Christmas Carols and Songs ( Lyrics)

History of Christmas Carols and Songs ~~~ Here We Come A-Wassailing, a Christmas Carol Lyrics ~~~ Children's Christmas Carols and Songs ~~~ The Messiah, by Georg Frederich Handel ~~~ Stille Nacht, Heilige Nacht | Silent Night, by Joseph Mohr ~~~ Angels We Have Heard on High ~~~ Origins of Christmas Carols and Songs ~~~ Classic Christmas Songs and Carols ~~~ Over the River and Through the Woods, a Christmas Song Lyrics ~~~ Magic Christmas Specials ~~~ A Christmas Carol ~~~ Read Dickens' A Christmas Carol ~~~ It's A Wonderful Life Christmas Movie Musical ~~~ Jingle Bells, a Christmas Carol Lyrics ~~~ Bing Crosby's White Christmas, Song and Movie ~~~ Christmas Carols and Songs Extended Collection ~~~
Christmas Carols and Songs Guestbook

Where do Christmas carols and songs lyrics and music come from?

Well, there's a legend that pretends that the very first Christmas chant has been sang at the time of baby Jesus' birth. How did this type of music managed to survive through 20 centuries?

It seems that Saint Francis of Assisi influenced authors and composers in developing Christmas carols and songs in a vernacular language and that this is this influence that increased the number of new creations.

Although born in the Italian territories, Christmas songs arrived in England where they were associated with dances and, therefore, have become famous as "Christmas carols". As a matter of fact, these songs were sung by itinerant artists who certainly mimed dance steps, while going from house to house begging for a bow of wassail (these groups were known as wassailers).

Traditions evolved and Christmas songs and carols were also sung to raise charity funds and receive gifts.

Why are Christmas carols and songs so popular?

Johannes Gutenberg conceived the mechanical printing press and this allowed things to be copied in large quantities in a very short amount of time. Because in early centuries, the Christian world was ruled by religion, copies of Christmas carols and songs lyrics and music were widely published and, thus became quite popular among Christian populations. One country didn't take part to the huge propagation of Christmas carols: England banned such arts from 1649 to 1660.

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Here We Come A-Wassailing,
an old costom related Christmas Carol Lyrics

Here we come a wassailing
Among the leaves so green,
Here we come a wandering
So fair to be seen.

Chorus
Love and joy come to you,
And to you your wassail too,
And God bless you and send you a happy New Year.
And God send you a happy New Year.

Our wassail cup is made
Of the rosemary tree,
And so is your beer
Of the best barley.

Chorus

We are not daily beggars
That beg from door to door,
But we are neighbours' children
Whom you have seen before.

Chorus

Good Master and good Mistress,
As you sit by the fire,
Pray think of us poor children
Are wandering in the mire.

Chorus

We have a little purse
Made of ratching leather skin;
We want some of your small change
To line it well within.

Chorus

Call up the Butler of this house,
Put on his golden ring;
Let him bring us a glass of beer,
And the better we shall sing.

Chorus

Bring us out a table,
And spread it with a cloth;
Bring us out a mouldy cheese,
And some of your Christmas loaf.

Chorus

God bless the Master of this house,
Likewise the Mistress too;
And all the little children
That round the table go.

Chorus

Did you know that most of the most popular Christmas carols and songs have been composed between the mid-1700s and the early 1800s? Incredibly, these marvelous Christmas songs and music are still extremely enjoyed nowadays.

For example, there was a fundraiser in Ireland in 1742 and Goerg Frederich Handel performed the famous "Messiah" carol in the occasion. This carol was, in reality, an oratorio and composed for Easter time. However, over the decades, it had become an habit to play the Messiah on Christmas time and it has, since then, become of the 10 favorite Christmas musics among Christians.

Although it's certainly easier to create a Christmas song or carol in the 21st century, I'm not sure that those modern holiday musics would still be as trendy as our cherished classic Christmas songs and carols.

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Another most popular Christmas carol is "Silent Night"; which has been written in the early 1800 by Joseph Mohr, an Austrian priest. Silent Night was originally published as "Stille Nacht, Heilige Nacht".

There is a lovely story behind the birth of Silent Night Christmas song. In reality, one day the organ of Mohr's church had broken and priest Mohr wrote the lyrics of a song which he could play the guitar instead of church organ. This is how he gave birth to one of the most beautiful Christmas songs. The music was composed by Franz Gruber.

One of the most successful ways to cheer up the Christmas atmosphere is to gather family and friends and sing those marvelous carols and songs all together. Which newer Christmas music could make the holiday season as wonderful as songs like Silent Night?

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Christmas songs and carols lyrics along with music are known for cheering up the Christmas ambiance and most of us don't just enjoy listening to them but also more often than not, know Christmas carol lyrics very well and sing along with these songs. Many Christmas carols were, in reality, given another meaning than the one we know. Indeed, most of them were poems turned into songs later on.

"O little town of Bethlehem, how still we see thee lie!
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep the silent stars go by.
Yet in thy dark streets shineth the everlasting Light;
The hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight."

Oh Little Town Of Bethlehem
This beautiful Christmas carol lyrics were written by Phillip Brooks, as a poem; however, it has been turned into a Christmas carol in 1868 and is still considered as one of the most popular of them nowadays.

"Away in a manger, no crib for His bed,
The little Lord Jesus laid down His sweet head;
The stars in the sky looked down where He lay,
The little Lord Jesus, asleep in the hay."

Away In A Manger
W.J. Kilpatrick is the author of this nice Christmas carol lyrics and music and it was meant to be performed by children at Sunday school class. Nowadays this songs is still one of the children's favorite songs for Christmas.

"Hark! the Herald Angels sing,
Glory to the new-born King,
Peace on earth and mercy mild,
God and sinner reconcil'd."

Hark The Herald Angels Sing
A Christmas carol written by Charles Wesley in 1739, inspired and adapted from Mendelsohn's tune. This Christmas carol lyrics were written by W.H. Cummings later on.

"O come, all ye faithful, Joyful and triumphant,
O Come ye, O come ye, to Bethlehem.
Come and behold Him, Born the King of angels"

O Come All Ye Faithful
Although it has been translated into English in the middle of the 18th century, O Come All Ye Faithful is actually a Latin song known as "Adeste Fideles". It has since then become one of the most popular Christmas carols.

"The First Noel, the Angels did say
Was to certain poor shepherds in fields as they lay
In fields where they lay keeping their sheep
On a cold winter's night that was so deep.
Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel
Born is the King of Israel!"

The First Noel
First published in the 1830s, The First Noel, also known as The First Nowell, was originally a Cornish carol which has also become one of the 10 favorite Christmas carols among Christians.

"On the first day of Christmas my true-love sent to me
A partridge in a pear-tree."

The 12 days of Christmas
This lovely Christmas carol was, in reality, developed in England and meant to teach children the true meaning of Christmas. Because of its huge popularity, the goal of their authors are quite successful.

The First Noel - source: American version quoted from The First Nowell - Wikipedia

Over the River and Through the Woods,
a Christmas Song Lyrics

Over the river and through the woods
To Grandmother's house we go.
The horse knows the way to carry the sleigh
Through white and drifted snow.

Over the river and through the woods,
Oh, how the wind does blow.
It stings the toes and bites the nose
As over the ground we go.

Over the river and through the woods
To have a full day of play.
Oh, hear the bells ringing ting-a-ling-ling,
For it is Christmas Day.

Over the river and through the woods,
Trot fast my dapple gray;
Spring o'er the ground just like a hound,
For this is Christmas Day.

Over the river and through the woods
And straight through the barnyard gate.
It seems that we go so dreadfully slow;
It is so hard to wait.

Over the river and through the woods,
Now Grandma's cap I spy.
Hurrah for fun; the pudding's done;
Hurrah for the pumpkin pie.

Stars of holiday season movies, radio and TV shows, Christmas carols and songs (lyrics as well as music) come right from the past. Indeed, in the earlier centuries, those events known today as Christmas specials, were performed by itinerant artists, often known as wassailers as they performed sceneries and Christmas carols in exchange of a bowl of wassail, a Christmas beverage.

In the beginning of the 20th century, things changed and, although we still find Christmas carolers in our streets, radio took over the holiday season and produced programs in which we could listen to Christmas carols and songs.

Then, Hollywood and the cinema industry took over those splendid creations and turned Christmas carols and songs lyrics and music into movie musicals that we still enjoy nowadays and that they mostly produce new versions from one year to another.

Later on, television jumped on the Christmas wagon and started the production of those really popular Christmas specials where we listen to Christmas carols and songs while we see actors performing Christmas sceneries. Television produces a myriad of those Christmas shows and we all enjoy them each and every year.

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Photo: A Christmas Carol

The most popular Christmas TV special ever is certainly the non less famous "A Christmas Carol" inspired by Charles Dickens' novel and adapted for the cinema as well as for the television. A Christmas Carol has become a classic movie families watch at the end of the year as well as a TV show which is programed each and every year on TV, for our greatest pleasure.

Everyone knows the stingy Ebenezer Scrooge, a selfish and horrible wealthy man who would become one fo the most generous gentleman.

Christmas carols such as "Hark the Herald Angels Sing", "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" and "Silent Night" are prominantly featured in A Christmas Carol different adaptations and those songs are sung by many young boys expecting some kind of reward for their performance. The expected beverage being a bowl of wassail, a hot spicy and alcoholic drink, along with some cakes.

Photo: It's A Wonderful Life (Two-Disc Collector's Set) (B/W & Color)

Among the most popular Christmas songs ever, we find all songs from the classic holiday season movie "It's a Wonderful Life", a Christmas movie musical performed by James Stewart and Henry Travers.

It's a Wonderful Life is a musical movie for Christmas that tells the story of George Bailey, performed by James Stewart. George Bailey is a man who's frustrated with his life and tries to kill himself. While he's attempting to his own life, Clarence Odbody, an angel (performed by Henry Travers) who has been sent on Earth to show Mr Bailey the good things he has done in his life and how things would have been for his loved ones if he had not been there. In the end, Mr Bailey agrees to live and asks the angel to save his life.

The movie ends with the entire Bailey family singing "Joy to the World" around the Christmas tree. Although there has been a remake of the It's a Wonderful Life movie, the 1946 version is still the most watched by families in the world and certainly one of the greatest Christmas movie musicals ever!

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Jingle Bells,
(the most popular Christmas Carol Lyrics)

Dashing through the snow
In a one-horse open sleigh
O're the fields we go
Laughing all the way.
Bells on bob-tail ring
Making spirits bright
What joy it is to ride and sing
A sleighing song tonight.

Chorus
Jingle bells, jingle bells
Jingle all the way,
Oh what fun it is to ride
In a one-horse open sleigh, O
Jingle bells, jingle bells
Jingle all the way,
Oh what fun it is to ride
In a one-horse open sleigh.

A day or two ago
I thought I'd take a ride
And soon Miss Fanny Bright
Was seated by my side;
The horse was lean and lank
Misfortune seemed his lot,
We ran into a drifted bank
And there we got upsot.

Chorus

A day or two ago
The story I must tell
I went out on the snow
And on my back I fell;
A gent was riding by
In a one-horse open sleigh
He laughed at me as I there sprawling laid
But quickly drove away.

Chorus

Now the ground is white,
Go it while you're young,
Take the girls along
And sing this sleighing song.
Just bet a bob-tailed bay,
Two-forty as his speed,
Hitch him to an open sleigh
and crack! You'll take the lead.

Chorus

Photo: White Christmas (Two-Disc Holiday Edition)

Another really famous Christmas movie is "White Christmas" performed by the one and only Bing Crosby (my grandmother's favorite actor) and built around the worldwide loved song "White Christmas" (composed by Irving Berlin); which is the focal point of the movie, although already included in another movie "Holiday Inn".

But Bing Crosby didn't stop after the movie, he also held a yearly "Christmas Special" to which a huge number of Hollywood movie stars were invited. The show allowed us to admire Fred Astaire, Mary Martin, Andre Preving and many others performing a Christmas song such as "White World of Winter", "Jingle Bells", "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer", and many more. The stars would sing alone or in a duet with Bing Crosby.

Bing Crosby's last Christmas Special was a blast with David Bowie singing with Crosby a marvelous of the well known Christmas carol "The Little Drummer Boy (Peace on Earth)".

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