Away In a Manger
W.J. Kirkpatrick Lyrics


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Away in a manger
No crib for a bed
The little Lord Jesus laid down His sweet head
The stars in the sky looking down where He lay
The little Lord Jesus asleep on the hay

(instrumental)
Child in the manger, Infant of Mary
Outcast and stranger, Lord of all
Child who inherits
All our transgressions
All our demerits on Him fall

Once the most holy
Child of salvation
Gentle and lowly
Now as our glorious Mighty Redeemer
See Him victorious
O'er each foe

(instrumental)

Prophets fortold Him
Infant of wonder
Angels behold Him On His throne
Worthy our Savior
Of all our praises




Happy forever
Are His own

Overall Meaning

The song "Away in a Manger" describes the scene of Jesus' birth, where He lay down in a manger or feeding trough for animals, as there was no crib to lay Him in. The lyrics portray the simplicity of the circumstances surrounding His birth, as he lay down on the hay. Yet, the stars shining bright in the sky looked down upon him, indicating that even though He was born under ordinary circumstances, He was still a special child who would go on to change the world. The song also refers to Jesus as "the little Lord Jesus," capturing the duality of His nature as both fully human and fully divine.


The second part of the song talks about Jesus' role as the savior of the world who has come to take away our sins. This part recognizes Jesus as the child who bears all our transgressions and demerits, which references the ultimate sacrifice He made on the cross. The song acknowledges Jesus' humble beginnings, highlighting that even as the outcast and stranger, He is the Lord of all. The final verses of the song remind listeners of Christ's prophesied birth, His royal lineage as the Infant of wonder, and His throne as the worthy Savior, deserving of our praises.


Line by Line Meaning

Away in a manger
Jesus is sleeping in a manger.


No crib for a bed
There is no crib available for Jesus to sleep on.


The little Lord Jesus laid down His sweet head
Jesus, the Lord, is tired and has put his head down to rest.


The stars in the sky looking down where He lay
The stars above are shining down upon the place where Jesus is sleeping.


The little Lord Jesus asleep on the hay
Jesus, the Lord, is sleeping on the hay.


Child in the manger, Infant of Mary
Jesus is a child in the manger and is the infant of Mary.


Outcast and stranger, Lord of all
Even though Jesus is an outcast and stranger, he is still the Lord of all.


Child who inherits
Jesus inherits all the sins of the people.


All our transgressions
Jesus will carry all the sins and transgressions of the people.


All our demerits on Him fall
All the negative effects of our sins will fall on Jesus.


Once the most holy
Jesus was considered the most holy at one time.


Child of salvation
Jesus is the child who saves the people.


Gentle and lowly
Jesus is kind and humble.


Now as our glorious Mighty Redeemer
Jesus is now a glorious and mighty savior of the people.


See Him victorious O'er each foe
Jesus will be victorious over every enemy.


Prophets foretold Him
Prophets predicted the coming of Jesus.


Infant of wonder
Jesus is an infant and creates amazement.


Angels behold Him On His throne
Angels witness Jesus on his throne.


Worthy our Savior
Jesus is worth our praise as our savior.


Of all our praises
We should praise Jesus above all others.


Happy forever
People will be happy for eternity due to Jesus' actions.


Are His own
People belong to and are owned by Jesus, their savior.




Lyrics Β© K - M MUSIC INC

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