Mary's Boy Child

"Mary's Boy Child" is a 1956 Christmas song, written by Jester Hairston. With its religious content, it is also widely performed as a Christmas carol.

It was first recorded by Harry Belafonte in 1956, for his album An Evening with Belafonte. An edited version was subsequently released as a single, reaching #1 on the UK charts in 1957. In 1962 the full-length version was added to a reissue of Belafonte's previously released album To Wish You a Merry Christmas. The song was also recorded by Mahalia Jackson in 1956 but titled as "Mary's Little Boy Child".

Lyrics

Long time ago in Bethlehem

So the Holy Bible say

Mary's Boy Child, Jesus Christ

Was born on Christmas Day!

While shepherds watched their flocks by night

They saw a bright new shining star

And heard a choir from heaven sing

The music came from afar

Hark! Now hear the angels sing:

"New King's born today

And man will live for evermore

Because of Christmas Day!"

Now Joseph and his wife Mary

Came to Bethlehem that night.

They found no place to bear her Child,

Not a single room was in sight.

By and by they found a little nook

In a stable all forlorn.

And in a manger cold and dark

Mary's little Boy/Child was born

Trumpets sound and angels sing,

Listen to what they say!

That man will live forevermore

Because of Christmas Day!

Covers

One of the most famous covers of the song is from the disco-group Boney M. from 1978, "Mary's Boy Child – Oh My Lord." This version returned the song to the top of the UK charts.

It has been recorded twice by Andy Williams, once on his 1965 album Merry Christmas and again on his 1997 album We Need A Little Christmas. It has also been recorded by The Brothers Four, Charlotte Church, Greg MacDonald, Nat King Cole, The Lettermen (1966), The Merrymen, Jim Reeves (1963), Rolf Harris (1970), Kiri Te Kanawa (1984), Al Bano and Romina Power (1991), Sir Tom Jones (1993), John Denver, Harry Connick Jr, Tarja Turunen (as Marian Poika), Roger Whittaker, The Little River Band, The Three Degrees, The Pete King Chorale, Nina & Frederik, Carola, Jan Malmsjö (as Varje människa har ett ljus), Kikki Danielsson (as Det hände sig för länge sen), Stefan Borsch (as Det hände sig för länge sen), Tommy Körberg (as Himlens hemlighet), Vikingarna and Schytts (as Du är som en sommardag, where the Schytts version was at Svensktoppen for 10 weeks in 1979, where it peaked at #1), Bryn Terfel, Connie Talbot, Severe, and many others. It has also been included on the live concert DVD, A Carnegie Hall Christmas Concert, featuring Kathleen Battle, Frederica von Stade and Wynton Marsalis, with André Previn as musical director. The Wiggles recorded this song on their album "Santa's Rockin'". In 2007, Grammy-winning vocalist Juice Newton included a folk-rock version of the song on her "The Gift of Christmas" CD. Irish singer Daniel O'Donnell recorded the song for his festive album O Holy Night in 2010. In 2011, it was recorded by Joe McElderry for his third studio album, Classic Christmas.

Other uses

The words and music featured on a miniature sheet issued with the 1983 Christmas stamps of the Caribbean island of St Kitts while the adjacent island of Nevis issued a complementary sheet featuring the "Calypso Carol".

References

Preceded by "That'll Be the Day" by Buddy Holly and The Crickets	UK Singles Chart number one single (Harry Belafonte version) November 22, 1957	Succeeded by "Great Balls of Fire" by Jerry Lee Lewis
Preceded by "Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?" by Rod Stewart	UK Singles Chart number one single (Boney M version) 9 December 1978 - 30 December 1978	Succeeded by "Y.M.C.A." by Village People
Preceded by Wings Mull of Kintyre	UK Christmas Number One single "Mary's Boy Child – Oh My Lord" *Original Christmas Video! (Boney M. version) 1978	Succeeded by Pink Floyd Another Brick in the Wall (Part 2)