Verses 1 & 2, were written by an anonymous author. Some sources show the author as Martin Luther; this attribution (probably incorrect) is based on the title "Luther's Cradle Hymn," given to these words by the composer, James Murray. Verse 3 is by John Thomas McFarland (1851-1913).
Thanks to Richard W. Adams for doing this research.
[G] Away in a manger, no [C] crib for a [G] bed,
The little Lord Jesus laid down His sweet [D] head.
The [G] stars in the sky looked [C] down where He [G] lay,
The [G] little Lord Jesus, [D] asleep on the [G] hay.
The cattle are lowing, the Baby awakes,
But little Lord Jesus, no crying He makes;
I love Thee, Lord Jesus, look down from the sky
And stay by my cradle til morning is nigh.
Be near me, Lord Jesus, I ask Thee to stay
Close by me forever, and love me, I pray;
Bless all the dear children in Thy tender care,
And take us to heaven to live with Thee there.
The purpose of the Folk Den is to use the medium of the World Wide Web to continue the tradition of the folk process, that is the telling of stories, and singing of songs, passed on from one generation to another, by word of mouth.
In this electronic era, such a process is in danger of being overwhelmed by the commercial mass media. This page and others on the 'net are working to preserve the folk songs that have chronicled our global heritage for centuries.
In the Folk Den, a "new" folk song is uploaded every month as a "Global Community Service."
