Christmas Archives - A Music Mom

Do You Know the Stories Behind These Christmas Carols?

Do you ever wonder about the stories behind our favorite Christmas carols or where they come from? What their backstories are? Or, who wrote them and why? Read on to learn about three favorite Christmas carols and why they were written.

“The Little Drummer Boy”

The Writer of the Lyrics

The woman who wrote “The Little Drummer Boy” was well-known for her songwriting abilities long before composing this Christmas carol. Twenty years earlier, Katherine David wrote the words for one of my favorite Thanksgiving hymns, “Let All Things Now Living,” set to the traditional Welsh tune, “Ash Grove.”

Katherine Davis wrote her first song when she was 15 years old. She continued to study music through her college years. Later, she then taught music for several years. Many of her musical compositions were written for choirs in the schools where she taught.

The Story behind the Christmas Carol

Although the history of “The Little Drummer Boy,” also known as “Carol of the Drums,” claims that the song came from an old Czech Christmas carol, in reality, however, there is very little evidence to support that claim. Katherine Davis wrote “The Little Drummer Boy” in 1941. The text tells the story of a poor young boy who wanted to visit the baby Jesus but had no gift to bring to honor the newborn King. Instead, in place of bringing a tangible gift, the young child offered the Christ-child the gift of his time and talents.

With the baby’s mother’s permission, the little drummer boy played his drum for the newborn King – and he played to the very best of his ability. So, this should be a lesson for all of us. Even though we may not have much to offer to God or others, when we freely and cheerfully offer our time and talents, we can be a great blessing to those around us.

This Christmas carol was first recorded by the Von Trapp Family singers in 1955, shortly before they retired. Since then, the song has been recorded hundreds of times, demonstrating its lasting popularity.

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Lyrics

Come they told me
Pa rum pum pum pum

A new born king to see
Pa rum pum pum pum

Our finest gifts we bring
Pa rum pum pum pum

To lay before the king
Pa rum pum pum pum,
Rum pum pum pum,
Rum pum pum pum

So to honor him
Pa rum pum pum pum
When we come

Little baby
Pa rum pum pum pum
I am a poor boy too
Pa rum pum pum pum

I have no gift to bring
Pa rum pum pum pum
That’s fit to give our king
Pa rum pum pum pum,
Rum pum pum pum,
Rum pum pum pum

Shall I play for you
Pa rum pum pum pum
Mary nodded
Pa rum pum pum pum
The ox and lamb kept time
Pa rum pum pum pum

I played my drum for him
Pa rum pum pum pum
I played my best for him
Pa rum pum pum pum,
Rum pum pum pum,
Rum pum pum pum

Then he smiled at me
Pa rum pum pum pum
Me and my drum

Come they told me
Pa rum pum pum pum
A new born king to see
Pa rum pum pum pum

Me and my drum
Me and my drum
Me and my drum
Me and my drum
Rum pum pum pum

“Once in Royal David’s City”

In 1919 the organist at King’s College in Cambridge introduced a new processional hymn for the special Christmas service of Lessons and Carols. This new processional, “Once in Royal David’s City,” has been used as the processional for this service every year since then.

Although this Christmas carol may not be the most well-known carol, it is definitely a beautiful Christmas hymn, reminding us once again of the Christmas story and the Savior born in Bethlehem. So, let’s take a look at the story behind this Christmas carol.

The Writer of the Carol

Cecil Frances Alexander, who lived during the 1800s, wrote the words to this Christmas carol. She began writing poetry at a young age; several of the poems she wrote became hymns published in the Church of Ireland’s hymnbook. In addition to “Once in Royal David’s City,” another hymn credited to Mrs. Alexander is “All Things Bright and Beautiful.”

Lyrics for Teaching Truth

Several of the hymns Mrs. Alexander wrote were intended to help children learn and remember The Apostle’s Creed’s catechism and teachings. She was concerned by the shallow teachings in many of the children’s songs and, subsequently, desired to teach truth and doctrine through music. This particular Christmas carol, “Once in Royal David’s City,” was first published in 1848.

Even though the words for “Once in Royal David’s City” emphasize the lowly and humble birth of the Christ, they also remind us that this Christ would become the Savior of the world. The text helps us realize that Christ understands our sufferings and struggles because of his humble origins and life.

A Great Melody Is Added

By 1868 this Christmas carol was paired with the melody most commonly heard today. This melody, called IRBY, was written by Henry John Gauntlett, an Englishman trained in law and music. Although Gauntlett wrote over 10,000 hymn tunes, the melody paired with “Once in Royal David’s City” is the one for which he is remembered.

Listen Here (This recording is very quiet at the beginning. Don’t give up on it, though, just be patient.)

Lyrics

Once in Royal David’s city
Stood a lowly cattle shed,
Where a mother laid her Baby
In a manger for His bed:
Mary was that mother mild,
Jesus Christ her little Child.

He came down to earth from heaven,
Who is God and Lord of all,
And His shelter was a stable,
And His cradle was a stall;
With the poor, and mean, and lowly,
Lived on earth our Saviour holy.

And through all His wondrous childhood
He would honour and obey,
Love and watch the lowly maiden,
In whose gentle arms He lay:
Christian children all must be
Mild, obedient, good as He.

For he is our childhood’s pattern;
Day by day, like us He grew;
He was little, weak and helpless,
Tears and smiles like us He knew;
And He feeleth for our sadness,
And He shareth in our gladness.

And our eyes at last shall see Him,
Through His own redeeming love;
For that Child so dear and gentle
Is our Lord in heaven above,
And He leads His children on
To the place where He is gone.

Not in that poor lowly stable,
With the oxen standing by,
We shall see Him; but in heaven,
Set at God’s right hand on high;
Where like stars His children crowned
All in white shall wait around.

“O Come All Ye Faithful”

Latin Language a Hidden Spy Code?

Could this Christmas carol have really been a spy’s secret coded message? Rumors exist to that effect, but they are probably not true. A Roman Catholic originally wrote the carol during the Jacobite rebellion in 1745. In case you need to brush up on your European/British history, the Jacobite rebellion was a failed attempt by Charles Edward Stuart to retake control of Scotland. The story behind this Christmas carol is a bit less dramatic.

“O Come All Ye Faithful” was originally written in Latin, thus leading to the rumors of secret codes. You may be familiar with its Latin name – “Adeste Fidelis.” John Francis Wade, a refugee from that Jacobite Rebellion, wrote the song, probably in 1743. Wade was either French or British; his history is a bit vague, so we don’t know for sure.

The lyrics of the carol tell the story of the birth of Christ and also encourage us to come and rejoice with the angels over the Christ child and his birth in Bethlehem. The song invites us to not only be joyful but also to worship and adore the newborn King.

Translation and Revision

Several years later, Frederick Oakley and William Brooke translated the Christmas carol into English. The melody and lyrics are credited to the original composer, John Francis Wade, with the translation and modifications by Oakley and Brooke.

Although this carol, “O Come All Ye Faithful,” is sung worldwide, it was once known as the “Portuguese Hymn.” Why was that? What did this song have to do with Portugal? Since the carol was regularly sung in the Chapel of the Portuguese Embassy in London, it acquired the nickname of “Portuguese Hymn.”

This Christmas carol is one of the most widely recognized and popular of all our Christmas carols. Over time, even though some of the words have changed and stanzas have been added or eliminated, the joyful and celebratory spirit of the song has remained the same.

Lyrics

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, let us adore Him
O come, let us adore Him
O come, let us adore Him
Christ the Lord!

God of God, Light of Light
Lo, He abhors not the Virgin’s womb
Very God
Begotten, not created
O come, let us adore Him
O come, let us adore Him
O come, let us adore Him
Christ the Lord!

Sing, choirs of angels, sing in exultation
Sing, all ye citizens of heaven above!
Glory to God
All glory in the highest
O come, let us adore Him
O come, let us adore Him
O come, let us adore Him
Christ the Lord!

Yea, Lord, we greet Thee, born this happy morning
Jesus, to Thee be glory given
Word of the Father
Now in flesh appearing
O come, let us adore Him
O come, let us adore Him
O come, let us adore Him
Christ the Lord!

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Often, we find that the stories behind the Christmas carols are quite interesting. Learning these stories can give us a better understanding of their meanings and intents. So, what is your favorite Christmas Carol? Let me know in the comments!

Interested in more Christmas carol history? Check out the following posts:

Christmas Carols

More Christmas Carols

More Christmas Carols, More Questions

Let’s take a look at some more Christmas carols. These are all familiar carols, and quite old. But how old? And some contain some odd references. What do ships have to do with Christmas? And what, really, is “figgy pudding?” Read on!

We Three Kings

Have you ever been to a Sunday School Christmas program? Some are well-done, some are cute, and sometimes there is one that no one wants to remember! How about a college Christmas performance? Hopefully it is a better performance than the one local church grade school kids presented. In either case, I don’t think much original material is used. And even if there was an original song presented, I doubt it would become a sensation, be used for over 150 years, and be known around the world. That is the story of this Christmas carol.

John Henry Hopkins, Jr. wrote “We Three Kings” for a Christmas pageant in 1857, probably in New York City. This was really the first Christmas carol written in America that gained such widespread popularity. (It was written before “O Little Town of Bethlehem” and “Away in a Manger.”) Another unusual fact about this carol is that Hopkins wrote both the words and the music for the song.

“We Three Kings” is based on the account in Matthew 2:1-12 about the wise men following the star and coming to see Jesus. The biblical account does not say how many wise men there were, but because it lists three gifts,people have assumed there were three wise men. The first verse of the carol introduces us to the fact of the wise men, their journey, and the star they were following. Each of the next three verses focuses on the three gifts: gold, frankincense,and myrrh. Each of the gifts signifies some aspect of Christ’s life and purpose on earth: Jesus as king, Jesus as God, and Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. The final verse uses the resurrection to summarize each of the previous verses, “Glorious now behold Him arise,
KING, and GOD, and SACRIFICE.”

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I Saw Three Ships

Surely you have heard this Christmas carol. It is a lively, upbeat, joyous song. But what on earth does it mean? “I saw three ships come sailing in … on Christmas Day in the morning.” Ships? Sailing in to where?What do ships have to do with Christmas? Guess what – No one knows! It certainly does not refer to actual ships coming to Bethlehem – Bethlehem is landlocked. No seas there! People have debated these questions for years. They came up with several theories. Here are a few:

Ships refer to camels – “ships of the desert”
Joseph of Arimathea was a ship owner and made his money in the tin trade between Cornwall, England, and Phoenicia. Legend says that on one of his trips the Christ Child and Mary, his mother, with him to Cornwall as passengers.
Joseph of Arimathea brought Mary the mother of Jesus, Mary Magdalene, and Mary, the sister of Martha, with him by ship to the south of France. They were carrying a chalice that caught the blood of Christ shed as he hung on the cross.
The ships refer to ships that carried the relics of the three wise men (the Biblical Magi) to the Cologne Cathedral in Germany in the 12^thcentury.
Another theory is that the song relates in some way to King Wenceslas because his coat of arms displayed “Azure three galleys argent.”
Some even say the ships refer to Columbus’ voyage and his three ships.
Or perhaps they are references to the Trinity, or the three Wise Men, or even “faith, hope, love.

The two most popular theories seem to be the ones referring to the “ships of the desert” and the relics of the Magi.

Whatever the interpretation, this song is a very old carol,probably dating back to the Middle Ages. Most likely this song was sung by wandering minstrels as they traveled through the English countryside. The lyrics were associated with the Cornwall and Glastonbury areas of England. This is in the far southwest area of England – associated with Celts and legends of King Arthur. The legends of Cornwall tell tales of Jesus Christ coming to Cornwall, of his love for the metal workers there. The legends also talk of Joseph of Arimathea being in the tin trade and making several voyages there to Cornwall.

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Hark the Herald Angels Sing

First, let’s clear up a couple terms. “Hark” means to listen, to hear. “Herald Angels” are angels making an announcement or proclamation.Think Medieval Times, castles, herald trumpets announcing the arrival of someone important. Originally the first line contained another word – “welkin.” That word meant the realm of heavenly creatures. We can be thankful that word was changed.

This is another old Christmas carol, written in the first half of the 1700’s. Charles Wesley, an English Methodist leader wrote the words to this song. Over his lifetime he wrote over 6,000 hymns, all with the purpose of teaching poor and illiterate people sound Biblical doctrine. And, like his other hymns, “Hark the Herald Angels Sing” contains much doctrine. You could call it “theology in song.”

The song begins with the announcement of the angels to the shepherds concerning the birth of Christ. (Luke 2) It proclaims the reason for Christ’s coming to earth – reconciliation. The second verse refers to the deity of Christ – the everlasting Lord, incarnate Deity, our Emmanuel. The third verse continues to explain the purpose of Christ’s coming – to give life, light,healing, redemption, the second birth. Charles Wesley certainly did a thorough job of telling the reason for Christmas!

Wesley wished for a somber and serious melody to accompany the words to his song. But the melody we associate with Wesley’s words is far from that! About 100 years after Wesley wrote the words, Felix Mendelssohn composed a cantata celebrating the 400^th anniversary of the invention of the movable type printing press (Gutenberg). William Cummings, an English musician and singer, took a chorus from Mendelssohn’s cantata and paired it with Charles Wesley’s words, giving us “Hark the Herald Angels Sing” as we know it today. The pairing of Wesley’s words with Mendelssohn’s words made this a festive and popular carol.

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We Wish You a Merry Christmas

Let’s start with another question – what is a figgy pudding?Is it anything you would want to eat today? Evidently, figgy pudding = plum pudding = Christmas pudding = staple of very British Christmas meal. And while they originally may have contained figs, most Christmas puddings do not. Nor do they contain plums. “Plum” was a Victorian-era word that referred to dried fruits in general, and especially raisins. And “pudding” was not a custard-type dessert. It refers to any dessert. Christmas pudding is a heavy, dense, steamed cake full of dried fruits, brandy, spices, citrus peels. A genuine Christmas pudding must age for weeks, so it is usually made about five weeks before Christmas, steamed for hours, left to age, steamed again, doused in brandy, and set on fire.

Now, back to the song. No one knows who wrote the song or the music, but it seems to date back to England during the Middle Ages. The song refers to carolers going from house to house, singing and requesting treats from each house. Some referred to these carolers as “waits” because they would sing and then “wait” around for some reward for their efforts.

Another question about this carol concerns the greeting “a happy new year.” I did a bit of research into when January first became the first day of the year. And there is even debate about that – it depends on where you were at the time. In 45 B.C. Julius Caesar redid the calendar and made January 1 the beginning of the New Year. But that fell out of practice during the Middle Ages.

In 1582 Pope Gregory XIII set up a new calendar (again) with the first of the year being January 1. But England and its colonies did not adopt that new calendar until 1752. Was the phrase in this carol, “We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year” part of the original song? Or was it added later? Again, no one really knows. So, just enjoy the song and its wishes, and have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

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Did you miss our discussions of other Christmas carols? Read them here:

Christmas Carols – Questions and Controversy

Christmas Carols – the Stories You May Not Know

Christmas Music – the Stories behind the Music

Christmas Carols – The Stories You May Not Know

Do you know where your favorite Christmas music comes from? Or why they were written? Read on, and learn the story behind these Christmas carols.

What Child Is This?

William Chatterton Dix, a manager at an English insurance company, fell quite ill. As he recovered from his illness, he had a personal spiritual revival. As a result, he wrote several spiritual poems. One of them, written in 1865, recounted the Christmas story. He titled this poem “The Manger Throne.” Later, parts of this poem were set to music and became the Christmas carol we know today as “What Child Is This?”

The carol begins with a question – “What Child is this?” Dix then included several references to the Christmas account given in Luke 2, especially angels and shepherds. Then he answers the first question with the glorious refrain that this baby is Christ, the King! The last verse refers to the gifts of the wise men and calls on all of us to come and worship this newborn king. It is interesting that he includes all social statuses in his invitation – from peasants to kings.

The melody used for this traditional Christmas hymn, “Greensleeves,” dates as far back as at least the 1500’s. It was a popular song during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, and William Shakespeare even referred to the melody by name in one of his plays. No one knows for sure who combined the “Greensleeves” melody with the words for this carol. Some believe that John Stainer, who first published the carol in 1871, was likely the one to match the words to the melody.

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Ding Dong Merrily on High

“Ding Dong Merrily on High” is a lively, joyful, and fun Christmas carol. It is another Christmas carol that combines an ancient melody with new lyrics. The words don’t really tell the Christmas story. Instead, they seem to tell us to be joyful because of the Christmas story. The first verse refers to the angels singing, and, just like the angels, we should be joyful also. The refrain, “Gloria, in excelsis Deo,” is in Latin. It means “Glory to God in the highest,” the very words the angels proclaimed to the shepherds when they announced the birth of Christ.

The melody for the song first appeared in a French dance book in 1588. It had nothing to do with Christmas! The original name of the tune, translated to English, comes out as “The Servants’ Hall Brawl.” Seems like it was a rather lively and raucous dance.

In the early 1900’s an English Anglican priest named George Ratcliffe Woodward wrote the words we associate with the melody. Woodward had a keen interest in collecting ancient songs and carols. He also spent much time writing music arrangements for the Anglican church. In 1924 he worked with a man named Charles Wood and the two of them published a book of songs for holidays, Cambridge Carol Book: Being Fifty-two Songs for Christmas, Easter and Other Seasons. Included in this book was the song “Ding Dong Merrily on High.”

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God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen

Another very old Christmas carol, “God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen” is a carol with a bit of controversy – what exactly does that title mean? And where does the comma belong? If the comma moves before the word “merry,” then what we get is a warning for some over-indulgent revelers to take it easy. Not really the intent of the song! What the title, and the first line of the song, indicates, instead, is a blessing or a greeting for others. May God keep you joyful, gentlemen. In fact, the phrase “God rest you merry” was a common greeting or expression at parting among friends 500 years ago. (A great example of why punctuation matters!)

Many believe that this carol, although not printed until the 1700’s, originated sometime in the 1500’s. In London, in the 1800’s, this carol was the most popular of Christmas carols. This was also the Christmas carol that Charles Dickens used in his story, “The Christmas Carol.” Some feel that this carol probably originated in London.

Both the author of the words and the composer of the music are unknown, although the melody seems to have originated in Cornwall. The carol was first published by William Sandys in 1833. His book, Christmas Carols Ancient and Modern, brought about a revival of both the Christmas celebration and the singing of carols. Evidently, Queen Victoria was a great supporter of singing Christmas carols.

As is the case with many old texts, the words have been revised slightly over time. The words published in Sandys’ book had seven stanzas, another early version had eight stanzas. Most versions today have just four stanzas. And though the words of the carol may not be quite theologically correct, the sentiment expressed is a true one. As the angels, shepherds, and wise men each were joyful and amazed at the birth of the Christ child, we too should find joy in the birth of Christ and the hope that brings to a weary and sinful world.

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We Need a Little Christmas

Are you familiar with the musical “Mame?” Neither was I. I had heard of it but had no idea what the story was about. The story takes place in the late 1920’s, during Prohibition and right before the stock market crash. The main character, Mame, was a prominent, wealthy socialite in New York City. During one of her wild infamous parties, Mame’s orphaned 10-year-old nephew arrives at her door. She decides to take him under her wing and teach him about the world. Unfortunately, her choices do not coincide with the boy’s late father’s will, so the child is sent off to a conservative private school.

When the stock market crashes Mame loses all her wealth. To ward off depression she declares that they need to have Christmas right now – even though it is barely past Thanksgiving. Decorate, celebrate, have a holiday right now – don’t wait for Christmas to get here. The song “We Need a Little Christmas” comes from this point in the musical. The musical was based on a book by Patrick Dennis, entitled Auntie Mame. The music and lyrics for the song were written by Jerry Herman. The musical opened in 1966.

The idea of the song “We Need a Little Christmas” is that as soon as we begin to celebrate Christmas, we will feel better. The sooner, the better! Some have said that the song marks the beginning of the “Christmas creep” – start Christmas decorating and celebrating earlier and earlier, until it begins before Thanksgiving. The song has nothing to do with the real meaning of Christmas; it is all about how the season makes us feel. It sees the celebration of Christmas more as an escape from the realities of life, a postponement of the undesirable things we must face.

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O Little Town of Bethlehem

Phillips Brooks was the minister of Holy Trinity Church in Philadelphia during the mid to late 1800’s. As Christmas neared one year, he wanted a new song for the children to sing for the Christmas Eve service. As he thought about what they should sing, he remembered his earlier trip to the Holy Land in 1865. His tour of the Holy Land included a horseback ride from Jerusalem to Bethlehem on Christmas Eve. He remembered thinking about the shepherds of the Biblical account as he rode through the hills near Jerusalem. Those remembrances inspired him to write the words to the carol “O Little Town of Bethlehem.”

The words of the carol began by painting a picture of Bethlehem – a small town, dark, quiet, stars shining in the night sky. The lyrics go on to tell of the birth of Christ – a light, shining in the darkness of this world. They go on to call on us to receive this newborn king as the Christ-child, the Messiah, our Lord Emmanuel.

After writing the poem, Brooks needed some music to go with his words. He turned to his church organist, Lewis Redner. Redner tried for several days to come up with a suitable melody for the words but was unsuccessful. Feeling discouraged, he went to bed the night before Christmas Eve. In his sleep he seemed to hear the perfect melody. He immediately woke up and wrote the melody on paper. As the children sang the song the next day they sounded like a choir of angels.

In the United States the melody that Redner wrote is the one most commonly used with the words to “O Little Town of Bethlehem.” Both the words and the melody were published together in in a hymnal for the first time in 1871. In England, however, the words are generally set to a different tune. Ralph Vaughan Williams paired the words with the British folk tune “Forest Green” for a hymnal published in 1906. This setting is the most used in Britain. Both melodies provide beautiful settings for the text.

Redner Version – Listen Here

“Forest Green” Version – Listen Here

Have you learned anything about Christmas carols? I hope so! What is your favorite carol? Let me know in the comments below.

Did you miss our last review of Christmas Carols? Check it out Here.