The Story of the First Christmas - 1959 Version

This is Perry Como
And I'd like to tell you the most wonderful, the most beautiful
The most exciting story in the whole world
The Story of the First Christmas

Now suppose you make believe this is many, many years ago
A long time before you were born
You're standing on a hillside, near a little town in Palestine
Do you see the man in the distance, walking slowly, leading a donkey?
His name is Jos.

Someone is sitting on the back of the donkey
And her name is Mary
They've come a long, long way
And they're heading for a little town near the hillside
On which we're standing
Something very special will happen in this little town tonight
For this is the little town of Bethlehem

Oh little town of Bethlehem
How still we see thee lie
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep
The silent stars go by
Yet in thy dark streets shineth
The everlasting light
The hopes and fears of all the years
Are met in thee tonight

Let's follow Jos. and Mary
Into the little town of Bethlehem
It's getting dark and all of the rooms at the Inn are taken
But the kindly Innkeeper tells them
They could spend the night in a stable nearby

Now I told you something was gonna happen, and it did
A baby boy is born to Jos. and Mary
Whom they call Jesus
They have no baby's crib, so Mary puts little Jesus to sleep
In the soft sweet hay of a manger

(Come, come, come to the manger
Children sing and asleep on the hay
Sing, sing, chorus of Angels
Little Lord Jesus is born on this day)
Jesus is asleep in the manger
So let's tiptoe out to the hillside near Bethlehem
Where the Shepherds are tending their flock
All at once the Shepherds are frightened
You'd be frightened too
Because a great light suddenly shines in the sky
Even the animals are hushed and still
But then you hear the voice of an Angel of the Lord
And you're no longer frightened
For the Angel brings good news
News of a Saviour born this day
News of Christ the Lord

(The First Noel! the Angels did say
Was to certain poor Shepherds
In fields as they lay, in fields where they
Lay keeping their sheep
On a cold winter's night, that was so deep
Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel
Born is the King of Israel)

Well, we're still with the Shepherds
On the hillside near Bethlehem
We hear the Shepherds ask the Angel
Where to find the Christ-child?
And the Angel tells them to go to the manger
And as they leave, the sky is filled with other Angels singing
Glory to God, and on Earth, Peace, Goodwill, to Men

The Shepherds hurry to the manger
Fall on their knees before the baby
And they worship him
For He is Christ the Lord

Oh, come all ye faithful
Joyful and triumphant
Oh, come ye, oh come ye, to Bethlehem
Come and behold Him
Born the King of Angels

Oh, come let us adore Him
Oh, come let us adore Him
Oh, come let us adore Him
Christ the Lord

And now, look up into the sky
Do you see that bright star twinkling in the heavens?
Far away, three men are looking at that star just as we are
They're riding on camels
And they're using the star as a guide
To lead them to the Christ-child

Who are these three men who follow the star?
(We Three Kings of Orient are
Bearing gifts, we traverse afar
Field and fountain, moor and mountain
Following yonder star)
Yes, the three men on the camels are the three wise men
The new star guides them straight to Bethlehem
To a little baby lying in a manger
There the three wise men present gifts to the Christ-child
The first Christmas gifts ever given to anyone
A gift of gold, frankincense, and Myrrh
And they too fall on their knees to worship Him
And now, a great peace settles on the night
For it is a Holy Night

Silent night, holy night
All is calm, all is bright
'Round yon virgin, mother and child
Holy infant so tender and mild
Sleep in heavenly peace
Sleep in heavenly peace

This is why when we celebrate Christmas
We think of Bethlehem
We think of the Virgin Mary
We think of the three wise men
And the birth of the Christ-child
The First Christmas
(Oh, come let us adore Him
Christ the Lord)