O Come All Ye Faithful
Tony Bennett with The London Symphony Orchestra and Chorus Lyrics
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Come ye, o come ye, to Bethlehem
Come and behold Him, born the King of angels
[Chorus:]
O come, let us adore Him
O come, let us adore Him
O come, let us adore Him
True God of true God, Light from Light Eternal
Lo, he shuns not the Virgin's womb
Son of the Father, begotten, not created
[Chorus:]
Sing, choirs of angels, sing in exultation
Sing, all ye citizens of heaven above!
Glory to God, all glory in the highest
[Chorus:]
See how the shepherds, summoned to His cradle
Leaving their flocks, draw nigh to gaze
We too will thither bend our joyful footsteps
[Chorus:]
Child, for us sinners poor and in the manger
We would embrace Thee, with love and awe
Who would not love Thee, loving us so dearly?
[Chorus:]
Yea, Lord, we greet Thee, born this happy morning
Jesus, to Thee be glory given
Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing
[Chorus:]
The lyrics of "O Come All Ye Faithful" depict the arrival of the faithful to Bethlehem, where the newborn King of angels lies. The song begins by inviting the faithful to come and see the newborn King, born in the humblest of circumstances, in a manger. The chorus urges the listeners to adore Christ the Lord. The second stanza emphasizes that the child that the faithful have come to see is the true God, and emphasizes important theological concepts, like the belief that Christ is begotten, not created.
The third stanza paints a scene in which the choirs of angels and the citizens of heaven above rejoice in the birth of Christ, all the while glory is given to God in the highest. The fourth stanza shifts the focus to the shepherds, who, summoned by the angels to Bethlehem, leave their flocks to come and see the newborn King. The faithful likewise follow their joyful footsteps to the manger. Finally, the last stanza presents the theological implications of the birth of Christ, as the child in the humble manger will grow up to be the savior of humanity.
Line by Line Meaning
O come, all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant
Gather with all the believers, filled with joy and pride for the birth of Christ
Come ye, o come ye, to Bethlehem
Come to Bethlehem, the birthplace of Christ, with haste and eagerness
Come and behold Him, born the King of angels
Witness the birth of the King of all angels, the Messiah
O come, let us adore Him
Let us worship and honor the Messiah with all of our hearts
True God of true God, Light from Light Eternal
The Messiah is the true God, an eternal light from an unwavering light source
Lo, he shuns not the Virgin's womb
The Messiah was born of a virgin, without rejection nor hesitation
Son of the Father, begotten, not created
The Messiah is the son begotten of the Father, not created by Him
Sing, choirs of angels, sing in exultation
Angelic choirs should sing with great exuberance and joy
Sing, all ye citizens of heaven above!
All citizens of heaven above should join in the songs of joy with angelic choirs
Glory to God, all glory in the highest
Give glory to God, for He deserves all glory and honor, forever and ever
See how the shepherds, summoned to His cradle
Observe the shepherds summoned to the Messiah's birthplace
Leaving their flocks, draw nigh to gaze
They left their flocks and drew near to gaze upon the Messiah
We too will thither bend our joyful footsteps
We also will journey there with joy in our hearts
Child, for us sinners poor and in the manger
The Messiah, born in a manger, is God's gift to us, poor sinners
We would embrace Thee, with love and awe
We desire to embrace the Messiah with love and reverence
Who would not love Thee, loving us so dearly?
Who wouldn't have love for the Messiah, who loves us so dearly?
Yea, Lord, we greet Thee, born this happy morning
We greet You, Lord, who was born on this blessed morning
Jesus, to Thee be glory given
Give glory to Jesus, for He is worthy to receive it
Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing
The Messiah, the word of the Father, has appeared in the flesh
O come, let us adore Him
Once again, let us adore and worship the Messiah with all of our heart
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Traditional
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