O Little Town of Bethlehem / Come, Come, Come to the Manger / The First Noël / O Come All Ye Faithful / We Three Kings of Orient Are / Silent Night - Perry Como

This is Perry Como.

.

And I’d like to tell you the most wonderful, the most beautiful

The most exciting story in the whole world

The Story of the First Christmas!

Now suppose you make believe this is many, many years ago

A long time before you were born!

You’re standing on a hillside, near a little town in Palestine

Do you see the man in the distance, walking slowly, leading a donkey?

His name is Joseph!

Someone is sitting on the back of the donkey

And her name is Mary!

They’ve come a long, long way

And they’re heading for a little town near the hillside

On which we’re standing!

Something very special will happen in this little town tonight!

For this is the little town of Bethlehem!

Oh 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!

Let’s follow Joseph and Mary into the town of Bethlehem

It’s getting dark and all of the rooms at the Inn are taken

But the kindly Innkeeper tells them

They could spend the night at a stable nearby!

Now I told you something was gonna happen, and it did!

A baby boy is born to Mary and Joseph

Whom they call Jesus!

They have no baby’s crib, so Mary puts little Jesus to sleep

In the soft sweet hay of a manger!

Come, come, come to the manger

Children sing and asleep on the hay

Sing, sing, chorus of Angels

Little Lord Jesus is born on this day!

Jesus is asleep in the manger

So let’s tiptoe out to the hillside near Bethlehem

Where the Shepherds are tending their flock

All at once the Shepherds are frightened

You’d be frightened too

Because a great light suddenly shines in the sky!

Even the animals are hushed and still

But then you hear the voice of an Angel of the Lord!

And you’re no longer frightened

For the Angel brings good news

News of a Saviour born this day

News of Christ the Lord!

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!

Well, we’re still with the Shepherds

On the hillside near Bethlehem

We hear the Shepherds ask the Angel

Where to find the Christ-child?

And the Angel tells them to go to the manger

And as they leave the sky is filled with other Angels singing

Glory to God!

And on Earth Peace, Goodwill, to Men!

The Shepherds hurry to the manger

Fall on their knees before the baby

And they worship him!

For He is Christ the Lord!

Oh!

Come all ye faithful

Joyful and triumphant!

Oh Come ye, Oh Come ye, to Bethlehem!

Come and behold Him

Born the King of Angels

Oh!

Come let us adore Him

Oh!

Come let us adore Him

Oh!

Come let us adore Him

Christ the Lord!

And now, look up into the sky!

Do you see that bright star twinkling in the heavens?

Far away, three men are looking at that star just as we are!

They’re riding on camels

And they’re using the star as a guide to lead them to the Christ-child

Who are these three men who follow the star?

We Three Kings of Orient are

Bearing gifts, we traverse afar

Field and fountain, moor and mountain

Following yonder star!

Yes, the three men on the camels are the three wise men

The new star guides them straight to Bethlehem

To a little baby lying in a manger!

There the three wise men present gifts to the Christ-child

The first Christmas gifts ever given to anyone

A gift of gold, of frankincense, and of Mir!

And they too fall on their knees to worship Him

And now, a great peace settles on the night

For it is the Holy Night!

Silent night, holy night

All is calm, all is bright

'Round yon virgin mother and child

Holy infant so tender and mild!

Sleep in heavenly peace

Sleep in heavenly peace!

This is why when we celebrate Christmas

We think of Bethlehem

We think of the Virgin Mary

We think of the three wise men

And the birth of the Christ-child!

The First Christmas!

Oh!

Come let us adore Him

Christ the Lord!

Adapted by John A. Richards with Musical Arrangement by Mitchell Ayres

Recorded by Perry Como and the Ray Charles Singers

With Mitchell Ayres and His Orchestra on July 13, 1959

At Webster Hall, New York City, for RCA Victor

Recording Engineer: Bob Simpson