award and two NAACP Image Award nominations. They won Grammy Awards in 1989, 1990, 1991, 1995, 1998, and 2003 and have collaborated with Stevie Wonder, Whitney Houston, Don Henley, Ray Charles, Queen Latifah, Joe Sample, Quincy Jones, Marcus Miller and Gordon Goodwin.
In 1980, Claude McKnight formed an a cappella quartet, The Gentlemen's Estate Quartet, at Oakwood College in Huntsville, Alabama, a Seventh-Day Adventist College, where he was a freshman. He auditioned fellow students for the hobby group. The Gentlemen were rehearsing in a campus bathroom (later said to be in Peterson Hall), getting ready for a performance, when Mark Kibble walked by and heard them singing. He joined the harmonizing, adding a fifth part, and ended up singing with them onstage that very night.[1] Mark later invited Mervyn Warren to join the group. The group performed under the moniker "Alliance".
The group performed in local churches and on campus over the next years, with members changing due to college's inevitable comings and goings. In 1985, the lower half of the group (bass, baritone, and second tenor) left upon graduating. At that time, Alvin Chea, Cedric Dent, and David Thomas joined.
The group was signed to Warner Brothers in 1987, and quickly changed its name to "Take 6" after a name search revealed that "Alliance" was already being used. Their eponymous debut album, released in 1988, won them two Grammy Awards and resulted in top ten appearances on both the Billboard Contemporary Jazz and Contemporary Christian Charts. Take 6's swinging, harmony-rich gospel sound attracted a flurry of attention, and the group went on to record or appear with a number of luminaries, including Quincy Jones, Ella Fitzgerald and Stevie Wonder.
In 1991, after the release of their second album, So Much 2 Say, Mervyn Warren left the group to pursue a career as a producer. Joey Kibble, Mark's younger brother, was invited to round out the vocal lineup. The group added instrumentation to their purely a cappella sound beginning with the record He Is Christmas; Join The Band and Brothers continued their streak of success, and Take 6 amassed a total of seven Grammys and eight Dove awards, as well as topping the Downbeat Magazine's Reader's and Critic's poll for seven years' consecutively.
Take 6's 1998 release, So Cool, brought the group back to its a cappella origins.
In 2006 the group launched Take 6 Records and the 2006 release Feels Good was released on that label.
The group currently lists Nashville, Tennessee as its home.[2] All members grew up Seventh-Day Adventist.[
Away In a Manger
Take 6 Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
No crib for His bed
The little Lord Jesus
Laid down His sweet head
The stars in the bright sky
Looked down where He lay
The little Lord Jesus
The cattle are lowing
The poor Baby wakes
But little Lord Jesus
No crying He makes
I love Thee, Lord Jesus
Look down from the sky
And stay by my side,
'Til morning is nigh.
Be near me, Lord Jesus,
I ask Thee to stay
Close by me forever
And love me I pray
Bless all the dear children
In Thy tender care
And take us to heaven
To live with Thee there
The lyrics to the Christmas carol "Away in a Manger" tell the story of the birth of Jesus Christ in Bethlehem. The song starts by describing the humble beginning of the savior, with no home or crib to call his own. The little Lord Jesus is then crafted on a bed of hay, surrounded by the night sky and animals who watch over him. As the Baby wakes, there is no crying, for He is the Son of God.
The second verse speaks directly to Jesus, asking Him to stay near and watch over the one singing the song. Whether it's a child or an adult, the request is simple and earnest, as the individual's faith in the Lord is unshakeable. The verse ends with a plea for Jesus to bless all the children of the world, and to take them to heaven to be with Him forever.
The lyrics of "Away in a Manger" speak to the heart of the Christmas spirit, reminding all people of the love, hope, and joy that the birth of Christ brings. It's a song that has survived for generations and continues to be a staple of the holiday season.
Line by Line Meaning
Away in a manger,
The story tells that the baby Jesus was placed in a feeding trough, where animals eat from, because there was no bed available.
No crib for His bed
There was no bed made available for the baby Jesus.
The little Lord Jesus
The baby Jesus.
Laid down His sweet head
The baby Jesus laid His head to rest peacefully.
The stars in the bright sky
The stars in the sky were shining brightly.
Looked down where He lay
The stars shining in the sky could be seen where the baby Jesus was laid.
The little Lord Jesus
The baby Jesus.
Asleep on the hay
The baby Jesus was fast asleep, comfortably lying on hay.
The cattle are lowing
The cows and other animals in the stable were making sounds.
The poor Baby wakes
The baby Jesus, who was poor like most of the people living in the world, wakes up.
But little Lord Jesus
But despite that, the baby Jesus is still the Lord.
No crying He makes
The baby Jesus doesn't cry despite being awoken by the sounds of the cattle.
I love Thee, Lord Jesus
I love you, Lord Jesus.
Look down from the sky
Please look down from heaven above.
And stay by my side,
And please stay here with me.
'Til morning is nigh.
Until the morning comes.
Be near me, Lord Jesus,
Please come close to me, Lord Jesus.
I ask Thee to stay
I request you to stay with me.
Close by me forever
Stay close to me forever.
And love me I pray
Please love me.
Bless all the dear children
Please bless all the beloved children.
In Thy tender care
Take care of them with your tender love.
And take us to heaven
Please take us to heaven.
To live with Thee there
So that we can live with you there in heaven.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Songtrust Ave, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Traditional
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind