It Came Upon A Midnight Clear
frank sinatra | bing crosby Lyrics
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That glorious song of old
From Angels playing near the earth
To touch their harps of gold
Peace on the earth could will two men
From Heaven's all-gracious King
The world in solemn stillness lay
And I hear them singing
Sing, I do hear them singing
The first Noel the Angel did say
Was to certain poor shepherds in fields as they lay
In fields where they lay, they keeping their sheep
On a cold winter's night that was so deep
The lyrics of It Came Upon A Midnight Clear convey the story of the angelic announcement to the shepherds of the birth of Christ. The singer describes how the angels appeared at midnight and sang a glorious song to announce the Lord's birth. The song speaks of peace on earth that the son of God will bring and how the angels' song is a message of goodwill to all mankind. The singer hears the angels' song and feels their majesty, as though they are playing close to the earth. The song then goes on to describe the shepherds keeping watch over their sheep in nearby fields as the angels came to tell them the news of Christ's birth.
This song draws heavily from the biblical story of Jesus' birth as recounted in Luke 2:8-14. The lyrics paint a picture of a holy, transcendent moment on earth as the divine intervened with the earthly. The song has become a Christmas classic and is among the most beloved carols of all time.
Line by Line Meaning
It came upon the midnight clear
The peace-making event occurred during the darkest hour of the night.
That glorious song of old
The song was a reminder of a historical event with divine implications.
From Angels playing near the earth
The Angels were close enough to interact with the natural world.
To touch their harps of gold
To play delicately on the golden instruments.
Peace on the earth could will two men
Two men with enough love can will peace on earth.
From Heaven's all-gracious King
The peaceful initiative came from God.
The world in solemn stillness lay
The world was wrapped in a serene tranquility.
To hear the Angels sing
To listen to the divine melodies sung by the Angels.
And I hear them singing
The singer witnesses this divine occurrence.
Sing, I do hear them singing
The singer reiterates that he hears the Angels singing.
The first Noel the Angel did say
The first announcement of Jesus' birth was from an Angel.
Was to certain poor shepherds in fields as they lay
The Angel visited some lowly shepherds to make the announcement.
In fields where they lay, they keeping their sheep
The shepherds were in the fields watching over their livestock.
On a cold winter's night that was so deep
The night was bitterly cold and dark, emphasizing the miraculous nature of the Angel's appearance.
Lyrics © IMAGEM MUSIC INC
Written by: DAVID FINDLAY, N TRADITIONAL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@thomase13
It came upon the midnight clear,
That glorious song of old,
From angels bending near the earth
To touch their harps of gold;
"Peace on the earth, good will to men
From heaven's all-gracious King" –
The world in solemn stillness lay
To hear the angels sing.
Still through the cloven skies they come
With peaceful wings unfurled,
And still their heavenly music floats
O'er all the weary world;
Above its sad and lowly plains
They bend on hovering wing,
And ever o'er its Babel-sounds
The blessed angels sing.
But with the woes of sin and strife
The world has suffered long;
Beneath the angel-strain have rolled
Two thousand years of wrong;
And man, at war with man, hears not
The love-song which they bring; –
Oh hush the noise, ye men of strife,
And hear the angels sing!
And ye, beneath life's crushing load,
Whose forms are bending low,
Who toil along the climbing way
With painful steps and slow,
Look now! for glad and golden hours
Come swiftly on the wing; –
Oh, rest beside the weary road
And hear the angels sing!
For lo! the days are hastening on
By prophet bards foretold,
When with the ever circling years
Comes round the age of gold;
When Peace shall over all the earth
Its ancient splendors fling,
And the whole world give back the song
Which now the angels sing.
@bbjumpin
Beautiful song made me cry
@erikbarr5666
R.i.p to pne of the greatest performers. Gone but still teaching
@hydro4767
My mom always has this song playing in xmas and i love it now
@frederikluntungan1531
Enjoy....his music is relaxing..his voice unique
@bradrehl6843
What is x-mas?
@hydro4767
@@bradrehl6843 christmas
@The1WhoDraws-ul3vo
@@bradrehl6843Christmas but they took out Christ
@ckfandor4300
My father is the Frank Sinatra version of the Philippines 🇵🇭. It's always been good to hear this song. I will see him in Heaven and sing this song with angels 😇 above. Someday it is a glorious day to see most of all the Creator His Majesty Jesus Christ who died for my sins.
@The1WhoDraws-ul3vo
🙏🏻 God will take us soon to forever be joyful and he will reunite us with lost loved ones ❤️ ❤️
@brwi1
Uncle Buddy?!