Born Michael Anthony Orlando Cassavitis to a Greek father and a Puerto Rican mother, he was raised in Manhattan's then-notorious Hell's Kitchen. His best friend was Freddie Prinze (who was of Puerto Rican and German descent).[citation needed]
Tony Orlando's musical career started with The Five Gents, a doo-wop group he formed. His first success came when he recorded the hit “Halfway To Paradise”. After becoming general manager at Columbia Records, he was tempted back to a recording career when he was asked to record a demo record of “Candida”. The label liked the demo so much that Tony's performance was released, under the band name “Dawn” (named after a record executive's daughter).
Joining Tony were Telma Hopkins and Joyce Vincent Wilson, and the trio scored a string of #1 hits with “Tie A Yellow Ribbon 'Round The Ole Oak Tree”, “Knock Three Times”, and “Candida”. With a successful recording career, Orlando then set his sights on television which resulted in his highly rated weekly variety series on CBS. Breaking new ground, it was television's first multi-ethnic variety show. Orlando (of Hispanic and Greek origins) and Hopkins and Wilson (African Americans) were an instant hit. The show, which ran for four seasons (from 1974 to 1976), welcomed the biggest names in show business each week as Tony's guests, including his boyhood idols, Jackie Gleason and Jerry Lewis.
The First Noel
Tony Orlando Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
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
Tony Orlando’s version of the traditional Christmas Carol, "The First Noel," is a soulful rendition of the song that captures the spirit of the holiday season. The first verse vividly describes the event that inspired the song - "The first Noel the angels did sing/Was to certain poor shepherds in fields as they lay." The singer describes a cold winter's night when the angels came to the shepherds in the fields to announce the birth of Jesus. The use of the word "Noel" throughout the piece is a French word that means Christmas, and it adds a sense of grandeur and elegance to the lyrics.
The chorus, "Born is the king of Israel," conveys the significance of the announcement that the shepherds received from the angels. It tells us that Jesus, the King of Israel, has been born, and that this event will change the world forever. The second verse goes on to describe the effect of this momentous event on the world - "And to the Earth, it gave great light/and so it continued both day and night." These lyrics suggest that the birth of Jesus brought a new light into the world, one that would continue to shine both day and night, long after His birth.
In conclusion, Tony Orlando’s version of "The First Noel" is a powerful rendition of a traditional Christmas Carol that captures the spirit of the holiday season. The lyrics describe the night when the angels announced the birth of Jesus to the shepherds in the fields, and the chorus reminds us that Jesus is the King of Israel, whose birth brought a new light into the world.
Line by Line Meaning
The first Noel the angels did sing
The angels sang the first Christmas carol called Noel
Was to certain poor shepherds
The angels sang it to some lowly shepherds
In fields as they lay
The shepherds were in the fields, resting
In fields where they lay keeping their sheep
The shepherds were keeping watch over their flocks of sheep
On a cold winter's night that was so deep
It was a very cold and dark winter night
Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel
Noel is the repeated word in the carol, meaning 'good news'
Born is the king of Israel
The good news is that the king of Israel has been born
And to the Earth it gave great light
The birth of the king brought great light to the world
And so it continued both day and night
The light continued shining day and night
Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel
Noel is repeated again, reminding us of the good news
Born is the king of Israel
The king of Israel has been born, and this is cause for celebration
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Charles Calello
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind