Ok so this one has an interesting back story. I have never really liked the music of this original song / hymn. But around the year 2000, I heard a high school choir from Tremonton, Utah perform this song and I fell in love with it. I rushed up to the director afterward and told him how much I enjoyed it and asked where he got the arrangement. To my surprise, he said, "Actually, I wrote it and got it published. But, it's out of print. Here; you can have my copy."

It was a very cool thing for him to do. And with that copy, I created this arrangement and adapted it from choir to a solo. I've performed it at lots of Christmas parties over the years, as well as directing the full choral version with church choirs.

And I still love it!

1. Once in royal David's city
Stood a lowly cattle shed,
Where a mother laid her baby
In a manger for his bed:
Mary was that mother mild,
Jesus Christ her little child.

2. He came down to earth from heaven,
Who is God and Lord of all,
And his shelter was a stable,
And his cradle was a stall;
With the poor, and meek, and lowly,
Lived on earth our Savior holy.

3. And our eyes at last shall see him,
Through his own redeeming love;
For that child so dear and gentle
Is our Lord in heav'n above,
And he leads his children on
To the place where he is gone.

To the place where he is gone.