☝️ Key Points
- The song is a traditional English Christmas carol that highlights the birth of Jesus Christ and the message of comfort and joy.
- The first verse reminds listeners that the birth of Christ is a reason to rejoice and that Jesus was born to save people from the influence of the devil.
- The second verse describes the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem.
- The third verse tells the story of the announcement of Jesus' birth by an angel to the shepherds.
- The recurring refrain emphasizes the central theme of the song - that the birth of Jesus is a message of comfort and joy.
Interpretation
The lyrics of 'God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen' by
Bing Crosby are a traditional English Christmas carol. It tells the story of the birth of Jesus Christ as reported in the Bible and emphasizes the message of comfort and joy that this birth represents for the world.
The first verse 'God rest you merry, gentlemen, Let nothing you dismay, Remember Christ our Savior, Was born on Christmas Day, To save us all from Satan's power, When we were gone astray' reminds listeners that the birth of Christ is a reason for joy, not worry. It also emphasizes that Jesus was born to save people from the influence of the devil.
In the second verse 'In Bethlehem in Jewry, This blessed Babe was born, And laid within a manger, Upon this blessed morn, The which His Mother Mary, Did nothing take in scorn' describes the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem.
The third verse 'From God our Heavenly Father, A blessed angel came, And unto certain shepherds, Brought tidings of the same, How that in Bethlehem was born, The Son of God by name' tells of the announcement of Jesus' birth by an angel to the shepherds.
The recurring refrain 'Oh, tidings of comfort and joy, Comfort and joy, Oh, tidings of comfort and joy' emphasizes the central theme of the song - that the birth of Jesus is a message of comfort and joy.