Away in a Manger

"Away in a Manger" is a religious Christmas carol first published in an 1885 Lutheran Sunday School book by James R. Murray (March 7, 1841 - March 10, 1905), but the author of the first two stanzas is unknown. There are at least two major melodies for the song: one, "Cradle Song" [http://www.christmas-carol-music.org/SATB/AwayInAManger_CradleSong.html] , more commonly encountered in the United Kingdom; the other, "Mueller" [http://www.christmas-carol-music.org/SATB/AwayInAManger_Mueller.html] , more commonly found in the United States. The tune commonly used in the United Kingdom was written by William J. Kirkpatrick and was first published in 1895. The tune commonly used in the United States was written by James R. Murray and first published in 1887. It is certain that stanza three was added in 1904 by Dr. John McFarland of New York City.

Some have attributed the song to Martin Luther himself. The confusion may have began because Murray published it with the subtitle "Luther's Cradle Hymn" (Composed by Martin Luther for his children and still sung by German mothers to their little ones)."

The carol is associated with the tune "Mueller" in some churches and with the tune "Cradle Song" in others. In 2004, John Tavener composed a new setting for the words. This setting was performed at the service of Nine Lessons and Carols at King's College, Cambridge in 2005.

Recording history

*Julie Andrews (1967 using the Kirkpatrick version, 1982 using the Spillman version)
*Kimberley Locke (2007)
*Toby Keith (2007)
*Blaine Larsen (2007)
*Tim Neumark (2007)
*Joan Osborne (2006)
*Billy "Crash" Craddock (2006)
*Celtic Women (2006) (Kirkpatrick version)
*Third Day (2006)
*Sufjan Stevens (2006)
*Linda Ronstadt (2000)
*Jim Brickman (2003)
*Bright Eyes (2002)
*Alan Jackson (2002)
*Patty Loveless (2002)
*Martina McBride (1999)
*Dolly Parton (1991)
*Dwight Yoakam (1997)
*John Denver (1975)
*Nat King Cole (1960)
*Larry Groce (1980)
*Kathleen Battle (1989)
*Harry Christophers and The Sixteen (2006) (Kirkpatrick version)
*David Hill and the Choir of Winchester Cathedral (1998) (Kirkpatrick version)
*Choir of St Paul's Cathedral (1994, 1996) (Kirkpatrick version) (1996 recording with Anthony Way as treble soloist)
*George Guest and the Choir of St John's College, Cambridge (1974) (Kirkpatrick version)
*King's College Choir (1959, 1976, 1984) (Kirkpatrick version)
*John Rutter and the Cambridge Singers (1987) (Kirkpatrick version)
*Anne Murray (1981) (using both the Kirkpatrick and Murray versions)
*Relient K (2003) (Medley with Silent Night)
*Kenny G

Lyrics

Away in a manger, no for a bed,
The little Lord Jesus laid down His sweet head.
The stars in the bright sky looked down where He lay,
The little Lord Jesus, asleep on the hay.

The cattle are lowing, the baby awakes, "(or "the Babe 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. "(or "And throw us to Heaven...")"

:Other versions include the line "...no room for his head.":Some versions use for the last verse "And fit us for heaven...":Some versions omit "bright" and change "cradle 'til" to "bedside" or "side until".:Still other versions use "night sky" instead of "bright sky".:The scanned version linked shows "to watch lullaby" instead of " 'til morning is nigh.":Other variations include "...poor Baby wakes" instead of "...Baby awakes", possibly a Victorian addition.:The song would originally have been sung by a parent "on behalf of" an infant, rather than by a child, hence the reference to the cradle, and the later change to "bedside."

See also

*The New Oxford Book of Carols (1998), Oxford University Press. Edited by Hugh Keyte and Andrew Parrott
* [http://digital.library.pitt.edu/cgi-bin/t/text/pageviewer-idx?c=nietz;cc=nietz;q1=song;rgn=full%20text;idno=00z426609m;didno=00z426609m;view=image;seq=0116;node=00z426609m%3A99 Scan of Luther's Cradle Hymn from Dainty Songs for Little Lads and Lasses]
*View the song lyrics: http://www.41051.com/xmaslyrics/awaymanger.html

External links

* Free arrangements for [http://cantorion.org/music/8/Away+in+a+Manger Piano] and [http://cantorion.org/music/50/Away+in+a+Manger Voice] from "Cantorion.org"
* Free scores of this work ( or ) in the Choral Public Domain Library (ChoralWiki)