Traditional music is an umbrella term for all folk music that has made it d… Read Full Bio ↴Traditional music is an umbrella term for all folk music that has made it down the generations largely thanks to oral tradition. The obscure and random inception of such songs means that the original author(s) of the song is rarely documented. Rather, the song by time becomes part of a country's or ethnic group's canon of folk songs, usually sung by groups of people performing a custom particular to their culture (ex. pub songs, sea shanties, football anthems, lullabies, children's songs, working songs, dancing tunes etc..).

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

I Saw Three Ships
Traditional Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Version 1:
I saw three ships come sailin' in
On Christmas day, on Christmas day
I saw three ships come sailin' in
On Christmas day in the morning

And what was in those ships all three
On Christmas day, on Christmas day

And what was in those ships all three
On Christmas day in the morning

The Virgin Mary and Christ were there
On Christmas day, on Christmas day
The Virgin Mary and Christ were there
On Christmas day in the morning

Version 2:
I saw three ships come sailing in
On Christmas day, on Christmas day
I saw three ships come sailing in
On Christmas day in the morning.

And what was in those ships all three?
On Christmas day, on Christmas day
And what was in those ships all three?
On Christmas day in the morning.

Our Saviour, Christ, and His Lady,
On Christmas day, on Christmas day
Our Saviour, Christ, and His Lady,
On Christmas day in the morning.

Pray, whither sailed those ships all three?
On Christmas day, on Christmas day
Pray, whither sailed those ships all three?
On Christmas day in the morning.

O, they sailed to Bethlehem,
On Christmas day, on Christmas day

O, they sailed to Bethlehem,
On Christmas day in the morning.

And all the bells on earth shall ring,
On Christmas day, on Christmas day
And all the bells on earth shall ring,
On Christmas day in the morning.

And all the angels in heaven shall sing,
On Christmas day, on Christmas day
And all the angels in heaven shall sing,
On Christmas day in the morning.

And all the souls on earth shall sing,
On Christmas day, on Christmas day
And all the souls on earth shall sing,
On Christmas day in the morning.

Then let us all rejoice and sing,
On Christmas day, on Christmas day
Then let us all rejoice and sing,
On Christmas day in the morning

Version 3:
I saw three ships come sailing by
On Christmas day, on Christmas day
I saw three ships come sailing by
On Christmas day, on Christmas day

And what was in those ships all three
On Christmas day, on Christmas day?
And what was in those ships all three
On Christmas day, on Christmas day?

The Virgin Mary and Christ were there
On Christmas day, on Christmas day
The Virgin Mary and Christ were there
On Christmas day in the morning

And all the angels in heaven shall sing
On Christmas day, on Christmas day
And all the angels in heaven shall sing
On Christmas day in the morning

Then let us all rejoice and sing
On Christmas day, on Christmas day
Then let us all rejoice and sing
On Christmas day in the morning

Version 4:
I saw three ships come sailing in
On Christmas Day, on Christmas Day
I saw three ships come sailing in
On Christmas Day in the morning
On Christmas Day in the morning

And what was in those ships all three
On Christmas Day, on Christmas Day?
And what was in those ships all three
On Christmas Day in the morning?
On Christmas Day in the morning

The Virgin Mary and Christ were there
On Christmas Day, on Christmas Day
The Virgin Mary and Christ were there
On Christmas Day in the morning

And all the Angels in Heaven shall sing
On Christmas Day, on Christmas Day
And all the Angels in Heaven shall sing
On Christmas Day in the morning

Then let us all rejoice again
On Christmas Day, on Christmas Day
Then let us all rejoice again

On Christmas Day in the morning
On Christmas Day in the morning

Overall Meaning

"I Saw Three Ships" is a traditional English carol with unknown origins. The song refers to the three ships that carried the Three Wise Men or Magi to Bethlehem to visit baby Jesus. The song's meaning has evolved over time, and various versions highlight different parts of the nativity story.

In the first two versions of the song, the singer speaks of seeing three ships coming in on Christmas day in the morning. The ships are carrying the Virgin Mary, Christ, and possibly the Three Wise Men. The tone of the song is joyful as it celebrates the arrival of the holy figures. The third version simply states that the Virgin Mary and Christ were present on the ships, and the fourth version is similar to the first two, but it includes an additional verse and repeats the chorus.

The carol has been used in numerous films, TV shows, and video games, such as "The Polar Express" and "Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag." The song has also been sung by popular artists like Sting, Joni Mitchell, and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.

I Saw Three ShipsTraditional Lyrics

I Saw Three Ships
Traditional Lyrics