The Lennon Sisters were a singing group consisting of four siblings: Dianne… Read Full Bio ↴The Lennon Sisters were a singing group consisting of four siblings: Dianne, Peggy, Kathy, and Janet. They were all born in Los Angeles, California.

These singers debuted on The Lawrence Welk Show in 1955 after their school classmate, Larry Welk, son of Lawrence Welk, brought them to the attention of his father. They were a mainstay on the show until they left to start a career of their own in 1968. The quartet was only three members from 1960 to 1964; oldest sister Dianne got married, left the group, and then rejoined them again.

Over the decades, they recorded many albums. Their first album was on Brunswick Records and later on Coral, Dot, Ranwood and Mercury. They have recently released four CD volumes of songs taken from their own ABC-TV show.

They are not related to the Beatle John Lennon.

The First Noel
The Lennon Sisters Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

The first Noel the angels did sing
Was to certain poor shepherds
In fields as they lay
In fields fields where they lay keeping their sheep
On a cold winter's night that was so deep

Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel
Born is the king of Israel

And to the Earth it gave great light
And so it continued both day and night
Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel
Born is the king of Israel

Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel
Born is the king of Israel

Overall Meaning

"The First Noel" is a traditional Christmas carol whose origins can be traced back to the early 19th century. It tells the story of the birth of Jesus from the perspective of the angels who appeared to the shepherds in the fields on the night of his birth. The first verse sets the scene, with the angels singing to the shepherds and bringing news of Jesus' birth. It emphasizes the humble beginnings of the savior, as he was born to poor parents and laid in a manger.

The second verse speaks to the significance of Jesus' birth, as it brought light to the Earth both day and night. This light could be interpreted as a metaphorical light, representing the hope and joy that Jesus brought to the world. The chorus, a repetition of the word "Noel," means "good news" in French and serves as a celebratory exclamation of the birth of Jesus. The final line of each verse, "Born is the king of Israel," reaffirms the idea that Jesus is the savior of the world and the king of Israel.

Overall, "The First Noel" is a beautiful and poetic retelling of the Christmas story. It highlights the humility and kindness of Jesus, as well as the immense impact his birth had on the world. Its joyous chorus and uplifting lyrics have made it a staple of Christmas music for nearly two centuries.

Line by Line Meaning

The first Noel the angels did sing
The angels sang the first Noel

Was to certain poor shepherds
It was sung to certain poor shepherds

In fields as they lay
Whilst the shepherds were laying in fields

In fields fields where they lay keeping their sheep
In fields where they were tending to their sheep

On a cold winter's night that was so deep
On a very cold and deep winter's night

Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel
Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel

Born is the king of Israel
The king of Israel has been born

And to the Earth it gave great light
It gave great light to the Earth

And so it continued both day and night
It continued to give light both day and night

Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel
Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel

Born is the king of Israel
The king of Israel has been born