I Heard the Bells On Christmas Day
Waring Fred Lyrics
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Their old familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet the words repeat
Of peace on earth, good will to men.
I thought how, as the day had come,
The belfries of all Christendom
Had rolled along th' unbroken song
And in despair I bowed my head
"There is no peace on earth," I said,
"For hate is strong and mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good will to men."
Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
"God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;
The wrong shall fail, the right prevail
With peace on earth, good will to men."
Till ringing, singing on its way
The world revolved from night to day,
A voice, a chime, a chant sublime
Of peace on earth, good will to men.
Waring Fred's song "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day" is a powerful and insightful composition that speaks to the human experience of Christmas. The song begins by describing the bells of Christmas day and their familiar carols that speak of peace on earth and good will to men. The words are described as being wild and sweet, perhaps suggesting that they are joyous and uplifting. However, the tone quickly changes as the singer reflects on the state of the world and declares that there is no peace on earth. This shift in tone is marked by the use of the word "despair" and the declaration that hate is strong and contradicts the message of peace and good will that the bells proclaim.
The second half of the song offers hope in the form of the bells' pealing more loudly and deeply, proclaiming that God is not dead and that the right shall prevail with peace on earth and good will to men. The idea of the "wrong" failing and the "right" prevailing suggests a struggle between opposing forces, a theme that is often present in Christmas narratives. The song concludes with a vision of the world revolving from night to day, accompanied by a voice, chime or chant that is described as sublime. This final image is a powerful one, suggesting a transformation or renewal that is possible when the forces of good triumph over evil.
Overall, "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day" is a complex and thought-provoking song that speaks to the hopes and fears of humanity. It reminds us that despite the difficult state of the world, there is always the possibility of renewal and transformation through the power of faith and the message of peace and good will.
Line by Line Meaning
I heard the bells on Christmas day
I listened to the sound of Christmas bells ringing
Their old familiar carols play
I heard the traditional Christmas songs being played
And wild and sweet the words repeat
I heard the words being sung loudly and sweetly
Of peace on earth, good will to men.
The words being sung were focused on harmony among all humans on the earth
I thought how, as the day had come,
I contemplated the arrival of Christmas day
The belfries of all Christendom
The towers of all Christian churches
Had rolled along th' unbroken song
Together, they sang one continuous song
Of peace on earth, good will to men.
Their song focused on maintaining peace among all people on the planet
And in despair I bowed my head
Feeling hopeless, I lowered my head
"There is no peace on earth," I said,
I declared that there was no true peace on the earth
"For hate is strong and mocks the song
I explained that hatred was more powerful than the peaceful song that was being sung
Of peace on earth, good will to men."
Which focused on harmony among all people
Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
The bells suddenly grew louder and deeper
"God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;
This signaled that God still exists and is not ignoring the situation
The wrong shall fail, the right prevail
Evil will not succeed and good will ultimately win
With peace on earth, good will to men."
Creating a peaceful and harmonious society is still possible
Till ringing, singing on its way
The bells continued to ring and the song played on
The world revolved from night to day,
The earth moved from darkness into the light
A voice, a chime, a chant sublime
The song was beautiful and divine
Of peace on earth, good will to men.
Ending with a powerful message of unity and peace among humanity
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JUSTIN ROBERT CASH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind