Countless musicians have performed and re-injected life into traditional songs with examples ranging from Thin Lizzy's (and later Metallica's) Whiskey in a Jar (traditional Irish song) to Bonnie 'Prince' Billy's latest collaboration Among The Gold.
"Traditional" should not be used for the artist name, if the real name of the performing artist or group is known. Rather it should be used for the writer/composer, if they are unknown. The MusicBrainz style guidelines can give you an orientation for better tagging: https://musicbrainz.org/doc/Style/Unknown_and_untitled/Special_purpose_artist
God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
Traditional Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Let nothing you dismay
Remember, Christ, our Saviour
Was born on Christmas day
To save us all from Satan's power
When we were gone astray
O tidings of comfort and joy
O tidings of comfort and joy
In Bethlehem, in Israel
This blessed Babe was born
And laid within a manger
Upon this blessed morn
The which His Mother Mary
Did nothing take in scorn
O tidings of comfort and joy
Comfort and joy
O tidings of comfort and joy
From God our Heavenly Father
A blessed Angel came
And unto certain Shepherds
Brought tidings of the same
How that in Bethlehem was born
The Son of God by Name
O tidings of comfort and joy
Comfort and joy
O tidings of comfort and joy
"Fear not then", said the Angel
"Let nothing you affright
This day is born a Saviour
Of a pure Virgin bright
To free all those who trust in Him
From Satan's power and might"
O tidings of comfort and joy
Comfort and joy
O tidings of comfort and joy
The shepherds at those tidings
Rejoiced much in mind
And left their flocks a-feeding
In tempest, storm and wind
And went to Bethlehem straightway
The Son of God to find
O tidings of comfort and joy
Comfort and joy
O tidings of comfort and joy
And when they came to Bethlehem
Where our dear Saviour lay
They found Him in a manger
Where oxen feed on hay
His Mother Mary kneeling down
Unto the Lord did pray
O tidings of comfort and joy
Comfort and joy
O tidings of comfort and joy
Now to the Lord sing praises
All you within this place
And with true love and brotherhood
Each other now embrace
This holy tide of Christmas
All other doth deface
O tidings of comfort and joy
Comfort and joy
O tidings of comfort and joy
The lyrics to “God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen” is a traditional English Christmas carol that dates back to the 18th century. The song begins with an exhortation to the listener to find rest in a moment of dismay, as Jesus Christ had been born on this holy day to save humanity from the clutches of Satan, to bring comfort and joy to the world. The lyric also references the apostasy of humanity prior to Christ's sacrifice. The carol recounts the story of Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem, where he was laid in a manger by his mother, Mary.
The verse speaks to the joy that his birth brought to the world, with God sending an Angel to proclaim the tidings of the Saviors' birth to the shepherds, thereby announcing the good news to the world. The Angel also spoke to the shepherds, urging them not to fear, as the Savior's arrival promised to free mankind from the clutches of Satan. The shepherds were jubilant, abandoning their grazing flocks in the fields, as they set out to Bethlehem, where they would encounter the newborn Son of God in a manger.
The refrain of the song emphasizes the comfort and joy that Christ’s birth has brought to the holiday season, calling on all in the place to embrace one another with true love and brotherhood, thankfully singing praises to the Lord. This timeless carol has become an emblematic part of Christmas, with resonating themes of goodwill and joy, and continues to be performed by choirs across the world.
Line by Line Meaning
God rest ye merry, gentlemen
May God grant you a joyful and peaceful state of mind, good sirs
Let nothing you dismay
Don't be discouraged, keep your spirits up
Remember, Christ, our Saviour
Recall the birth of Jesus, who is our deliverer
Was born on Christmas day
The blessed birthday of our Lord is on December 25th
To save us all from Satan's power
He was born to rescue us from the clutches of the devil
When we were gone astray
At a time when we were lost and misguided
O tidings of comfort and joy
Oh, what comforting and joyous news
In Bethlehem, in Israel
In the city of Bethlehem, located in Israel
This blessed Babe was born
The divine infant was brought forth and blessed
And laid within a manger
And was placed within a humble feeding trough
Upon this blessed morn
On this sacred morning
The which His Mother Mary
His mother Mary
Did nothing take in scorn
Did not reject or scoff at any of it
From God our Heavenly Father
A blessed Angel came
And unto certain Shepherds
And appeared to some select shepherds
Brought tidings of the same
Announced the same good news
How that in Bethlehem was born
That the Son of God was born in Bethlehem
The Son of God by Name
The Son of God, named Jesus
Fear not then
Do not be afraid, I implore you
Let nothing you affright
May nothing terrify, alarm or put you in danger
This day is born a Saviour
Today, a saviour has been born
Of a pure Virgin bright
Born of a pure and bright Virgin
To free all those who trust in Him
To liberate all those who put their faith in Him
From Satan's power and might
From the tyranny of Satan's power and might
The shepherds at those tidings
Upon hearing this news, the shepherds
Rejoiced much in mind
Became ecstatic and very elated
And left their flocks a-feeding
Left their herds grazing in pastures
In tempest, storm and wind
Despite enduring harsh weather conditions
And went to Bethlehem straightway
Immediately went to Bethlehem
The Son of God to find
To locate the Son of God
And when they came to Bethlehem
Once they had arrived in Bethlehem
Where our dear Saviour lay
Where our beloved Saviour was resting
They found Him in a manger
They saw him lying in a feeding trough
Where oxen feed on hay
A place where cattle eat hay
His Mother Mary kneeling down
His mother Mary was on her knees
Unto the Lord did pray
And prayed to the Lord
Now to the Lord sing praises
Let us now sing praises to the Lord
All you within this place
Everyone present here
And with true love and brotherhood
And with genuine love and brotherly kindness
Each other now embrace
Let us now hug each other
This holy tide of Christmas
During this holy time of Christmas
All other doth deface
Let all other things seem insignificant in comparison
Contributed by Avery S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@Goldedguy
Even if someone is a believer or non believer, this is truly the most outstanding piece of music that preserves the meaning of the festive season.
@smittysmeee
+[Substantial-Video-Existence] Very well said! :D
@knitveryquickly
I agree.
@adamboyd9645
i just imagin being in victorian england at cristmas and hearing this song. i think its a very powerfull song and it realy gives you a real feel of cristmas.
@WintersWar
Nice. these carols are best when sung straight and not jazzed up or altered.
@michaelam9063
It's almost to point where the original is harder to find!
@92kwame
TimeTraveling Peep Right?? It gets very frustrating sometimes. :-(
@snickerdoodle7877
I'm an atheist, but I still love this song. It's beautiful, no matter what you believe.
@eleonora.boguslavsky
I absolutely agree with you.
@Colamarine
I'm an atheist and I appreciate the general concept of Christmas (the happy happy joy joy part, not the religious part)!