Hark! the Herald Angels Sing
The Fab Four Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Hark! The angels sing
Hark! The newborn king
Hark! You know the angels sing
Hark!

Hark! The herald angels sing
"Glory to the newborn king
Peace on earth and mercy mild
God and sinners reconciled"
Joyful, all ye nations rise
Join the triumph of the skies
With angelic host proclaim
"Christ is born in Bethlehem"
Hark! The herald angels sing
"Glory to the newborn king"

Christ by highest heaven adored
Christ the everlasting Lord
Late in time behold Him come
Offspring of a virgin's womb
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see
Hail the incarnate deity
Pleased as man with man to dwell
Jesus, our Emmanuel
Hark! The herald angels sing
"Glory to the newborn king"

Hark! The herald angels sing
"Glory to the newborn king
Peace on earth and mercy mild
God and sinners reconciled"
Joyful, all ye nations rise
Join the triumph of the skies
With angelic host proclaim
"Christ is born in Bethlehem"
Hark! The herald angels sing
"Glory to the newborn king"
Born king
The king




Born
King ooh

Overall Meaning

These lyrics are an ode to the birth of Jesus Christ, as celebrated during the Christmas season. The song opens with the angels calling out to alert the world of the arrival of the 'newborn king.' The repetition of the word 'hark' is almost like a chant or a call to attention. The chorus then breaks into a beautiful message of peace and goodwill towards all Nations, as they declare "Glory to the newborn king."


The lyrics continue, with a description of Christ as adored in the highest heaven and the everlasting Lord. It goes on to describe the circumstances of his birth - late in time, as the offspring of a virgin's womb, 'veiled in flesh' which is a reference to Christ's human soul, and yet he is hailed as the 'incarnate deity.' The chorus repeats itself again, calling on nations to rise and join in the triumph of the skies, announcing the good news of Jesus Christ being born in Bethlehem.


Overall, the song is a joyful and celebratory one, calling people to come together and rejoice at the coming of the savior. The Christmas season is all about love, peace, and giving, and this song captures that sentiment beautifully.



Interesting facts about the song:


1) The original hymn was written by Charles Wesley in 1739, but it was not until over 100 years later that the lyrics were set to the tune we know today.


2) The melody was composed in 1840 by Felix Mendelssohn, who wrote it as a cantata for the Gutenberg Festival in Leipzig, Germany.


3) The lyrics were revised by George Whitefield in the 1750s, and it is his version that is most commonly sung today.


4) The Beatles recorded a psychedelic rock version of the song in 1967, which is often credited with bringing the song back into the mainstream.


5) The song has been translated into over 20 languages, including German, French, Spanish, and even Hindi.


6) The phrase "God and sinners reconciled" has been debated among theologians, but it is generally agreed that it refers to Christ's sacrifice on the cross, which reconciled humanity with God.


7) The song has been used in numerous films and television shows, including A Charlie Brown Christmas and Love Actually.


8) In some churches, it is traditional to stand while singing this song, as a sign of respect for the newborn king.


9) The song has been covered by a wide range of artists, including Mariah Carey, Amy Grant, and Johnny Cash.


10) The song is often performed by choirs during the Christmas season, and it is considered to be one of the most popular Christmas carols of all time.


Chords (in the key of G):


Verse: G - D - G - D - G - Em - D - G
Chorus: G - D - G - D - G - Em - D - G


Line by Line Meaning

Hark! The angels sing
Listen! The angels are singing


Hark! The newborn king
Listen! The new king is born


Hark! You know the angels sing
Listen! You know the angels are singing


Hark!
Listen!


Hark! The herald angels sing
Listen! The messengers of God are singing


"Glory to the newborn king
"Praise the new king


Peace on earth and mercy mild
May there be peace on earth and mild mercy


God and sinners reconciled"
God and sinners have been reconciled


Joyful, all ye nations rise
All nations rise with joy


Join the triumph of the skies
Join the victory celebration in the sky


With angelic host proclaim
Proclaim with the angelic host


"Christ is born in Bethlehem"
"Jesus is born in Bethlehem"


Christ by highest heaven adored
Christ is worshiped by the highest heaven


Christ the everlasting Lord
Christ is the eternal Lord


Late in time behold Him come
He has come at a late time


Offspring of a virgin's womb
Born from a virgin's womb


Veiled in flesh the Godhead see
See the Godhead veiled in flesh


Hail the incarnate deity
Celebrate the incarnate deity


Pleased as man with man to dwell
He was pleased to dwell with man as a man


Jesus, our Emmanuel
Jesus, who is our Emmanuel


Born king
Born as a king


The king
The king


Born
Born


King ooh
King, oh yeah!




Contributed by Hudson M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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Comments from YouTube:

James P

Hands down the best Beatles tribute band I have ever seen!!!

revolver330

I am a Beatles fanatic and this is complete genius! Brilliantly done.

Mike 201

As a long time fan, I have to say your best Christmas song is Rocking Around The Christmas Tree! Not only does Ardy capture Paul’s true voice, it stands so close to Got To Get You Into My Life, it is a perfect match. Not to mention everyone I have played it for over the years believe it’s the real Beatles!! This song needs a video of you guys singing it now!!! If you can do it for Hark!, this song needs one too!!! Thanks guys!!!!

zombeatle01

one word...FANTASTIC!! We have both CDS - these guys are some of the best Beatle tribute musicians I've seen (and I've done it myself once upon a time)

Edgar Chavez ruiz

Muy bueno me encantan 👍

Keith Nordquist

I am a Beatles Fanatic and I think this is totaly Fab!

musoprimo

I have this CD at home and think that 'HARK' is the best track on the album. However, the rest of the songs are certainly not too shabby either.

Lori Welch

"Hark" is my fave, too- but "Jingle Bells"(aka: "Tomorrow Never Knows") is also very clever....."it is snowing....."😆

Angel Quintas

This just never gets old <3

michel031257

Can't stop grinning - great upload, thanks for sharing! The George-one is a real good lookalike as well! Just simple, plain fun - love it!

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