I Saw Three Ships
The Choir And Orchestra Of Clare College Cambridge Lyrics


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I saw three ships come sailing in
On Christmas Day, on Christmas Day
I saw three ships come sailing in
On Christmas Day in the morning
And what was in those ships all three
On Christmas Day, on Christmas Day?
And what was in those ships all three
On Christmas Day in the morning?
Mary mild and Christ were there
On Christmas Day, on Christmas Day
Mary mild and Christ were there
On Christmas Day in the morning
And all the bells on earth did ring
On Christmas Day, on Christmas Day
And all the bells on earth did ring
On Christmas Day in the morning
And all the Angels in Heav'n did sing
On Christmas Day, on Christmas Day
And all the Angels in Heav'n did sing
On Christmas Day in the morning
Then let us all rejoice again
On Christmas Day, on Christmas Day




Then let us all rejoice again
On Christmas Day in the morning!

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to The Choir And Orchestra Of Clare College Cambridge's song "I Saw Three Ships" tell the story of the arrival of three ships on Christmas Day. The singer seems to be an observer who is watching the ships come in and is curious about what they contain. In the second stanza, the singer asks what was in those ships and the answer is revealed in the third stanza: Mary and Christ were on board the ships. This is a reference to the biblical story of the Magi, who arrived in Bethlehem bearing gifts for the newborn Jesus.


The fourth stanza describes the reaction to the ships' arrival: all the bells on earth rang and all the angels in Heaven sang. This is a powerful and joyful image, emphasizing the significance of the event that has taken place. The final stanza exhorts the listener to join in the rejoicing and celebrate the occasion.


Overall, the song is a celebration of the Christmas story and captures the joy and wonder of the season.


Line by Line Meaning

I saw three ships come sailing in
Three ships sailed towards me


On Christmas Day, on Christmas Day
On December 25th


And what was in those ships all three
What was on board all three vessels


Mary mild and Christ were there
Mary and Jesus were on board


And all the bells on earth did ring
All the bells in the world started ringing


And all the Angels in Heav'n did sing
Angels in heaven were singing


Then let us all rejoice again
We should celebrate


On Christmas Day in the morning!
On December 25th in the morning




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Capitol CMG Publishing, Peermusic Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Edith Bergdahl, Nat King Cole, Traditional

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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