Do You Hear What I Hear

By Noel Regney and Gloria Shayne
Written in 1962 during the Cuban Missile Crisis

Said the night wind to the little lamb,
do you see what I see
Way up in the sky, little lamb,
do you see what I see
A star, a star, dancing in the night
With a tail as big as a kite
With a tail as big as a kite
Said the little lamb to the shepherd boy,
do you hear what I hear
Ringing through the sky, shepherd boy,
do you hear what I hear
A song, a song, high above the trees
With a voice as big as the sea
With a voice as big as the sea
Said the shepherd boy to the mighty king,
do you know what I know
In your palace warm, mighty king,
do you know what I know
A Child, a Child shivers in the cold
Let us bring Him silver and gold
Let us bring Him silver and gold
Said the king to the people everywhere,
listen to what I say
Pray for peace, people everywhere!
listen to what I say.
The Child, the Child, sleeping in the night
He will bring us goodness and light
He will bring us goodness and light
The History of Do You Hear What I Hear

Taken from:
http://www.answers.com/topic/do-you-hear-what-i-hear-vocal-classical-work

"Noel Regney (1922-2002) was a Frenchman trained as a classical composer who was drafted into the German army in World War II. He deserted and joined the French Resistance. After the war ended, Regney joined the French Overseas Radio Service and worked out of French Indochina until moving to Manhattan in 1952. He met Gloria Shayne while she was working as a pianist in a hotel dinning room and married her a month later. With Regney writing the music and Shayne the lyrics, the pair had a string of successful songs in late '50s and early '60s, including "Dominique" in 1963 by Soeur Sourire, the Singing Nun.

Regney and Shayne wrote "Do You Hear What I Hear" in 1962 during the Cuban Missile Crisis. Regney drew the image of Jesus as a newborn lamb from Matthew 2:9 and 2:11 and took his lyrics to his wife to set in the reverse of their usual practice. But while it is often taken for a Christmas carol, for Regney and Shayne "Do You Hear What I Hear" is a hymn to peace.

"I am amazed that people can think they know the song," Regney later said, "and not know it was a prayer for peace." Although the song has been recorded by Bing Crosby and Perry Como and over 120 others, Regney and Shayne's favorite recording was Robert Goulet's 1963 recording for its dramatic delivery and his climatic "Pray for peace, people everywhere." ~ All Music Guide"s

Darkness to Light

I lived in a world of darkness
Full of deception and decay
Always struggling to gone my way
Getting that next fix from the dealer up the street
Didn't care if the kids had
nothing to eat
When kill or be killed was all that l knew
Got taken from that by the men in blue
My home was a cell surrounded by bars
no view of the sunset no view of the stars
Living outside can be hard
no matter where you go
On the inside if your not in a gang
you will be someone's hoe
Surrounded by darkness with no where to go
That's when I learned that you loved me so
You came into my heart and created a light
Now I rejoice both day and night
I want the whole world to see
The light of Jesus that is with in me .
I'll let my light shine can't blow it out
Won't hide it. NO! their will be no doubt
I want the whole world to see
the difference Jesus made in me.
I want to share his awesome love
Sent as Gods son from above
He died on the cross for our sin one the third day he rose again.
All you have to do is let him in
Open your heart he will take away your sin
The darkness it will go away
The light of God will be in your heart to stay.
Heavenly father thank you for all I have been through
For it was that road that led me to you.


M.D.G.