| This is Perry Como. |
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| And I’d like to tell you the most wonderful, the most beautiful
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| The most exciting story in the whole world
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| The Story of the First Christmas!
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| Now suppose you make believe this is many, many years ago
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| A long time before you were born!
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| You’re standing on a hillside, near a little town in Palestine
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| Do you see the man in the distance, walking slowly, leading a donkey?
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| His name is Joseph!
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| Someone is sitting on the back of the donkey
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| And her name is Mary!
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| They’ve come a long, long way
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| And they’re heading for a little town near the hillside
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| On which we’re standing!
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| Something very special will happen in this little town tonight!
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| For this is the little town of Bethlehem!
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| Oh little town of Bethlehem
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| How still we see thee lie
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| Above thy deep and dreamless sleep
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| The silent stars go by!
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| Yet in thy dark streets shineth
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| The everlasting light!
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| The hopes and fears of all the years
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| Are met in thee tonight!
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| Let’s follow Joseph and Mary into the town of Bethlehem
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| It’s getting dark and all of the rooms at the Inn are taken
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| But the kindly Innkeeper tells them
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| They could spend the night at a stable nearby!
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| Now I told you something was gonna happen, and it did!
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| A baby boy is born to Mary and Joseph
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| Whom they call Jesus!
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| They have no baby’s crib, so Mary puts little Jesus to sleep
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| In the soft sweet hay of a manger!
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| Come, come, come to the manger
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| Children sing and asleep on the hay
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| Sing, sing, chorus of Angels
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| Little Lord Jesus is born on this day!
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| Jesus is asleep in the manger
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| So let’s tiptoe out to the hillside near Bethlehem
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| Where the Shepherds are tending their flock
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| All at once the Shepherds are frightened
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| You’d be frightened too
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| Because a great light suddenly shines in the sky!
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| Even the animals are hushed and still
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| But then you hear the voice of an Angel of the Lord!
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| And you’re no longer frightened
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| For the Angel brings good news
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| News of a Saviour born this day
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| News of Christ the Lord!
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| The First Noel! |
| the Angels did say
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| Was to certain poor Shepherds
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| In fields as they lay, in fields where they
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| Lay keeping their sheep
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| On a cold winter’s night, that was so deep!
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| Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel!
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| Born is the King of Israel!
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| Well, we’re still with the Shepherds
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| On the hillside near Bethlehem
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| We hear the Shepherds ask the Angel
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| Where to find the Christ-child?
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| And the Angel tells them to go to the manger
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| And as they leave the sky is filled with other Angels singing
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| Glory to God! |
| And on Earth Peace, Goodwill, to Men!
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| The Shepherds hurry to the manger
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| Fall on their knees before the baby
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| And they worship him!
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| For He is Christ the Lord!
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| Oh! |
| Come all ye faithful
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| Joyful and triumphant!
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| Oh Come ye, Oh Come ye, to Bethlehem!
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| Come and behold Him
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| Born the King of Angels
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| Oh! |
| Come let us adore Him
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| Oh! |
| Come let us adore Him
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| Oh! |
| Come let us adore Him
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| Christ the Lord!
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| And now, look up into the sky!
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| Do you see that bright star twinkling in the heavens?
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| Far away, three men are looking at that star just as we are!
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| They’re riding on camels
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| And they’re using the star as a guide to lead them to the Christ-child
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| Who are these three men who follow the star?
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| We Three Kings of Orient are
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| Bearing gifts, we traverse afar
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| Field and fountain, moor and mountain
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| Following yonder star!
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| Yes, the three men on the camels are the three wise men
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| The new star guides them straight to Bethlehem
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| To a little baby lying in a manger!
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| There the three wise men present gifts to the Christ-child
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| The first Christmas gifts ever given to anyone
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| A gift of gold, of frankincense, and of Mir!
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| And they too fall on their knees to worship Him
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| And now, a great peace settles on the night
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| For it is the Holy Night!
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| Silent night, holy night
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| All is calm, all is bright
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| 'Round yon virgin mother and child
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| Holy infant so tender and mild!
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| Sleep in heavenly peace
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| Sleep in heavenly peace!
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| This is why when we celebrate Christmas
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| We think of Bethlehem
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| We think of the Virgin Mary
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| We think of the three wise men
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| And the birth of the Christ-child!
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| The First Christmas!
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| Oh! |
| Come let us adore Him
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| Christ the Lord!
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| Adapted by John A. Richards with Musical Arrangement by Mitchell Ayres
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| Recorded by Perry Como and the Ray Charles Singers
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| With Mitchell Ayres and His Orchestra on July 13, 1959
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| At Webster Hall, New York City, for RCA Victor
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| Recording Engineer: Bob Simpson |