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.[
We Wish You A Merry Christmas
Take 6 Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We wish you a Merry Christmas;
We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Good tidings we bring to you and your kin;
Good tidings for Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Oh, bring us a figgy pudding;
Oh, bring us a figgy pudding;
We won't go until we get some;
We won't go until we get some;
We won't go until we get some, so bring some out here. Refrain
We wish you a Merry Christmas;
We wish you a Merry Christmas;
We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
The song "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" is a classic holiday tune that is commonly sung during the Christmas season. The lyrics of the song express a cheerful holiday greeting and good wishes for the coming year. The first verse begins with the repeated line "We wish you a Merry Christmas," followed by the wish for a happy New Year. The second verse speaks of good tidings being brought to the listener and their kin.
The third verse brings in the request for figgy pudding and a cup of good cheer. The phrase "figgy pudding" refers to a traditional British pudding that is made with figs, sugar, and spices. The line "bring some out here" in the refrain implies that the singers are expecting to be served the treat as they make their holiday rounds. In the fourth and final verse, the singers return to their greetings of a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
Line by Line Meaning
We wish you a Merry Christmas;
We express our sincere desire for you to have a pleasant Christmas season.
We wish you a Merry Christmas;
Our first sentiment was so honest and heartfelt that we feel compelled to repeat it twice.
We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Our hope for your holiday season extends to the new year, and we desire for you to be happy throughout it.
Good tidings we bring to you and your kin;
We come bearing good news and positive messages for both you and your family.
Good tidings for Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Our good news extends specifically to the Christmas season and the upcoming new year.
Oh, bring us a figgy pudding;
We politely request a traditional English dessert made with figs, bread crumbs, and other ingredients.
Oh, bring us a figgy pudding;
Our polite request for this dessert must have been so pleasant that we feel the need to repeat it.
Oh, bring us a figgy pudding and a cup of good cheer. Refrain
We would be very grateful if you were to bring us this dessert along with a cheerful spirit and a positive attitude.
We won't go until we get some;
Our request for figgy pudding was not a casual one, and we are so determined to have it that we won't leave until we do.
We won't go until we get some;
We feel the need to reiterate our determination, as it is quite strong.
We won't go until we get some, so bring some out here. Refrain
Our request must be taken seriously, as we are adamant about having this dessert and refuse to leave until we do.
We wish you a Merry Christmas;
Our final sentiment is a repeat of our original wish, as it accurately sums up our feelings towards you during this holiday season.
We wish you a Merry Christmas;
We feel so strongly about our desire for you to have a pleasant holiday season that we repeat it one final time.
We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Our final wish for you is not much different from our previous ones, but we feel it is important to reiterate that we want you to have a joyful Christmas and an optimistic new year.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Art Harris
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind