The Holly And The Ivy
Vanessa Williams Lyrics


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The holly and the ivy,
When they are both full grown,
Of all the trees that are in the wood,
The holly wears the crown.

[Chorus:]
O the rising of the sun,
The running of the deer,
The playing of the merry organ,
Sweet singing in the choir
Sweet singing in the choir.
The holly bears a blossom

As white as lily flower
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ
To be our sweet Savior

[Chorus]

The holly bears a berry
As red as any blood
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ
To do poor sinners good.

[Chorus]

The holly bears a prickle
As sharp as any thorn
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ
On Christmas day in the morn

[Chorus]

The holly bears a bark
As bitter as any gall
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ
For to redeem us all.

[Chorus]

The holly and the ivy,
When they are both full grown,
Of all the trees that are in the wood,
The holly wears the crown.





[Chorus]

Overall Meaning

Vanessa Williams’s song “The Holly and Ivy” is a traditional Christmas carol that tells the story of the holly and the ivy plants. It describes how the holly wears the crown among all the trees in the wood. The chorus of the song includes the lines “O the rising of the sun, The running of the deer, The playing of the merry organ, Sweet singing in the choir.” These lines express the beauty and joy of Christmas and refer to some of the traditional Christmas activities.


The second verse of the song talks about the holly’s white blossoms, which represent the purity of Mary, who was the mother of Jesus Christ. The third verse discusses the holly’s red berries, which symbolize the blood of Christ and his mission to help the poor sinners. In the fourth verse, the holly’s prickles are compared to the thorns of Christ’s crown, which he wore during his crucifixion. The final verse references the bitterness of the holly’s bark and its representation of Christ’s suffering on the cross, which redeemed humanity.


Line by Line Meaning

The holly and the ivy,
The plants holly and ivy are being referred to.


When they are both full grown,
This refers to the full maturity of the plants.


Of all the trees that are in the wood,
The singer is comparing the holly and ivy to other trees in the woods.


The holly wears the crown.
This means that the holly plant is superior to the other trees in the woods.


O the rising of the sun,
This line references the morning sunrise.


The running of the deer,
This line references deer running in nature.


The playing of the merry organ,
This likely refers to church music, specifically an organ being played.


Sweet singing in the choir
This line references the sweet sound of a choir singing.


Sweet singing in the choir.
This line is repeated for emphasis, and reiterates the beauty of choir singing.


The holly bears a blossom
This line refers to the holly's flowers blooming.


As white as lily flower
The holly's flowers are described as being pure white like lilies.


And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ
This line references Mary giving birth to Jesus Christ.


To be our sweet Savior
This line refers to Jesus being considered the savior of humanity.


The holly bears a berry
This line refers to the holly plant bearing fruits.


As red as any blood
The holly's fruits are described as being a vivid red color, similar to blood.


And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ
This line is repeated from earlier, again referencing Mary giving birth to Jesus.


To do poor sinners good.
Jesus is considered to help and benefit poor sinners in particular.


The holly bears a prickle
This line references the holly plant's prickly thorns.


As sharp as any thorn
The thorns on the holly plant are described as being extremely sharp.


And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ
Mary and Jesus are again referenced in this line.


On Christmas day in the morn
This line refers to the birth of Jesus on Christmas Day.


The holly bears a bark
This line refers to the holly plant's bark.


As bitter as any gall
The holly's bark is described as being bitter, similar to gall (a bitter plant extract).


And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ
Mary and Jesus are once again mentioned here.


For to redeem us all.
This line refers to the idea of Jesus redeeming the sins of humanity and saving them from eternal damnation.


The holly and the ivy,
This line is a repetition of the opening line.


When they are both full grown,
This line is a repetition of an earlier line describing the full maturity of the plants.


Of all the trees that are in the wood,
Another repetition of an earlier line comparing holly and ivy to other trees in the woods.


The holly wears the crown.
The final line repeats the earlier assertion that the holly plant is superior to other trees in the woods.


O the rising of the sun,
This line is a repeat of an earlier line mentioning the sunrise.


The running of the deer,
Another repetition of the line describing deer running in the woods.


The playing of the merry organ,
A repeat of an earlier line referring to church music.


Sweet singing in the choir
This line is repeated for emphasis, again referring to the beauty of choir music.


Sweet singing in the choir.
Another repetition of the earlier line, ending the song with a final nod to the beauty of choir music.




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Peermusic Publishing, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: LALO SCHIFRIN, . TRADITIONAL

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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